Reuters Soccer Blog

Rooney strike — wonder goal or shinpad special?

Wayne Rooney’s overhead scissors kick goal to win the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Saturday has sparked a tidal wave of hyperbole in the British media, with “wonder goal” the most popular tag used to describe it.

The general consensus was not that it was just the nailed-on winner for “goal of the season” but was also the best of Rooney’s career and even the best ever seen at Old Trafford.

There must be some short memories in the north-west. The hundreds of thousands of fans who witnessed George Best score stupendous goals of every type – the vast majority never televised and enjoyed once and once only by those in the ground – will shake their heads in disbelief at how such a sweeping statement can quickly attract such currency.

There is no question that it was a great goal that took athleticism, confidence and precise skill – but even with all three of those elements in place it still looked as if the ball flew into the top corner off Rooney’s shin pad rather than his boot.

His own description of it as the best he’d scored was immediately tempered by him saying: “Nine times out of 10 they go into the stand.”

Fans of the goal say that is precisely why it was so special, because such attempts rarely come off. Others might suggest that the sheer hit-or-miss nature of such goals make them less impressive than, to pick just one example, Rooney’s own immaculately conceived and delivered curler for Everton against Arsenal that announced the 16-year-old to the world.

It is of course impossible to directly compare a 30-metre screamer with a bullet header or an immaculately-executed five-man, length-of-the field passing move that ends with a simple tap-in but there is something about overhead kicks that sends the English soccer Press and public into a frenzy.

Would a unified Britain have won more than one World Cup?

Resistance to plans for a unified British soccer team for the 2012 London Olympics means the idea may well be a one-off, if it gets off the ground at all.

The four home nations are wary of setting precedents that could harm their independent status, despite their lack of success as separate entities.

Indeed, all they would have to show in a collective trophy cabinet would be England’s 1966 triumph, which makes me wonder if they might have been better putting national pride aside all along and pooling their resources, as they do in most other sports.

Would a unified team have won more than one paltry World Cup?

As far as recent times are concerned, I think the simple answer has got to be no.

Wales and Scotland have produced some excellent players over the last 40 years, such as Ryan Giggs, Ian Rush and Kenny Dalglish. But added to the core of English players I’m assuming would usually form the bulk of a unified side, I don’t think they would have transformed English also-rans into British world beaters. (more…)