FIFA unveils Puskas Award shortlist

FIFA has unveiled the 10 finalists for the 2010 Puskas Award for goal of the year.

Established only last year at the behest of FIFA President Sepp Blatter, the award is given to the best goal of the year scored by a man or woman. It is named for Ferenc Puskás, captain of the Hungarian national side in the 1950s and scorer of 84 goals in 85 international appearances at one point.

UCL Matchday 4 Day 2 Top Goals

They may not be the best goals you've ever seen, and there may not be very many, but they were tops for the day. Only three made the cut:

UCL Matchday 4 Day 1 Top Goals

 
Highlighting the best goals from Tuesday's Champions League action. Not too shabby.

UCL Matchday 3, Day 2 Top Goals

After Tuesday's display, one would think the bar was set a bit high for the best goals of the week. However, yesterday saw a bit more finesse and technique which, for the purists like myself, are just as impressive as thunderous volleys.

Not to mention one of the most impressive hat tricks you will ever see on this level:

UCL Matchday 3, Day 1 Top Goals

If you're seeking delicate footwork, finesse, or sleek interplay, look elsewhere. The best of yesterday's goals had a common theme - violence and power. Thunderous volleys from set pieces. Thunderous volleys from the field of play. And the poor goalies left helpless in their wake.

Video evidence after the jump:

Breathtaking free kick from Dani Alves vs Iran

Meaningless international friendless are, quite frankly, meaningless. And so, Brazil faced off against Iran in Abu Dhabi yesterday to wow the spectators, especially the Iranian supporters who were able to make the short trip.

Luckily for everyone in attendance, Brazil was playing, which meant the chances of a memorable highlight were about 100%. Only 14 minutes in, Dani Alves produced one with his right foot:

Top goals of the weekend

A great weekend for goals. Here's but a few of the best:

UCL Matchday 2, Day 2 Top Goals

The best very best goals from Wednesday's Champions League action.

UCL Matchday 2, Day 1 Top Goals

The best very best goals from Tuesday's Champions League action.

17 year old does her best Maradona impression

There's not much commentary I can add to this. Just make sure your volume is turned up and you can hear. Her name is Kumi Yokoyama, and she scored this winner to send Japan to the women's U-17 World Cup where they will face South Korea. You tell me what's more shocking: the goal itself or the lunatic with the microphone.

Champions League Group Stage Round 1 - Top Goals

There were some cracking goals over the past two days. Some needed finesse. Others required technique and power. And then Barcelona showed off their ever-sexy PlayStation talent and rubbed it in the face of Panathinaikos.

All the very best goals from the first two days of group stage matches after the jump

Goals of the Weekend

Technique. Technique. Technique. You couldn't help but notice the overriding theme of the best goals from this past weekend. Whereas power and fury normally characterize such goals, a different type of skill was utilized. For those who can appreciate individual brilliance and tidy footwork, sit back and enjoy. Everyone else, go lift weights.

You will be hard pressed to find a better goal than this. In fact, you won't. It's the goal of the weekend. From Aguero's ability to beat two men, to Simão's lay-off. And Forlan's finish? Clinical of course.



A splendid half volley from West Ham's Scott Parker. The only bright spot on a miserable day against Chelsea.



Count 'em. 23 passes strung together by the Arsenal before a perfectly lofted pass by Fàbregas to Vela for the finish. (apologies for the poor quality)



Cassano's second for Sampdoria was a perfect give-and-go. His run is met by a perfect chipped pass for Cassano to bang home.



The lone exception: Porto vs Braga. A 3-2 victory for Porto, with each of the five goals oozing power, class, and technique.

Top Goals of the Weekend

The best of the best from a wild weekend of football throughout Europe.

It all started with on Friday as newly promoted side Kaiserslautern hosted Bayern Munich, and subsequently blanked them 2-0. The rookies now sit top of the league after two matches. This was the first goal from Ivo Ilicevic rocketed into the top corner:



Why must Dimitar Berbatov make everything so difficult? I guess he realizes how pathetically inept he is at finishing off easy chances. So instead, he goes out and does something like this:



The slow motion of this overhead kick actually makes it better. Giandomenico Mesto (what a first name) gave Genoa their only goal needed to defeat Udinese:



Don't knock MLS!! It made be a tad bit slower than most leagues, but there is still plenty of class on the field. Dane Richards, not a stranger to highlight reels, put together this beauty against San Jose:



Thank goodness for Spain. The home of the world cup trophy and the most tactically proficient players on the planet is finally back in our living rooms. It's goals like this one from Xabi Prieto that are as much about the build up as they are the actual finish:

Goals of the Weekend

Not much can top Gareth Bale's volley against Stoke this past weekend:



Although Rafa's effort is not too far behind as he scored his first for the Red Bulls:



Schalke's Jefferson Farfan produced this cheeky goal in a losing effort:



And World Cup phenom Thomas Müller has picked up right where he left off:

Goals of the Weekend

A cracking weekend of football in the various leagues already underway. Luckily for us, players have been happy to take some risks this early in the season which has resulted in a number of stunning goals and highlights. Read on to check out the best of the weekend:

Best Goal of the Weekend

Well it's a tie. On the one hand there was a piece of beauty from Paris Saint-Germain's Stéphane Sessegnon in their opening league match against St. Etienne. Fans across the United States perhaps thought it was good enough to simply watch the match, as France's League 1 debuted for the first time on cable. Little did they know a roundhouse, horizontal kung-fu kick was in store that even made fellow French speaker Jean-Claude Van Damme tremble:



Surely a different type of top goal, Javier Hernandez opened up his campaign on English soil with a, umm, "strike." In some ways you could describe it as a strike judging by the ensuing whiplash. Just watch for yourselves:

Top Goals of the Weekend

Tons of friendlies and exhibitions all over the world this past weekend. With the season only a few weeks away, fans are getting the distinct pleasure of seeing these superstars produce pieces of magic.

The weekend's very best after the jump.

Manchester United Rolls Over MLS All-Stars

Last night's 5-2 drubbing was comical at times. Mostly though, it was a highlight real of great goal after great goal for the English side. A clinic of how the game is played. MLS All-Stars? Not so much...

Practice Makes Perfect

Creativity in the Spanish camp apparently runs through every level of their national football program. The U-19 squad converted this cheeky, cheeky, cheeky free kick against England today in the semi-finals of the U-19 European Championships.

Right off the training pitch:

Cheeky Penalty Kick

Ezequiel Calvente of Spain's U-19 squad converted this penalty kick over the weekend at the European Championships.