You’ve seen it already, I’m sure, but then, that’s part of the point: David Beckham’s 70-yard goal against Kansas City last Saturday night wasn’t so much a moment in a soccer game as it was a discrete highlight clip, destined to be scrubbed of its situation and played out of context, endlessly. It aced the checklist that tells TV producers when a goal is a big deal: world’s most famous player (check), improbable scenario (check), long-distance shot (check), weird repeat of a moment from earlier in a storied player’s career (check). Having everything, it was a sure bet to be admitted into that twilight-soft messianic zone that both the soccer and the non-soccer media reserve for moments that “could be just what soccer in America needed.”
Is this actually an exciting goal, though? Obviously the shot is very well-struck from the distance and the situation it grew out of is rare enough to be interesting. But the ball just kind of puttered along, right into the undefended net. It left me thinking, “Yeah, that’s why goalkeepers don’t join the attack more often” rather than “What a brilliant piece of play from Beckham.” Am I alone here? If someone other than Beckham had taken the shot, would the roses have fallen as thickly?
Read More: American Notes, David Beckham, Historical Goals
by Brian Phillips · May 27, 2008
I hope you’ll excuse the sudden run of comments on your site, but this goal reminds me of the ‘open-netter’ in hockey, when in the latter stages of the third period the goalie is pulled to put on an extra forward in a desperate attempt to score.
I would say the one (check) you’re missing is the keeper making a close-ish attempt to stop the strike…
That was … really anticlimactic. I wonder if these kinds of goals are just never scored in the MLS? But yeah, range doesn’t automatically equal spectaculariosity. If the goalkeeper had been in his net, that would’ve been very impressive, a la Marcos Senna vs Betis:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4azyidBeuc
I think you will find Ryan McCann of Queen of the South trumped him this season with one from 84 yards.
I was honestly surprised by the outpouring of praise Beckham received on this goal. One would assume that most MLS players could score from 60+ yards out on an open goal. One would hope so anyway.
It’s an interesting goal, but underwhelming. Beckham’s goal against DC in the Superliga last summer was way more exciting…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOfwPXMnfuQ
Glad to see someone else was less than impressed.
The goal is 24 feet wide and he rolled it in from 60 yards. I’m pretty sure the average 14 year old on a travel team could do the same at least 50% of the time.