By Paul Gardner
I’m not sure where to put the blame for this one, but in the end it hardly matters … it’s too late to do anything about the selection of goals as candidates for the MLS Goal of the Year award … five goals, and a disappointingly one-dimensional lot they are … four of the five are long range shots — from 35- to 50-yarders … no build up, no assists.
Maybe, on the fifth goal, Brian Ching‘s bicycle kick, you can count Paul Dalglish‘s clumsy where-the-heck-did-that-go? header as an assist … but that’s it … otherwise, it’s one swing of the foot and the ball’s in the net .. all of the long-range efforts are wonderful shots … but repetitious … there’s nothing whatever to choose between Facundo Erpen‘s effort and Carey Talley‘s … unless you’re a D.C.United or a Real Salt Lake fan . . . and there’s precious little to separate Carlos Ruiz‘s goal from Dwayne De Rosario‘s … except that De Rosario can claim longer distance.
Some 18 months ago I pointed out that the MLS award … an individual award … was likely to overlook the beauty of goals resulting from an intricate buildup … the sort of goal we’ve since seen at this summer’s World Cup … scored by Argentina against Serbia & Montenegro … the final touch, from Esteban Cambiasso, came after a superb buildup of no fewer than 24 passes and a back-heeled assist from Hernan Crespo … a breathtaking goal that MLS, with its emphasis on the individual scorer, would have to rule out as an award winner … because there was nothing exceptional about Cambiasso’s contribution.
So let me repeat my generous, totally free-of-charge suggestion made to MLS in May 2005 … (it was, inevitably, completely ignored) … inaugurate another award, this one for a team goal … this is what I wrote then: “Such goals as these have a different quality from a sudden explosion of individual skill, they allow a few seconds of anticipation as the excitement builds to its zenith. That expectancy, that feeling of growing excitement is an important part of the game — it would be nice to see it studied, and to see it rewarded at the end of the season.”
As an example from this season’s MLS play, I’d pick the playoff goal scored against the Red Bulls by Christian Gomez after a nifty give-and-go with Jaime Moreno … a goal that did manage to combine both a touch of team play and a lovely finish.
Click player’s name to view video of Goal of the Year candidates: Carey Talley, Facundo Erpen, Carlos Ruiz, Dwayne De Rosario, Brian Ching