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The month-long footballing extravaganza that was the UEFA Euro 2012 of Poland – Ukraine has come to an end, with Spain emerging victorious once again, attaining glory in Red and Gold, something no other team has ever achieved in the history of World Football. The tournament offered us a host of memorable occasions, some of glory and some of sadness. Here we present you the most glorious moments of Euro 2012 – The top 10 goals with two honorable mentions. Enjoy!
10. Philipp Lahm vs Greece
The German captain’s first goal for his country was another long range powershot, coming from almost three meters out of the penalty area. He ran with the ball past two Greek defenders and selecting his range, shot in a flying volley over the heads of several Greek players into the exact far corner of the net. Long-range goals never cease to amaze.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gde0oJ2Mfz4&feature=related]9. Mario Gomez vs The Netherlands
If he were not a footballer, Gomez would probably have been a Ballet dancer. This cool, self composed goal came as a result of Bastian Schweinsteiger’s planning which Gomez finished off in style. The ball found 13, who calmly crossed it over to 7, who stopped the ball and passed it to Gomez who was standing with his back to the goal at the edge of the penalty area. He got the ball in that position and while running backwards, turned himself and the ball around doing a little pirrouete-like dancing movement and calmly shot the ball straight in. There were no Oranje shirts in the box and the Germans were playing as if the Dutch were not present anyway.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXEDxLk5NE0&feature=related]8. Andriy Shevchenko vs Sweden
A hugely underrtated and unnoticed goal, this one finds its presence in this list because of it’s placement, timing and precision, even though it came from a corner kick. The ball curved into the area which was filled with Swedish deep blue shirts and suddenly, before anyone of them could even react, Shevchenko jumped in from nowhere to produce a flying low header that flew laterally into the net squeezing through the minutest of spaces between the goal post and the Swedish defender who was standing there. What a pinpoint. Watch it in slow motion!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRLSb2Ea-b8&feature=related]7. David Silva vs Italy (Final)
Silva started off the proceedings of Spain’s 4 – 0 mauling of Italy. After a bit of tiki-taka, a long pass was delivered to Fabregas who was running into the box. He tried to get it the goal, but was unable to. Just be fore the touch line, he sent a pass at an acute angle backwards into the air. Silva came running direct in front of the goal and jumped hard into the air, heading the ball into the roof of the goal while trying hard to prevent himself from stumbling and at the same time
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcoQGmgkStY]6. Mario Balotelli vs Germany
One of the superstrikes that propelled Balotelli to instant superstardom across the World. Italy stunned Germany and the World hrough Balotelli. His second goal was legendary manily becuase it was a pure Striker Goal. Cassano fired a long range kick from deep inside the Italian half which after bouncing once found Balotelli who was charging ahead straight at the German goal like a bulldozer. The German area was clear of players. He controlled the ball which bounced high and two kicks later while still running slammed the ball home past Manuel Neuer while still being a couple of meters away from the box. Philipp Lahm who was hot on Malotelli’s heels had no chance either. The entire process was so fast that the Germans took some time to realize what had happened.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ueDqXAO-7k]5. Roman Pavlyuchenko vs Czech Republic
It was the last last goal of the Russian demolition of the Czech Republic. Pavlyuchenko ran down the right flank with an Andrei Arshavin cross, only to be fiercely challenged by the Czech defender Roman Hubnik. He tried to get around Hubnik twice, who gave him no space. finally getting around him after a lot of feigning and dribbling, Pavlyuchenko fired the ball home in a mighty shot that went flying about the heads of two approaching Czech players and touching Petr Cech’s fingertips before crashing into the roof of the net. A superb well-fought goal! (To see the goal, please start watching from 3:54)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAF8XM60ohw&t=3m49s]4. Danny Welbeck vs Sweden
Amazing stuff. Theo Walcott ran into the box with a John Terry pass and shot in a low cross past a couple of Swedish players, which found Danny Welbeck on the wrong foot under a challenge from a Swedish defender. Without any hesitation, he turned on his heel to avoid the Swede and with his back to the goal chipped the ball towards the net with a backheeled roundabout uber-kick which rolled into the net past confounded keeper Issakson, making a goal that would be a rare one and one of the most bewildering of the tournament!
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21fyu3cWbX4]3. Mario Balotelli vs The Republic of Ireland
He had a point to prove. Mario Balotelli did not start in the game against Ireland, and he seemed to be not so happy about that. Seeing the corner kick coming towards him, he took his time, dropped down falling on his back and while doing so, kicked the ball back into the net over his head in a half-bicycle kick. All this while he was being furiously marked by Irish defender. He never even looked behind him and characteristically, didn’t run off to celebrate.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L–3VZsiDo]2. Christiano Ronaldo vs The Netherlands
A trademark CR7 goal, cool and composed. The run started all the way from the Portuguese goal front, when a dispossessed ball pass found it’s way to Ronaldo in the Portuguese midfield. He crossed over to Moutinho and ran down the left flank, while Moutinho ran with the ball down the right. He passed the ball over to Nani, who ran with it and struck a wide cross over and across the Penalty area. Ronaldo, who had arrived in the box after his long run down the pitch, received the pass with acres of space around him and stopped the ball in its track, sending Van Der Wiel who was pursuing him comically tripping over himself and stumbling into the ground while CR stood there. He kept his cool, took his time, selected his target and shot the ball into the right corner of the net giving Stekelenburg no chance.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8yEV41LMJY&t=0m55s]1. Zlatan Ibrahimovic vs Russia
And what a goal it was! Swedish superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic pulled of a Kung-fu kick to slot in the best goal of the tournament. Larssen sent in the ball from the edge of the field in a flying pinpoint cross. Ibrahimovic didn’t even have to think, launched himself into the air and with his leg parallel to the ground and the rest of his body in air, he sent the ball flying into the net in an amazing follow through kick without even thinking of formalities like grounding the ball. He just converted pass into goal through his aerial acrobatics not even allowing the ball to touch the ground, while everyone else watched with their mouths open. Breath taking to say the least, worthy of the goal of the tournament!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evBaQR7K_TA]Honorable Mentions
Jakub “Kuba” Blaszczykowski vs Russia
The Polish captain pulled off what was then the best goal of the tournament in a highly charged emotional encounter with historical foes Russia. The no. 16 received a pass from the right flank and while still running kicked the ball in front along the penalty box line, tucked in his arm and sent a smashing left footed piledriver curling into the left corner of the net like a cannonball, grass and dirt flying along with the ball. The winner of the game in which sparks flew
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPfLFudJK9Y&feature=related]Andrea Pirlo’s Penalty Spot-Kick vs England
This is not exactly a field goal, technically, though it can be said to be the “goal” of the tournament as well. The one shot that disarmed Joe Hart and demoralized the entire English team, who missed two spot kicks one after the other after this goal. Pirlo jogs in and then calmly chips in a slow and sweet “Panenka” kick into the net over the head of a scrambling Hart who falls to the ground, confused. This is magical. Class, Sublime. Reminds us why Andrea Pirlo is one of the greatest footballers of our times. The German commentator in the video says: “This is art. I am speechless!”
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=AQhXninzc2g”]Hope you have enjoyed the show as much as we did. Please let know any other choices, approvals or disapprovals in the comments! Thank you!
