Top Left Footed Strikes of the World Cup
#5-Sulley Muntari, Ghana v Uruguay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klgGVGI4oh4
Keeper looks foolish, fooled by the drift and swerve.
#4-Tsiphiwe Tshabalala, RSA v Mexico
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfETqhMz30g&feature=related
A dream start for the hosts, perfect strike and joyful celebration.
#3-Diego Forlan, Urguay v Holland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2JBcgfv2XA
Criticize the keeper but look at the power behind the strike!
#2-Mesut Ozil, Germany v Ghana
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyHWxEDTrtk&feature=related
The touch and technique are astonishingly good. Great young player.
#1-Gio Van Bronckhorst, Holland v Urguay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F33O4n08bX8
The wonder goal, best of the tournament. Proof that good things happen when you strike with your left.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Best Left Footers in 2010
With the World Cup kicking off in 12 days, here begins a series of features of the best left footers to watch for. Here are the top three.
Arjen Robben: The winger made his name with a wonder strike in the Champions League for Bayern Munich against ManU. Shackling him in the final was a priority for Mourinho, as his surging runs and trickery can handcuff a defensive line. Robben is Dutch for seal, and he sometimes looks like a seal when he dives. One of the most annoying players in the game, his smirk when a trick comes off drives defenders batty.
Sulley Muntari: A newly crowned king of Europe, the Inter man is looking to crown himself king of the world with Ghana. His prompting and combativeness make him a very useful engine for any midfield. With the ball his passing can be sublime, without it he is a harrier of the first order. A deadly free kick taker and excellent crosser, his form will be critical to the Black Stars.
Lionel Messi: Not a pure left footer but his contribution with that peg can be exquisite. As with any great two-footed talent it his left that produces the most sublime moments.
Arjen Robben: The winger made his name with a wonder strike in the Champions League for Bayern Munich against ManU. Shackling him in the final was a priority for Mourinho, as his surging runs and trickery can handcuff a defensive line. Robben is Dutch for seal, and he sometimes looks like a seal when he dives. One of the most annoying players in the game, his smirk when a trick comes off drives defenders batty.
Sulley Muntari: A newly crowned king of Europe, the Inter man is looking to crown himself king of the world with Ghana. His prompting and combativeness make him a very useful engine for any midfield. With the ball his passing can be sublime, without it he is a harrier of the first order. A deadly free kick taker and excellent crosser, his form will be critical to the Black Stars.
Lionel Messi: Not a pure left footer but his contribution with that peg can be exquisite. As with any great two-footed talent it his left that produces the most sublime moments.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
El Geno and El Sinistro
Two Serbs who made their names in Italy, Savicevic and Mihajlovic were deadly left footed assassins that the Romans would have feared as they feared all left-handed. The word sinister comes from sinistro, left handed, and there was something sinister about the play of these two. Slightly built shadow figures, they were deadly and decisive with an opportunity.
El Sinistro at his deadly best for Lazio, scoring three goals in a game, all left footed strikes from free kicks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyYlxE7ttIk&feature=related
Called the Devils' Dribbler and The Maradonna of the Balkans, the Italians called him simply the genius, El Geno. Dejan Savicevic single-handedly tore apart Barcelona in the Champions Cup final in '94 with a mesmerizing display. Good on both feet, when he reached into his bag of tricks it was the left that produced the exquisite.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35DdUGxol_4
Two Serbs who made their names in Italy, Savicevic and Mihajlovic were deadly left footed assassins that the Romans would have feared as they feared all left-handed. The word sinister comes from sinistro, left handed, and there was something sinister about the play of these two. Slightly built shadow figures, they were deadly and decisive with an opportunity.
El Sinistro at his deadly best for Lazio, scoring three goals in a game, all left footed strikes from free kicks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyYlxE7ttIk&feature=related
Called the Devils' Dribbler and The Maradonna of the Balkans, the Italians called him simply the genius, El Geno. Dejan Savicevic single-handedly tore apart Barcelona in the Champions Cup final in '94 with a mesmerizing display. Good on both feet, when he reached into his bag of tricks it was the left that produced the exquisite.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35DdUGxol_4
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Out of Left Field
The expression refers to the arrival of something unexpected, something unexplained, slightly sinsiter, definitely weird and often spectacular. Something left-footed perhaps.
Which is what we get almost every major tournament. Every World Cup and Euro has seen the emergence of an unexpected contender, out of left field, always with a spectacular left footed player leading the way.
In recent memory '92 saw the late entrants Denmark, who didn't even qualify but won the whole thing after Yugoslavia could no longer hold together as a country, led by the left-footed Laudrup wonder-twins.
In '94 the Bulgarians were definitely out of left field. Never even having won a game at the World Cup in their history prior to they stormed to the semis on the back of their left-footed demi-god Hristo Stoichkov.
In '96, one of the countries newly emerged from Yugoslavia showed they had all the left-footed talent of that federation, with the subtle artistry of Prosinecki and the emphatic finishes of Suker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miNhm0YOVYU
making Croatia an exciting new entry into the world of football, a reputation they backed up with performance in World Cup '98, taking 3rd place and a Golden Boot for Sukerman.
The Turks stormed the ramparts of the '02 World Cup, Emre and Yildiray leading the left footed charge and the sinister Hassan Sas scaring small children with his emotionless post goal scowl.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQaovxawMJ4
At Euro 08 The Turks again shocked the establishment with some fine left-footed finishing from Semih, but it was the Russians Zhirkov and Arshavin who took the acclaim as the best left footers in the world.
Who will come out of left field next?
Watch this space.
The expression refers to the arrival of something unexpected, something unexplained, slightly sinsiter, definitely weird and often spectacular. Something left-footed perhaps.
