As some of you know, I called the contest for this week’s MLS Goal of the Week over, naming Amado Guevara’s free kick as the unquestioned winner.
Well, he might have some competition.
Marcelo Gallardo’s volley blast deserves consideration, though I still think Guevara gets the edge. Here is Gallardo’s goal:
You make the call. Which goal is better? Guevara’s free kick or Gallardo’s volley?
Gallardo, Klejstan, then Guevara.
How about the SOUND of Gallardo’s goal? It sounded like a cannon shot.
Gallardo
I’m a red bull fan and I still say Gallardo
@Posted by: ben | April 27, 2008 at 06:30 PM
that was a sick goal. That goal, Sasha’s goal & Gallardo’s goal are all better than Guevara’s goal which was very well executed, but it’s an f’n set piece folks. They practice those things ALL DAY. You don’t practice insane volley’s like that or taking a ball that bounced off your prone defender’s knee bouncing it up to yourself and then smashing it home on the half volley whilst falling on your rear.
Seriously, not matter how nice the free kick, it’s still a step and a half above a penalty kick. Only in the US and England do people get that geeked over a kick that a person is allowed to set up to their liking and strike unimpeded with no defender closer than 10 yards from them. C’mon, a little perspective. It’s and art but it never beats a goal from the run of play.
Anybody that has played soccer will tell you that Gallardo’s shot was technically way more difficult. Getting the ball on goal was an accomplishment in and of itself.
Ives are you crazy…
That gallardo goal is incredible. the man struck it in on the run where the other one was a set piece…
Gallardo’s was very good, but low pressure on the shot. Team is up 3-0 so it made it easier to score. Guevara was an amazingly placed shot. Yes others can do it, but not that well placed. Kljestans even though I don’t like him, had a very nice touch. Xavier screwed up on the defending but it was still an amazing shot. And Donovans second goal was very good to. The composure he had was simply amazing.
Gallardo’s is better than Guevara’s hands down. Not even close. Absolutely no angle on Gallardo’s. I’m still trying to figure out how that was even physically poaaible.
Gallardo’s, but Donovan’s header, followed by his screaming at the defender, beaten and prone at his feet, was preeeetttttty awesome.
I’ll take Gallardo’s hands down. That was a nice free kick by Guevara, but I think Klestjen’s goal was better.
I wasnt suggesting that Donovans goals were better than Gallardo’s. Gallardo had goal of the season so far in my book. I only wanted to point out that Landon seems to be the only US prduced player that is technically gifted with the ball. Americans seem to value speed and fitness over technical ability and creativity.
Gallardo. Haven’t seen Donovan’s again yet. But, no other striker in MLS could do that – or almost no one. But, free kicks like that can come from many.
P.S. Donovan is amazing, I don’t care what you haters say. Anyone notice that two goals from his hat trick were scored with his left foot from 18-22 yds out? That guy has amazing skill on the ball. Was he really produced in the US? I am happy is US plyers have enough ball skill to do that with their preferred foot.
Gallardo’s – it was on the fly
Gallardo hands down! FURTHER DISCUSSION NOT NEEDED.
Shades of Van Basten 88 all over that goal. Ive seen that freekick at least 20 times this year all over the world. Gallardo’s goal will be hard to find anywhere in the world this season
Yeah, both goals are great but i think Klejstan’s goal is better than those…..Gallardo’s goal was more like a lucky goal….an impossible angle and Guevara’s goal was from a set piece….but Klejstan’s goal was more like a master piece, ….the bending of the ball despite several defenders breathing down is …. world class….I would say Gallardo’s goal is a close second and Guevara’s goal…a third
Hands down Gallardo.
Beautiful strike. But I’m glad I didn’t watch the whole match, as I couldn’t have stood 90 minutes of listening to that commentator. I couldn’t tell if I was watching soccer or WWF wrestling.
Not even close–it’s Gallardo.
Gallardo. That is an incredibly difficult volley to make with a defender jumping in front for distraction and a very tough angle to place the ball in the upper 90.
Guevara’s is a beautiful strike but its a lower degree of difficulty.
I keep on going back and forth between Guevara and Gallardo. I think I’m leaning towards — nevermind..I don’t know. But I do agree with a couple of other people regarding Donovan. I think at least one of his first two goals could be in this discussion–the one where he kicked the ball in off a volley or when he scored while he was slipping to the ground. But, I think I will go for Gallardo, I mean Guevara, wait—
I don’t know!
Gallardo. A great volley is much harder to make on the move and from that angle than an amazing free kick like Guevara’s.
