Finishing

Just scoring a goal in De Klassieker, the biggest club football rivalry in the Netherlands pitting Amsterdam’s Ajax and Rotterdam’s Feyenoord, is grounds for footballing legend. Factor in the additional importance of this early goal being the impetus for Ajax’s 2-1 victory, a result which saw them close the gap on their most hated rival to only three points at the top of the Eredivisie table, and it’s bordering on folkloric status. 

The United States’ recent match against Panama conjured memories of one of the greatest performances by any American in World Cup qualifying. Eddie Johnson, then just 20 years old, took his total to four goals in only two international appearances by scoring a hat trick against Panama in only seventeen-minutes back in 2004.

A little over a week ago, we checked in on Kazuyoshi “King Kazu” Mirua, who’d just broken Sir Stanley Matthews’ record as the oldest professional footballer at 50 years and seven days. While, since that day, he’s not only gone on to further that mark, but he’s also broken another of the legendary Englishman’s records by becoming the oldest recognized goalscorer in professional football history.

Hamburger SV claimed a vital three points in their fight to maintain their position as the only German club to have never been relegated from the top division. The catalyst for Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Gladbach was American striker Bobby Wood.

Wood scored his fifth Bundesliga goal, and ninth across all competitions, after cleverly evading his marker by lying motionless on the ground for about five seconds. His marker ultimately ends up handing him the ball, and from there, Wood takes it around a defender and fires it into the net.

21-year-old Luka Zahovic, a Slovenian youth international who was nominated for the FIFA Golden Boy award in 2014, has scored a beautiful goal for Maribor in league play.

An audacious flick with the heel of his boot served as a remarkable first touch, leaving two defenders in his wake. With the keeper rushing out and his angle narrowing, Zahovic’s second touch is a deft lob on the half-volley that arches over the goalkeeper and just under the crossbar.  

Panama were the surprise winners of the 2017 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship after defeating three-time champions Mexico 4-2 in the final. With the scores level at 2-2, Panama proceeded to score two unanswered goals to secure their first ever championship.

Mexico scored the first, but Panama responded with their goalkeeper hurling one down the beach for an attacker to side volley home.