Every goalkeeper has one dream that surpasses all other dreams. Yes, most keepers aspire to make top-corner saves and stop late-game penalties, but above all, every goalkeeper wants to score a goal.
A full-field boot over the head of the opposing goalkeeper is a welcome possibility, as is making a rare appearance in a striker's shirt. Yet very little can exceed the excitement of a last-minute equalizer.
After a decade-plus of domination by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, fans expected Ballon d'Or voting to bring some different results in 2021.
The obvious choice was Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, who was coming off a record-breaking 41-goal campaign in the Bundesliga.
Instead it was Messi — seemingly entering the twilight of his career — who won the award for the seventh time. "Surely something must be done," the people exclaimed at this perceived injustice. "He still can't be the best player in the world."
As a semi-active goalkeeper and current goalkeeper coach, I pride myself on being knowledgeable about all things goalkeeping. But early on into this project, I realized I was in over my head. My goalkeeper expertise was far outweighed by my previous lack of knowledge on women's soccer.
I couldn't rank the top ten women's goalkeepers because I couldn't even name ten of them. I was humbled and also disappointed in myself, but I set out to rectify the situation by producing the best damn rankings of women's goalkeepers I possibly could.
An intriguing Thursday evening fixture between two struggling Premier League giants quickly devolved into controversy when Arsenal scored a goal while Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea was down injured.
The sequence started with an Arsenal corner whipped in by Martin Ødegaard. As the ball went up, Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea had his right heel accidentally stepped on by his teammate, Fred.
De Gea went down in pain but play continued, and Arsenal's Emil Smith-Rowe put the ball in the back of the net from the edge of the penalty area.
Lionel Messi edged Robert Lewandowski for the men’s 2021 Ballon d’Or, the Argentine’s record-extending seventh trophy as the best men’s player in the world. But Cristiano Ronaldo, who didn’t even attend the award show in Paris, still managed to make it all about him.
Messi, who this year helped Argentina win the 2021 Copa América and Barcelona win the Copa del Rey (lol), was also named the world’s best men’s player in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019.
HERE IS THE WINNER!
The UK was hit by a wintry blast from the Arctic this weekend as Storm Arwen brought high winds, freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall across the nation, while England and the Premier League experienced the brunt of it on Sunday.
The weather disrupted football matches across the land, most notably at Turf Moor as Burnley and Tottenham’s match was called off less than an hour before kickoff.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche, despite appearing pitch-side to monitor the situation in only a dress shirt, agreed with the decision.
Often called "The World's Game," soccer is a ubiquitous sport that is often loved for its distinct regional flavor. Brazilians love to dribble, Englishmen relish a crunching tackle and the Italians always prize their gamesmanship.
Fans from all of these countries can appreciate — in varying degrees — a fingertip save, a great dribbling move or a top-corner goal. The responses to those plays sometimes differ, but few events in a match can elicit the type of feelings that consistently follow an absurd own goal.
Disappointment followed the first Aberdeen corner of the match, as the low outswinger at the end of the first half failed to make it past the first line of Dundee United defenders. Aberdeen's Funso Ojo chased after the loose ball and attempted to play it back to the corner kick taker, but under pressure, his miscued pass went over the end line for a goal kick.
Well played Canada, well played.
Instead of scheduling a mid-November fixture at its usual home field in Toronto, the Canucks will be playing a crucial World Cup Qualifying match against Mexico on the frigid plains of Alberta.