The good old British media have reacted to Wayne Rooney’s goal from (almost) the half-way line against West Ham by comparing it to David Beckham’s back in 1996 against Wimbledon.
Anyone would think that nobody had scored from a similar distance in the 18 years since Beckham’s.
Xabi Alonso did it twice, against Luton in the FA Cup and Newcastle in the Premier League – both scored from INSIDE his own half, a full 70 yards.
Then Luis Suarez scored an equally incredible one from a similar distance against Norwich in 2012, to complete a stunning hat-trick.
Alonso’s against Newcastle and Suarez’s against Norwich were both better than Rooney’s due to the fact the goalkeeper was actually in a decent-ish position as opposed to Adrian, who was literally in no-man’s land and then continued to run away from the middle of his goal.
Had Adrian ran to the middle of the goal he’d have saved it comfortably.
In fact, the best ‘goal’ from the half-way line that Man United have been involved in was Pedro Mendes’ for Tottenham, when it was somehow adjudged not to have crossed the line, despite Roy Carroll clawing it from two yards behind the goal-line.
The fact of the matter is that Rooney’s goal at West Ham wasn’t even the best goal scored this weekend – Alexander Tetey’s for Norwich was vastly better in every aspect of it.
The goalkeeper was in a good position, the ball was harder to hit due to it coming towards him rather than just sitting up nicely for him as Rooney’s did, a more difficult technique was required on the full volley, and the finish was better as it hit the inside of the side netting perfectly.
Tettey’s trumped Rooney’s in every technique bar vision.
Rooney’s was a gamble, a hit-and-hope, something we see on Sunday league pitches up and down the country and on training grounds throughout the week.
In fact, Suarez’s goal against Norwich earlier this season was better than Rooney’s too, again given that the technique was much more difficult to execute and the goalkeeper was actually in a good position.
Forget the media hyperbole that surrounds Rooney’s goal and give the praise to goals that actually deserve it.
Source: Metro