Gallarado’s goal is the better of the two. Terrible angle, excellent placement, and off the volley — incredibly hard to do.
That goal is insane. Technically, it snot even close, that was an extremely difficult strike. He was no more than five feet from teh touch line and had alomst nogoal to work with.
I guess I’m in the minority in thinking that Donovan’s second goal was unmatched in sheet desire and talent.
Gallardo. Hands down. Haven’t watched all the others. You could argue that he was just as likely to sky that one to the point where it landed right next to the St. Louis’ MLS franchise, but so could have Guevara’s. Sorry, man, but it’s Gallardo.
Are you kidding me? how is no one voting for Landon’s sliding-slipping-wrong-way goal OFF A FEED FROM CLAUDIO SUAREZ’S KNEE??!? It was among the best concentration goals I’ve ever seen. His earlier reaction volley was also pretty smooth — I think more impressive than Sasha’s relatively routine burning of Xavier and open shot
Gallardo for sure… Screw Van Basten…Gallardo’s goal was Woly-esque!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPcr9ctulJg&NR
Guevara’s is better. He had to beat a wall and a keeper… Gallardo just had to beat the keeper AND he was way closer than Guevara was.
Gallardo’s goal wins – hands down! The full volley from that obscene angle, the power, the precision…much respect to Sasha and Amado, but Gallardo’s was PURE CLASS and something truely special!!
Gallardo. Fixed target v. moving target.
Hey Bill, you do realize that D.C. United fans have been ballot stuffing on goal of the week for YEARS. So your statement is pretty funny. I would bet that Gallardo wins, even though Guevara deserves it.
Gallardo – harder to do it one-touch on the run than a set-piece you can practice over and over. Guevara’s was precision, but can be practiced. Gallardo’s was instinct, and the defense had no hope.
Gallardo.
goal of the week in my books….havent seen the Fire highlights, nor the NY highlights, but it was simply the best goal this week
Guevara’s will win because the Toronto fans can control the voting. They are rampant! TFC actually looked very respectable yesterday!
LOTS of nice goals this weekend.
man if Gallardo doesn’t win it I don’t understand the world anymore.
Chivas goal by Sasha Kljestjan guy was class, as was the freekick from Toronto, but Gallardo’s goal is from a direct volley (Van Basten Euro 88 – esque) a very difficult thing to pull off and he almost burst the net with that rocket too.
I know who will get my vote and now you should too 😉
I agree with you Ives, I’m going to have to go with Guevara’s. Although Gallardo’s is more unique of a scenario, I believe that Guevara’s was a greater display of class. Firstly, It was far more meaningful of a goal in terms of the scoreline. Second, although people score on free kicks often, the flight and placement on that ball is first class. I don’t think i’ve seen a better free kick taken since Ronaldo belted one earlier in the year (cant remember who it was against).
No disrespect to gallardo, his goal was class as well, but I think he was just trying to blast it as hard as he could from that angle, rather than purposely placing it in the top corner like guevara did.
great goals in mls this weekend though…good to see.
p.s. xavier is shocking
Strago, Borchers was out of the play, and Rimando was near post. It was a great goal, but the “flying in your face” thing has no correspondence to reality.
Van Basten was in full sprint. Gallardo was more or less waiting on that ball. And keep in mind that if Borchers actually had any idea of what he was supposed to do, Gallardo wouldn’t have had even that angle. It was great execution, true, but with no defense, so the degree of difficulty is way lower.
It doesn’t much matter, really, as Toronto fans will, as usual, geek out and stuff the ballot box for their guy in the Sierra Mist Goal of the Week vote.
gallardo. no question.
Gallardo’s no question. Van Bastenesque (http://youtube.com/watch?v=bBNDlQvPYxw)
It’s too bad for Guevara, any other week and his would have been No. 1.
Gallardo’s hands down. It’s not even close. There’s infinite more skill involved in a full volley at that angle with a defender and goalie flying in your face.
Gallardos, hands down. Guevaras was nice but had a lwoer degree of difficulty.
Gallardo, not quesiton.
Adjusting to a floating cross on the fly without losing concentration on the ball while the defender flails for a header, then hammering a one time volley at that acute angle? Guevara’s dead ball strike isn’t even close.
Absolutely Gallardo’s – it’s almost inhuman form that angle.
amado’s goal isn’t as good as sasha or gallardo’s.
No way Ives. I think Gallardo”s goal is better. Better than Sasha too. 🙂
I still say Klejstan’s is better than both of them. But they are all top quality goals.