They call football (or soccer as North Americans refer to it as) the Beautiful Game and last night's match between Sweden and England showed just why.

The game was the first ever to be played at Sweden's brand spanking new national football stadium Friends Arena (below) in Stockholm.



And the hi-tech modern stadium was christened in spectacular style with what has been called the greatest goal ever scored.

Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was undoubtedly the Man of the Match after he scored four goals, but it was the last of those four goals which will live long in the memory.

England goalkeeper Joe Hart made a mess of a headed clearance, giving the ball to Ibrahimovic who was 30 yards from England's goal. Without the ball even touching the ground, the six foot five inch striker jumped into the air, performed a perfect propellor kick and make contact with the ball eight feet in the air.

The ball then arced towards goal, reaching a maximum height of 25 feet. England's Ryan Shawcross raced to the goal line to try to prevent the ball from going into the net, but to no avail. After 1.9 seconds the ball crossed the line without even bouncing.

The goal was so amazing even the England fans applauded it.

England midfielder Steven Gerrard, who played his 100th game for England in last night's match, said: 'It is the best goal I have seen live.

'The best goal I’d seen before that was Wayne Rooney’s against Manchester City.

'Everyone knows how special that was, but this one — an overhead kick from 30 yards when the ball is six feet in the air — only certain players can do that. And he is a special player.

‘This was a world-class performance from a world-class player.'

Former England manager Graham Taylor said: ‘That’s the greatest goal I’ve ever seen.’

England manager Roy Hodgson, who suffered his first defeat over 90 minutes, said: ‘Ibrahimovic’s fourth goal was extraordinary and it put the tin lid on the game. It was a fantastic goal.

'But it was the second and third goals which killed us.

'For 60-70 minutes we played very well and deserved to be leading. There are lots of reasons to be optimistic.’

Asked to rate his international career out of 10, Ibrahimovic replied: ‘Ten. When I saw the goalkeeper was out of his net, I tried to put it over him. It was a good try, and when it comes off it’s fantastic.’

The game finished as a 4-2 victory for Sweden, with Ibrahimovic scoring all four of Sweden's goals. It means that England have still not beaten Sweden in Sweden since 1937. England did play well - they were leading 2-1 for almost half the match - but they could do nothing about Ibrahimovic's brilliance.


Sporting beauty: Zlatan Ibrahimovic unleashes his incredible overhead kick after leaping six feet into the air to score the wonder goal that fired Sweden to a 4-2 victory over England


Remarkable talent: The crowd went silent as the ball arched over helpless England goalkeeper Joe Hart into the back of the net - and then erupted in wild applause


Game-changer: Ibrahimovic tears off his shirt to celebrate as the crowd on both sides cheers the incredible moment at Stockholm's new Friends Stadium



Watch the goal here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh_KNH8Q ... r_embedded

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z2CJd0NawO

   

For that kind of goal I say yes. When you think of the angles involved and the fact that his back is to the goal it was simply ridiculous.

   

I saw the goal this morning and I agree it was a thing of beauty... I still hate soccer though.

   

greatest ?

no


luckiest ?

yes.

   

For those who like their football trivia, the first match to be played at Sweden's previous national stadium, the Råsunda Fotbollstadion, was also Sweden VS England. That match, in 1937, was a 4-0 victory for England and it remains the last time that England have won in Sweden.

   

Hate to break this to you, but this is the best goal ever scored in any sport, period!

   

Yup. And a goal doesn't count if it's directed into the net with a kicking motion.

   

Yeah, fantastic goal but a bit flukey really. John Terry would have kept it out!

   

Like I said, it's one of the best ever. And each sport has its own set of greatest goals/scoring plays.

FWIW, I still think this is the greatest goal in the history of football..

   

The Daily Mail's Des Kelly argues that the goal was NOT the best ever scored due to the fact that England's goalkeeper Joe Hart was not only not in his goal when Ibrahimovic scored the goal but wasn't even in the penalty area and that his goal didn't really matter as the game was only a meaningless friendly: the truly great goals are the ones which are scored during major tournmanents rather than by a bit of showboating at the end of a meaningless friendly.

Therefore Des Kelly includes amongst his greatest international goals of all time the scintillating run by Argentina's Diego Maradona against England in the Quarter Final of the 1986 World Cup (below), the match which also saw him score the infamous Hand of God goal; the volley by Holland's Marco van Basten against the Soviet Union in the 1988 European Championship Final; the brilliance of Holland's Dennis Bergkamp against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup; and Carlos Alberto's strike for Brazil against Italy in the 1970 World Cup Final.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/articl ... Kelly.html

   

Of course there will always be Bobby Orr's game winning Stanley Cup goal in May 1970.....

   

Another good one. Not just the goal, but the whole situation. I remember watching the game at a sports bar, but after about 1 1/2 periods of overtime we had to go, we were meeting people at Esmerelda's(any old Edmontonians remember that place?)

The game was still going on when we got there and everyone was glued to the small tvs they had. Absolute pandemonium when Marchant score...

   

Looks like this thread is headed the right way...


Speaking of Boston.... ohhh the hands

   

Only two possibilities for Greatest Goal Ever

Clint Dempsey's chipper against Juventus



And Eruzione's game-winning score against the Soviets.

   

That article sounds like the usual bluster that follows yet another humiliation for England. The occasion doesn't make a goal great, the goal itself does. Mundane goals are always celebrated more when the cup is on the line.

The following save came during a friendly too. It doesn't make it any less spectacular.