by FRANCO PANIZO
U.S. national team head coach Bob Bradley released the 30-man roster that will participate in the first camp of 2010 on Tuesday, but before we turn the page on the year that was, SBI is taking a look back at the top five goals of the year.
With the U.S. team having had one of its busiest schedules in its history in 2009, there were plenty of goals to chose from. Although a case can be made for many of them, we took into careful consideration which ones we thought were the top goals, and some splendid strikes were left off the list. It says a lot about the past year when Sacha Kljestan's free kick vs. Sweden, Jozy Altidore's strike vs. Spain and Jonathan Bornstein's header vs. Costa Rica all narrowly missed the cut.
With that said, here are SBI's Top Five USMNT goals of 2009:
5. Ricardo Clark vs. Trinidad and Tobago 9/9
Ricardo Clark's blast against Trinidad and Tobago was not only special due to its incredible bend from distance, but also because it gave the U.S. team a much-needed win during a crowded period in CONCACAF qualifying. Nice build-up play from Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan paved the way for Clark's clutch rip from 25 yards out just before he was set to be subbed out in the U.S. teams 1-0 victory in Port of Spain. To make matters sweeter for Clark, his father, who was born in Trinidad, was in the stands to see the goal firsthand.
4. Landon Donovan vs. Honduras 10/10
While Honduras goalkeeper Noel Valladares could have done a bit better, Landon Donovan's free kick goal that clinched the U.S. team's World Cup qualifcation was a thing of beauty. The goal (at the 1:41 mark in the video below) was a gutsy gamble by Donovan, who correctly guessed that Valladares would anticipate the shot to the near post. But Donovan still had to manage to perfectly place the ball, which he did, curling it into the back of the net from 22 yards out, giving the U.S. team a thrilling 3-2 win in hostile and politically unsettled Honduras.
3. Stuart Holden vs. Haiti 7/11
Haiti may not be the most testing opponent, but Stuart Holden's stunning strike against the Haitians was as clutch as can be. With stoppage time almost complete, and with the U.S. team's streak over CONCACAF foes on home soil looking to be broken, Holden leveled the score, unleashing a right-footed shot that soared into the upper ninety from 24 yards out. Holden's goal – his second international goal – helped end a relatively frustrating day on a positive foot, as the U.S. team would temporarily extend its streak with the 2-2 draw.
2. Charlie Davies vs. Mexico 8/12
Scoring in Azteca is a rarity for the U.S. team, but Charlie Davies' goal against Mexico was even more special, coming in the 9th minute, and giving the U.S. team a 1-0 lead in its house of horrors. Quick combination passes from Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley and Landon Donovan led up to the play, and Donovan's accurate through ball released Davies behind the Mexican defense. Davies displayed his lightning-speed and clinical finishing, as he curled his shot around goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, silencing the hundreds of thousands of Mexicans in the stadium, and sending U.S. fans everywhere in a frenzy.
1. Landon Donovan vs. Brazil 6/28
Five touches and three players is all it took for the U.S. team to run from one side of the field to the other and score against a superiorly-talented Brazil in the Confederations Cup final. An outlet pass from Ricardo Clark reached Landon Donovan, who released Charlie Davies down the left flank before he returned the favor with a pin-point pass that Donovan took a touch on and then struck perfectly with his left foot past Julio Cesar. The impressive counter-attack goal gave the U.S. team an unprecedented 2-0 lead over the Selecao, and although the Americans could not hold onto their lead, the goal will still be remembered as one of the greatest of all time for the USMNT due to its precision, quickness and the magnitude of the game in which it came in.
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What do you think of SBI's Top Five USMNT Goals of 2009? Get goosebumps re-watching some of those goals? Agree or disagree with the order? Feel there are any snubs?
Share your thoughts below.
hahaha, wow that is funny.
Getting some Snookie time, eh Ives?
Nice selection, Ives. The only other goal I would add to that list is Kyle Beckerman’s scorcher v. Panama.
