BEHIND THE PLAY #13

Some of the last few newsletters have been a bit heavy. Today’s a bit lighter. Enjoy some of the most amazing goals combined with some of the best celebrations and/or commentating.

Have to start with what for me is clearly the best goal celebration ever. Marco Tardelli scoring the 2-0 goal in the final of the greatest World Cup ever played. With just twenty minutes left in the game, his face was the pure realization that he was going to be a World Cup champion. 1982 just had it all. The most majestic but in the end tragic team in Brazil. The worst foul ever committed in a World Cup and maybe on a field ever (Schumacher on Battiston in the semi-final which may also be the most epic World Cup game every played). But that Tardelli celebration. That made an indelible impression on me.

“Now here come Watford. Forestieri. Here’s Hogg…Deeney! Do not scratch your eyes! You are really seeing the most extraordinary finish here!” Is there a better, more well-known, justice-is-served end to a game in a non top division game than this? There is not.

“That’s ridiculous. Still Lionel Messi. THAT IS OUTSTANDING! IT’S OUT OF THIS WORLD AND IT’S PURE GENIUS!” It’s one of my favourite bits of commentary but it’s hard to find. Here’s Mark Donaldson, from ESPN calling perhaps the best Copa del Rey goal every scored.

“Here’s Dele Alli…Here’s Lucas Moura! Ohhh! They’ve done it!” There are some eight to ten minute highlight videos of this second leg of the 2019 Champions League semi final between Spurs and Ajax that are worth your time because this game was a mind-bendingly back and forth set of amazing chances. Spurs were already down 1-0 from the first leg in London and by half-time in Amsterdam they are down 3-0 on aggregate. Don’t know what Poch said to Lucas Moura at half-time but it sank in. Just the day after Liverpool came from being 3-0 down in the first leg at Barca to come back and win 4-0 at home, Spurs trump that comeback with a hat-trick by Moura. The winner is at 9:55 but the whole thing really should be viewed from start to finish.

Bonus: If you like amazing Champions League comebacks, this one’s hard to beat. Barcelona vs PSG, Round of 16, 2nd leg, 2017. Here’s the last ten minutes of that game. It’s so good I keep a copy in my Google Drive.

“A cosmic kite! What planet did you come from!” In one game in 1986, Diego scored the two most memorable World Cup goals ever. One player in one game. The call on the second, by legendary Argentinian announcer Victor Hugo Morales, even if you don’t know a word of Spanish, makes it clear that this win against England was about more than just football.

“Balatelli…Aguerroooo!!! I swear you’ll never see anything like this again. But watch it, drink it in.” It had to be Aguero scoring but Balotelli’s hold up play and layoff don’t get enough credit. Great last second goal to hand City their first Premier League title on goal difference over their arch-rivals United on the last day of the season.

“Ohhh, he’s put Boateng in a terrible place.” Just Messi being Messi in the Champions League semi-final. You can hear Gary Neville’s empathy for a fellow defender in his description of what Messi did to Boateng for this goal.

“Hit by James. Oh what a goal! One of the greats!” This one has a personal angle to it. I was there. We were behind the goal James Rodriguez scored this technical masterpiece on. It capped so many moments that had revealed themselves that day. The train out to the Maracana after some patio beers and then the walk in to what is easily one of the most iconic stadiums in the world. I remember as we got through the gate into the stadium, there was a group of Colombian guys in their 20’s who had also come through the various metal detectors and ticket checks about the same time as us and were celebrating entry with shouts and high fives waiting for the last of their party to clear security. I came through with that last guy. A heavy set guy who upon entering the stadium to see his team had a moment and I won’t forget it. I have no idea what it had taken for him to get to Rio and get a ticket for this game but he had a quiet but very intense few seconds where he celebrated on his own as if he had really overcome an obstacle and/or achieved a life goal. He was looking down, a bit bent over and shaking his fists slowly in tandem with each other. When he caught himself and looked up, we caught eyes. His had tears that he very quickly wiped away. I just smiled and gave him a nod. He quickly joined his friends and they were off.

The game? It felt like a tinderbox. For some reason there not separated supporter sections for Uruguay and Colombia fans. They were all mixed in together. Uruguay fans were pissed that Luis Suarez had been suspended for (clearly) biting Chiellini in the previous game. It was irrational but the Colombian fans kept singing songs about the incident to wind them up and it worked. I have never been at a game where so many times either stadium security or fully clad riot police had to come and separate and/or remove fans. It always felt we were one really bad call away from deep mayhem.

Instead, though we got beauty and not the beast. We were sitting behind the goal he scored it on. We’d seen Robin van Persie’s flying header vs Spain the day after we arrived in Brazil and our second last game was the goal that ended up being voted best goal of the World Cup.

_{Today’s song is a great one from a criminally overlooked album. Candyfloss by Wilco from the album Summerteeth . (Apple Music) (Spotify)(YouTube)}