Top Nine Goals of the Week

Stick your hands up if you hate international week.

There can only be one schmuck of the week winner, and we’re are pretty sure you know to whom that accolade is deserved (the picture is a bit of a giveaway!). But before we get there, one player who must detest turning out for his country more than most is German striker Mario Gomez, who, regardless of his form prior to joining up with the national team, continues to be a shrinking violet on the international stage. Gomez’s Euro 2008 was hugely forgettable, and the World Cup qualifiers are offering no respite for the Stuttgart forward, as proved against the mighty Liechtenstein on Saturday.

Gomez struck arguably the worst shot of the weekend to leave him with yet another pitiful international memory to add to his growing hall of shame. (Watch here.)

But no-one was left ripping their hair out quite like the Holy Goalie.

Ironically, Artur Boruc was never supposed to turn out for Poland at Winsdor Park after breaching Coach Leo Beenhakker’s disciplinary rules in the run-up to the match.

Happy snappers managed to capture the Celtic shot-stopper smuggling his girlfriend into Poland’s team hotel during last week’s build-up to the match in Northern Ireland, with a Polish newspaper publishing the pictures over the weekend, to the embarrassment of the national team. According to reports, a furious Beenhakker stated that Boruc would be dropped as a result. But as fate would have it, the 29-year-old keeper ended up playing in the match as Arsenal’s Lukasz Fabianski fell ill with suspected food poisoning prior to kick-off.

Obviously the gods were laughing, as the final joke was at the expense of Boruc. Even Scott Carson likely cracked a smile.

Onto the list.

The latest round of World Cup qualifiers significantly reduced the number of matches played in the last seven days, which in turn had the effect of shrinking our list to just nine goals.

Amongst the goals below, a brilliant diving header is supplied in the form of goal seven, while goal six offers a superb volley. Goal two offers a wonderful solo effort, while the remaining strikes are all beauties that gave the keepers no chance.

As always, all we ask is that you sit back an enjoy!

1. Olexandr Aliyev (Dynamo Kiev v Arsenal Kiev, Mar. 23, 2009)

2. Dario Conca (Friburguense v Fluminense, Mar. 23, 2009)

3. Shunsuke Nakamura (Japan v Bahrain, Mar. 28, 2009)

4. Edin Dzeko (Belgium v Bosnia, Mar. 28, 2009)

5. Franck Ribery (Lithuania v France, Mar. 28, 2009)

6. Michael Ballack (Germany v Liechtenstein, Mar. 28, 2009)

7. Marek Saganowski (Northern Ireland v Poland, Mar. 28, 2009)

8. Pak Choi Jin (North Korea v UAE, Mar. 28, 2009)

9. Freddy Montero (Seattle Sounders v Real Salt Lake, Mar. 28, 2009) (2.55 minutes into the video)