Agreed.
i still cant believe we lost to Brazil after being up 2-0…hopefully we don’t do same thing in south Africa and every time we take lead just sit back and defend.. especially against teams like Brazil.. we were killing them on the counter which is how we scored the 2nd goal.. we should have continued to do that till about the 70th or 75th minute and then defended with all we had left.. BUTTTT not in the the 35th like this game
Man I forgot how great the DonoMAN goal was against Brazil. The whole play from the Rico Clark through for the start to Chuck D. feeding it back on a lunging through to DonoMAN.
Good call on the top goals Ives.
To put the matter to an end, his old celebration was something he did for his ex wife. Against Brazil the goal was for him. So yea it looks like a FU to his ex. But it was really important to him
Ives’ top score of the year …
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs240.snc3/22739_1283904532006_1061888808_30908538_3033352_n.jpg
I second that.
I see what you’re saying, but I don’t know. If that’s the case, then I’d think Donovan’s goal vs. Honduras would be No. 1. After all, that clinched our ticket to the World Cup.
#1 is indisputable. 11 seconds, 3 passes from box to box. Clinical.
Yeah, I got carried away with the gossip columns! lol.
Great goal…and he can celebrate any way he likes. Even as he celebrated, I was also saying a big FU to the haters!
Great set of goals. Now how about…
USMNT Goals of the Decade (2000 – 2009)
I don’t know. I still love Jozy’s goal versus Spain and Clint’s goal versus Brazil (almost inhuman how he redirected that shot off a long ball). Holden’s goal was breathtaking, but not nearly as important as Jozy’s; it induced instant pride. I guess Clint’s is just a matter of taste.
GOOOOOOOOOLAAAAAZO! DE ESTADOS UNIDOS! LO HIZO CHARLIE DAVIES!
I’ve watched this literally dozens of times and it never gets old. Ever
It was a great counterattack. It’s interesting, though. If hey had won, I’d probably agree with the choice. Because they wasted it, I guess I feel it isn’t in the top for this year. I think the Bornstein goal has to be #1. Sometimes, it’s about the relative quality of the moment, not the relative quality of the soccer.
Donovan knew exactly what he was doing in his celebration and like some of you said, it was a big fu to all the haters. Fantastic goal. Everything about it.
Given the wonderful chemistry that LD and Charlie showed in goals v Mexico and Brazil, one can only hope that CD9 can work his way back into playing shape sometime soon…
Considering the s*** US fans give him, I knew exactly what his point was in that celebration. Great post.
SNUBBED THE COSTA RICA GAME!!!!!!!!!!!
I took it to mean Landon thinks he is badass. I have no problems with Landon thinking he is badass.
Agreed (except the ex-wife part, I like to stay out of the US Weekly stuff). I have no problem with it. It was a huge goal for the USMNT, do whatever you want.
Plus, none of us have ever scored a goal that important at that level, hard for us to judge.
I’m glad to see Holden’s shot make it in the list. I might take out Donovan’s free kick and put in Jozy’s, but the list is good. Clark’s goal was both pretty and incredibly important as well, so cheers for that one.
The Donovan v. Honduras free kick involved some terrible goalkeeping. That ball is saved every time if the Gk isn’t leaning.
I don’t think it was a dumb or embarrassing celebration at all (embarrassing celebrations are the ones where the players suck their thumb. Come on, man!)
He was asked about it – said he didn’t even realize he’d said it and he didn’t mean anything by it. I think it was a message to his soon-to-be ex-wife who was out partying at the time he was scoring vs. Brazil.
I’m with you there, chuck. Brazil and Spain don’t happen unless Charlie breaks the ice with that first one.
Top 5? It’s close. An honorable mention to be sure.
Get well soon, Charlie. BOY do we miss you.
No way any other goal could be #1. That was such a great goal. Davies goal vs. Mexico is definitely #2. They may be 1-2 in US goals ever.
As for the list, I think it was good but Ives I think #4 shouldn’t have made it. It was a good free kick but I think a better keeper would not have been fooled. I’d vote for Altidore’s goal vs. Spain making it over that one because of the way he held off the defender and scored such a huge goal. I’d even say Dempsey’s header vs. Egypt and Bradley’s goal vs. Egypt were better than #4. Otherwise great list… I hope they score some more great goals vs. England June 12.
i would rather see the top 5 most meaningful goals of the year rather than the prettiest
Is a great goal a fantastic individual effort, a combination of perfect passes, or an average shot in a huge clutch situation? The US scored each one of these goals this year.
