Why Luis Suarez's Strike Against Norwich City Was Liverpool's Best Goal of 2012

Liverpool in 2012: 60 matches (with one of those still to be played), 94 goals scored.

With all the Reds' problems in the final third of the pitch, it sometimes doesn't seem as though supporters have seen them hit almost a century of goals during competitive matches this calendar year.  But the volume of matches played also shows that despite the total of nearly 100, problems continue.

An average goals-per-game ratio of 1.59 for the season needs to be improved on somewhat significantly next year, but it has still yielded plenty to choose from for the Reds' goal of the year.

There are several contenders for that particular title—Sebastian Coates vs. QPR would certainly be one, Stewart Downing at home to Anzhi Makhachkala and Andy Carroll's FA Cup final strike against Chelsea would be others—but given the range and quantity of goals scored by Luis Suarez, it is no surprise to see him take the acclaim.

Suarez has scored 23 goals during the current calendar year—that represents 24 percent of all Liverpool's goals.

Six of those strikes have come in two fixtures against Norwich City, three at Carrow Road in April and three more at the same stadium in September. Two of Suarez's strikes from the first of those hat-tricks could arguably take first and second place for the entire season.

After a fine left-footed strike opened the scoring, Suarez then finished with a brilliant, low, right-footed effort from an angle after bursting past the defender on the flank—and wrapped up a quite marvelous treble with an opportunistic and audacious effort from 50 yards out.

Liverpool's goal of the year is indeed this third from Suarez.

 He did well to win and control the ball on the bounce and then produced perfect vision and execution to lob goalkeeper John Ruddy, sealing a 3-0 win for the Reds and his first hat-trick for the team.

Other goals might have had a little more importance.  Coates' strike was perhaps the more spectacular, but this effort had a little bit of everything and plenty of the marvelous maverick, magician-like ability of Liverpool's No. 7 to boot.

Enjoy the video and an all-too-rare Liverpool away victory—Suarez's hat-trick goal comes at 3:30.

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