24 May 2011

Top Ten Liverpool Goals 2010-11

The recent never-ending blog carnival can't spoil historic practice. While I'm sure you're sick of overwrought dissection of the season that was (and there will be more), a top 10 video of Liverpool's goals of the season is tradition around this parts. Also, you should go read the Goal of the Season results that Paisley Gates posted this morning.

Just under eight minutes long, hosted on rutube in the hopes it won't get pulled down for the inevitable copyright infringement. As per usual, hit play then pause and let it load for a few minutes. It'll get there.



10) Torres 1-0 Chelsea: Sorry. He shows up on this list twice more, so steel yourself now. Couldn't be avoided. Superlative control and finish, but more credit goes to Kuyt's pixel-perfect pass.
9) Carroll 1-0 City: More than just a strong head indelicately perched atop a massive body. This was a wicked left-foot strike that Riise would have been proud of.
8) Meireles 1-0 Wigan: Your 2010-11 King of Volleys, Raul Meireles. Watched it fall out of the sky until waist-high, then perfectly struck with a roundhouse kick. Good enough for mere mortals, but Meireles has more coming.
7) Torres 1-1 Bolton: I like to think this goal was scored in spite of Hodgson, as Liverpool certainly didn't show this ability very often. A gorgeous, flowing team strike: from Johnson to Ngog to Gerrard to Torres to the back of the net in under seven seconds. Gerrard's insouciant, immaculate chip – so much more difficult than he made it look – is by far my favorite part. Oh when he starts linking up with Suarez regularly...
6) Lucas 3-1 Steaua: He's good for one of these screamers a season. Pity it's not more.
5) Maxi 4-1 Fulham: The Argentinean's best strike during an unstoppable scoring stint. Not only a Louvre-worthy tempest from distance, but a crucial goal to stem Fulham's potential rally.
4) Torres 2-0 Chelsea: Just so you know, this list includes more Torres goals scored against his current club than he's scored for his current club.
3) Suarez 2-0 Sunderland: With Suarez, the extraordinary becomes boringly ordinary and the impossible happens at least once every 90 minutes or so. He's an irrepressible magician with an overflowing bag of tricks. Sane footballers simply don't score from that position.
2) Suarez Kuyt 1-0 United: If Kuyt doesn't tap in from two inches, this goes down as the best own goal ever thanks to Evra's deflection. Don't mind the name on the score sheet; this is Suarez's goal. Also, Rafael still comes to Anfield after he's done training in the hopes that, one day, he'll find the ankles that Suarez broke.
1) Meireles 2-0 Wolves: Unrepeatable.

For the first time since I started doing this four years ago, Gerrard's not featured. His free kick through United's wall and the delightfully nonchalant chipped finish for a hat-trick against Napoli were considered, but are probably behind other strikes which didn't make this list. Compare that to one entry last year, four in 2008-09, and three in 2007-08.

Also, six of the 10 happened under Dalglish, with 4 during Hodgson's reign of terror: Torres' three entries and Lucas' ballistic missile. I'm surprised there weren't more from the last five months, actually. Probability and whatnot. Evidently, more goals doesn't necessarily mean more sexier goals.

Honorable Mention:
• Torres 1-0 Wigan (Gerrard assist)
• Maxi 1-0 Bolton (Torres assist)
• Johnson 1-2 West Ham (Suarez assist)
• Carroll 3-0 City (Meireles assist)
• Suarez 3-0 Newcastle (Kuyt assist)

It was a bad year for great goals. So this year's honorable mention features my favorite assists which didn't make the top 10.

1 comment :

irfaan said...

Was waiting for this Top 10 compilation...great selection Nate!!Roll on next season!