My number one has to be Johnny Bornstein’s header at RFK since I was there to experience those treacherous final 20 minutes of needing that final goal, then releasing every emotion I had built up inside me since touching down in Columbus, Ohio in Feburary. Every passionate soccer fan or player has cried at a game and that was one of “those” moments when you completely lose it an cannot find the lungs to yell loud enough.
That Landon goal should be shown to anyone who thinks he isn’t class, just outstanding
Watch any match from the 90 WC…….then these highlights. Simply stunning progress in such a short period. Good picks here….the Clark goal was f’n clutch!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhY-IbViJ20
I also like that it was big Jozy back defending that forced the turnover on the Donovan goal. Team defense, team goal.
good overall selection but i’m surprised jozy’s goal against spain doesn’t crack it. his wasn’t the prettiest strike and iker probably should’ve saved it but the magnitude of the over spain is immeasurable for US soccer
Donovan’s goal against Brazil would be almost any NT’s goal of the year. The length of the quick buildup reminds me of Senegal vs. Uruguay in ’02.
Bornstein’s goal may not have been the most technically perfect goal ever, but it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I love watching it with the Honduran announcer’s commentary.
Ernie Stewart in ’94 to beat Columbia has to be in the mix. Incredible pass (Ramos ? )
Balboa’s in the same game was without a doubt, the greatest goal in World Cup history, unfortunatly it missed by inches.
god, #1 and #2 just make me feel so good. i watched those a couple of times in a row. i cant wait for the world cup!
Me! Me! Me! Great goal but pretty embarrassing celebration…
I’d also bump Rico’s goal up to #3 followed by Donovan then Holden. Good list though Ives
Charlie Davies banking it in off the Egyptian Keeper’s face was a goal that really “kick-started” something good for us in South Africa.
@ saladyears…
In my mind one goal compares to Donovan’s goal against Brazil…the Mathis goal vs. South Korea with assist by O’Brien (technicall superb all the way around, from the pass to the Mathis first touch to the deadly left foot finish).
Donovan’s Brazil goal was tops, but leaving Jozy’s goal off the list is ridiculous given the quality of the goal (including the set up), the quality of the opponent (Spain hadnt’t lost in eons and was reigning European champs), the importance of the game (Confed Cup semifinal), and the sheer shock factor, which was second only to Donovan’s goal putting the U.S. up 2-0 against Brazil. Beating Egypt was good, but Jozy’s goal was (arguably) the start of the best three consecutive 45-minute periods of soccer the USMNT has produced.
My list looks like this:
1) Donvoan v. Brazil
2) Altidore v. Spain
3) Clark v. T&T (because it was a game winner)
4) Donovan v. Honduras (same, plus rare free kick goal)
5) Dempsey v. Spain (for importance — going up 2 was huge in preserving that enourmous win).
Looks about right to me Ives. There might be prettier goals scored this year, but you provided context with all your selections.
Isn’t it amazing that when the Brazilian player made that bad pass to set up the break their fans didn’t kill him and tell the coach he needs to be off the team? They just went out and won.
great selection. though i dont really rate donovan’s free kick as all that good – well hit, but that’s ultimately something youd expect a keeper to save, or atleast get a hand on…don’t rate kljestan much either but his free kick was very good.
They’re all great goals. Nice selection.
Love the way Holden’s shot dips.
GOOSE BUMP CITY !!!
I think he said “Me” in response that he doesn’t show up to big games…
That is what popped into my head as soon as i saw his celebration, I assume that is what he meant.
The goal against Brazil was the greatest pure goal the USMNT has ever scored. It was undeniably a world-class counterattack and something I don’t think we could have ever seen without CD and Donovan on the field at the same time.
Still the #2 USMNT goal for me of all time, behind JOB v. Portugal in the 3rd minute of WC2002.
Pretty good selection although IMO I’d rate Clark’s blast higher than Dononvan’s free kick against Honduras. Nice job.
I’ve wondered what Landon said after that goal while pointing to himself….I’m pretty sure he shouts, “Me!” Which seems a bit of a dumb celebration. Even though it was — at the time — the best US goal I’ve ever seen.