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Nagbe wins MLS Goal of the Year

Nagbe (Getty Images)

The people have spoken, and they've chosen Darlington Nagbe.

The Portland Timbers rookie won MLS Goal of the Year honors on Wednesday, beating out Vancouver Whitecaps striker Eric Hassli for the award. Both players, suiting up for expansion teams, delivered goals that were among the best MLS has ever seen in their first years in the league.

Nagbe volleyed a punched-away clearance to himself before lofting a blast into the upper left-hand corner of the net against Sporting Kansas City on July 2. Hassli also delivered a goal off a bad clearance attempt, turning his body at the right edge of the box before unleashing a volley inside the far post against the Seattle Sounders on June 11.

The winner was determined by an online fan vote on the MLS website, with Nagbe earning 42 percent of the vote and Hassli garnering 31 percent. They both outdistanced Fredy Montero (23 percent) and Davide Chiumiento (4 percent), the other finalists for the honor.

For comparison sake (and as another excuse to watch them both, because, let's be honest, they're ridiculous goals), highlights of Nagbe's and Hassli's goals are after the jump:

NAGBE VS. SPORTING KANSAS CITY

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2naoSiNRQ1w]

ERIC HASSLI VS. SEATTLE SOUNDERS

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8Vfdx7LEh4]

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What do you think of the final verdict? Was Nagbe's goal better than Hassli's? 

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Any strike that’s up for goal of the year is going to require some luck. It’s about executing something that’s rare and special.

    Nagbe had the luxury of having his feet planted and several touches on the ball. Hassli is on the move and required to do something much more difficult.

    I think its ridiculous to call one “skill” and the other “luck” especially when the “skilled goal” was scored by a guy who barely finds the back of the net. He wasn’t in any way lucky? right…

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  2. Hassli is not a winning personality. That hurts him here, but the goal is otherworldly. It has a luck element like dempseys Europa magic, but with more power. Id rather see a celebration filled with joy than f bombs and chest inflation. Side note: surprised agudelos flick and shot was not on the list.

    Reply

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