Free Kicks

Amazing Djordje Mihailovic free kick helps USMNT advance to Olympic knockouts for first time in 24 years

Most of the current United States men’s national team Olympic players weren’t alive for the last time the USMNT advanced out of the group stage in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. On Tuesday the U.S. defeated Guinea 3-0 to book a place to the knockout stages in France.

Coming into Tuesday’s group stage finale the USMNT controlled their own destiny. Despite the 3-0 defeat to France in the opener, they bounced back with a massive 4-1 win against New Zealand to put them in a great position on the final day.

Watch: Goalkeeper breaks goal in half after making free kick save

One of the most ridiculous plays we’ve ever seen just happened, with a goal completely falling apart mid-free kick.

Watch: Goalkeeper breaks goal after making incredible free kick save

In a USPL match in New England between amateur clubs Boston Street FC and GZS Bridgeport FC, a free kick attempt bound to hit the back of the net, stopped by the goalkeeper with an amazing save, ended in the utter destruction of the goal posts mid-play.

Watch: Marco Reus scores perfect free kick in fairy tale final game at Signal Iduna Park

The Marco Reus free kick goal against Darmstadt was special as the 34-year-old had an emotional final game at Signal Iduna Park.

Reus is playing his final games with Dortmund after 12 seasons with the club. Dortmund’s iconic Yellow Wall had a special tribute to their No. 11, who was given the armband, before the game.

Inter Miami’s Matías Rojas scores Messi-esque free-kick to inspire comeback win

Inter Miami shook off a two-goal first-half deficit Saturday night to stun host CF Montreal 3-2.

Miami (8-2-3, 27 points) fell behind early after allowing two goals in a 10-minute span in the first half, but it rallied to tie the match before halftime. In the 59th minute, Inter Miami took the lead on a goal from Benjamin Cremaschi.

Cremaschi scored after a Miami counterattack. After running a few yards, Matias Rojas lifted a left-footed pass over the Montreal back line, and Cremaschi overcame a poor first touch to roll the ball past the keeper and into the back of the net.

Watch: USL side Rhode Island show how to execute an indirect free kick perfectly

Indirect free kicks in the penalty box don’t happen often, but when they do it always makes for a spectacle. An indirect free kick goal from Rhode Island FC in the USL Championship on Friday is the exact chaos we love to see.

In the 89th minute Rhode Island trailed 2-0 to Phoenix Rising but had a late opportunity to give the crowd something to cheer about with an indirect free kick from roughly 12 yards out.

Phoenix created a wall of nearly the entire team spread out in front of goal, but Rhode Island were clever enough to produce this piece of magic.

Cristiano Ronaldo scores 41-minute hat trick including two free kicks as he closes in on Golden Boot

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick on Tuesday during Al Nassr’s 8-0 demolition of Abha in the Saudi Pro League to extend his lead in the Golden Boot race.

Abha have been abysmal this season conceding a league-high 68 goals in 26 games. Ronaldo exposed their weak defense scoring a hat trick and providing two assists in the first half.

Ronaldo scored two free kicks in the span of 10 minutes to open the floodgates.

He then completed his first half hat trick with a cool chipped finish. This marked back-to-back hat tricks for CR7 and the 65th hat trick of his career.

Watch: Player accidentally nails two of his teammates in the head during free kick

The Scottish Premiership produced one of the most insane and hilarious bloopers we’ve seen in a professional game in a long time. A Hibs free kick fail during Saturday’s game vs. Rangers saw a player take out two of his teammates.

Australian and Hibernian defender Nectarios Triantis etched himself into YouTube “Biggest football FAILS” lore when he accidentally blasted the ball into a teammate’s head during a free kick five minutes into the game.

Watch: Raheem Sterling’s free kick vs. Leicester City somehow gets worse with every new angle

The Raheem Sterling free kick vs Leicester City from Chelsea’s 4-2 FA Cup quarterfinal victory went viral due to how awful it was. We’re not exaggerating when we say this could be the worst free kick of all time.

In the 75th minute with the game tied at 2-2, Sterling was presented with a free kick just outside of the Foxes’ box. A major opportunity for the Blues.

Getting the ball up and over the wall but still on target isn’t easy from that close, but Sterling was prepared. He confidently stepped up, smashed the ball and then probably knocked someone out in the 25th row.

Vissel Kobe’s Yuya Osako misses penalty kick by 10 yards then responds with free kick golazo

Vissel Kobe striker Yuya Osako provided a prime example of why you keep fighting and don’t get down on yourself.

In a J1 League match against FC Tokyo on Saturday the reigning league MVP started the game with a blooper for the ages. In the sixth minute Vissel Kobe were awarded a penalty kick and Osako stepped up to take the kick.

The 33-year-old scored 24 goals last season and looked poised to score his first of the season. Disaster struck on his run up as he slipped at the vital moment and missed the goal by a mile.

Yuya Osako penalty miss

Sensational Son free kick sends Jürgen Klinsmann’s South Korea to Asian Cup semifinals

AL WAKRAH — South Korea advanced to the semifinals of the Asian Cup with a 2-1 comeback win over Australia in extra time at Al Janoub Stadium on Friday after Son Heung-min scored the winner with a sublime free kick.

With South Korea going to extra time for a second straight game after they beat Saudi Arabia on penalties, Hwang won a free kick on the edge of the box from a foul conceded by Miller once again.

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