Which is what we get almost every major tournament. Every World Cup and Euro has seen the emergence of an unexpected contender, out of left field, always with a spectacular left footed player leading the way.
In recent memory '92 saw the late entrants Denmark, who didn't even qualify but won the whole thing after Yugoslavia could no longer hold together as a country, led by the left-footed Laudrup wonder-twins.
In '94 the Bulgarians were definitely out of left field. Never even having won a game at the World Cup in their history prior to they stormed to the semis on the back of their left-footed demi-god Hristo Stoichkov.
In '96, one of the countries newly emerged from Yugoslavia showed they had all the left-footed talent of that federation, with the subtle artistry of Prosinecki and the emphatic finishes of Suker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miNhm0YOVYU
making Croatia an exciting new entry into the world of football, a reputation they backed up with performance in World Cup '98, taking 3rd place and a Golden Boot for Sukerman.
The Turks stormed the ramparts of the '02 World Cup, Emre and Yildiray leading the left footed charge and the sinister Hassan Sas scaring small children with his emotionless post goal scowl.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQaovxawMJ4
At Euro 08 The Turks again shocked the establishment with some fine left-footed finishing from Semih, but it was the Russians Zhirkov and Arshavin who took the acclaim as the best left footers in the world.
Who will come out of left field next?
Watch this space.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Why England will never win the World Cup.
The England side that hoisted the trophy in '66 did so due to home advantage and an intimidated Azeri linesman. They were, and all England sides have been since, horribly unbalanced. Not a left footed magician on the side ever.
Sure Gareth Barry is tidy and Ashley Cole has a superstar wife, but the best of the England team comes from the right foot and always has since the time of Sir Stanley Mathews. Think of the best England players of all time and they all heavily favor the right: Beckham, Waddle, Wilson, Keegan, Charlton, Moore, Edwards, Mathews etc.
They make do with Gerrard, one of the only players on the England squad good with both feet, but the nation cries out for left-footed magic. And cry they should, as the Druids wept when the sacred oaks of Mona were destroyed.
Whatr does one have to do with the other? Well the supression of the Celtic mystery by the
pragmatic Anglo-Saxons is reflected in the lack of invention in the England side. The Celts have traditionally supplied the necessary invention to English football, ie Baxter, Gemmill, Best, Blanchflower, Giggs etc. Now consider if a united Great Britain were to field a team and bring in the best left footers from Scotland, Wales and Ireland. How good would Ryan Giggs, supplied by Barry Ferguson with Gareth Bale overlapping be? Good enough to erase the memories of the failed Steve McManaman experiment? Perhaps, but Scouse is not Celt and the English will have to muddle along on two right feet.
In the words of the greatest of the Celtic magicians when asked his opinion of Beckham:
"He can't kick with his left, can't head a ball, can't tackle and doesn't score many goals; apart from that he's allright."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeVEy78zfc0&feature=related
The England side that hoisted the trophy in '66 did so due to home advantage and an intimidated Azeri linesman. They were, and all England sides have been since, horribly unbalanced. Not a left footed magician on the side ever.
Sure Gareth Barry is tidy and Ashley Cole has a superstar wife, but the best of the England team comes from the right foot and always has since the time of Sir Stanley Mathews. Think of the best England players of all time and they all heavily favor the right: Beckham, Waddle, Wilson, Keegan, Charlton, Moore, Edwards, Mathews etc.
They make do with Gerrard, one of the only players on the England squad good with both feet, but the nation cries out for left-footed magic. And cry they should, as the Druids wept when the sacred oaks of Mona were destroyed.
Whatr does one have to do with the other? Well the supression of the Celtic mystery by the
pragmatic Anglo-Saxons is reflected in the lack of invention in the England side. The Celts have traditionally supplied the necessary invention to English football, ie Baxter, Gemmill, Best, Blanchflower, Giggs etc. Now consider if a united Great Britain were to field a team and bring in the best left footers from Scotland, Wales and Ireland. How good would Ryan Giggs, supplied by Barry Ferguson with Gareth Bale overlapping be? Good enough to erase the memories of the failed Steve McManaman experiment? Perhaps, but Scouse is not Celt and the English will have to muddle along on two right feet.
In the words of the greatest of the Celtic magicians when asked his opinion of Beckham:
"He can't kick with his left, can't head a ball, can't tackle and doesn't score many goals; apart from that he's allright."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeVEy78zfc0&feature=related
Thursday, April 15, 2010
The left footed are a special breed. Most of the world's footballers use it just for standing on, very few are good with both feet, but those who are primarily left footed rank amongst the world's greatest footballlers. There is an important distinction with left footers however. They are invariably, irretrievably and incomparably madmen!
This blog explores the magic and mystery of the left footed, past, present and future. Great left footed strikes, sublime left footed control and the ridiculous misses of the right footed as he tries to take it "On His Left!"
This blog explores the magic and mystery of the left footed, past, present and future. Great left footed strikes, sublime left footed control and the ridiculous misses of the right footed as he tries to take it "On His Left!"
Hristo Stoichkov scores the equalizer!
Quite possibly the moment that defined the game for me, my favorite goal from the 94 World Cup and the moment I went from fan to wannabe footballer.
The through ball from Balakov (also a left footer) was exquisite, the finish emphatic and the post goal angry face sums up the man himself.
He turns and scowls at all, opponents and teammates and tells them "Finally, you have permitted my greatness to be perceived."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVpqv8i_wpE
The through ball from Balakov (also a left footer) was exquisite, the finish emphatic and the post goal angry face sums up the man himself.
He turns and scowls at all, opponents and teammates and tells them "Finally, you have permitted my greatness to be perceived."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVpqv8i_wpE
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)