Ryujiro Ueda and 20 Other Amazing Long-Range Golazos

It is three years to the day since Fagiano Okayama defender Ryujiro Ueda found the back of the net with an outrageous header from inside his own half, with the goal later being measured at a whopping 58 metres!

And to celebrate the Japanese’s stunning world-record headed effort, we take a look back at 20 other amazing long-range golazos.

Ryujiro Ueda (Yokohama FC vs. Fagiano Okayama, October 30, 2011)

Fagiano Okayama defender Ryujiro Ueda set a new world record for the longest headed goal exactly three years ago today in a match against Yokohama FC.

Meeting a goal kick midway through the second half with the score still goalless, Ueda powered his headed clearance up field, with the ball then bouncing over the home side’s 'keeper and into the back of the net from all of 58 metres.

Now let’s see how these other 20 long-range golazos compare to that memorable effort.

Stiliyan Petrov (Derby County vs. Aston Villa, April 2008)

Derby County endured a miserable season back in the Premier League in 2007-08, with Aston Villa’s 6-0 win at Pride Park toward the end of that campaign the nadir for Rams supporters.

However, at least 30,000 of them are able to say "I was there" when Villa midfielder Stiliyan Petrov scored from all of 45 yards out. The Bulgarian chested down 'keeper Roy Carroll’s weak clearance just beyond the centre-circle before lashing a left-footed half-volley straight back over the bewildered shot-stopper’s head.

Pure class from the cultured former Villa skipper.

Richie Wellens (Blackpool vs Port Vale, March 2004)

Former Blackpool midfielder Richie Wellens will always be fondly remembered by Tangerines fans after hitting the target with a sensational long-range golazo against Port Vale 10 years ago.

Picking up possession straight from visiting goalkeeper Jonny Brain’s clearance, Wellens chested the ball down before deciding to strike a dipping half-volley with his right foot from just inside Vale’s half that flew into the back of the net, much to most people’s—and the player's—great surprise.

Diego (Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid, April 2014)

Atletico Madrid midfielder Diego silenced Camp Nou last April with a truly stunning long-range golazo in a crucial UEFA Champions League quarter-final first-leg encounter.

Collecting the ball midway inside the Barca half, the occasional Brazil international caught everyone by surprise after unleashing an absolute piledriver that flew into the very top corner of Jose Manuel Pinto’s net, leaving the Spanish 'keeper with no chance.

Watch the goal to see just how fiercely struck the 29-year-old's shot actually is.

David Beckham (Wimbledon vs. Manchester United, August 1996)

Future England captain David Beckham really announced himself on the scene at Manchester United and propelled himself into the public’s consciousness at large with a never-to-be-forgotten golazo against Wimbledon on the opening day of the 1996/97 season.

Collecting the ball from Brian McClair, the midfielder unleashed an inch-perfect lob from just inside his own half that flew over Dons goalkeeper Neil Sullivan—who was slightly off his line having quite rightly not expected to be beaten from that distance—and into the back of the net to score what remains one of the Premier League’s most iconic goals.

Dejan Stankovic (Inter Milan vs. Schalke, April 2011)

Budesliga outfit Schalke 04 may have left San Siro with a hugely impressive 5-2 win in their UEFA Champions League quarter-final first-leg clash in April 2011, but that was not what everyone was talking about after the match had ended.

That was because Inter Milan had opened the scoring in the very first minute with an unbelievable strike from midfielder Dejan Stankovic, who volleyed a long headed clearance from Manuel Neuer into the net from just inside the German team's half without it even touching the ground.

I can just watch this over and over again.

Mattia Destro (AS Roma vs. Verona, September 2014)

Highly rated AS Roma forward Mattia Destro lit up Serie A with a world-class long-range golazo against Verona in September that will only serve to increase the Italy international’s already exorbitant price tag.

After neatly collecting 'keeper Morgan De Sanctis' long goal kick on his shoulder just beyond the centre-circle in the opposition half, the 23-year-old propelled a right-footed rocket that sped past a startled and helpless Pierluigi Gollini in the visitors’ goal.

Audacious, outlandish, mesmeric—call it what you want; the Azzurri starlet’s strike has been one of the most eye-catching in Europe so far this season.

Joe Cole (England vs. Sweden, June 2006)

For England fans, one of the few bright spots of their team's stuttering 2006 World Cup campaign was the sumptuous strike scored by impish playmaker Joe Cole in their final group-stage clash against Sweden in Cologne’s RheinEnergieStadion.

Chesting down a headed clearance just past the half-hour mark with the scoreline still goalless, Cole then hit a dipping 35-yard volley with his trusted right foot that Andreas Isaksson in the Scandinavians’ goal could only fingertip on to the post and into the net.

What a way to score your first—and only—goal for your country at the finals of a major international tournament.

Luis Suarez (Liverpool vs. Norwich City, December 2013)

Last December, then Liverpool frontman Luis Suarez was in the form of his life, with the tricky Uruguayan attacker tormenting opposition defences up and down the land in the Premier League on his way to winning the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year awards.

However, El Pistolero was at the peak of his powers during yet another one-man destruction of hapless Norwich City, with the forward netting four times in a 5-1 win for the Reds, although it was his opening goal that everyone was talking about that night at Anfield.

Picking up possession after John Ruddy’s goal kick had been headed back into the visitors’ half by Steven Gerrard and missed by Leroy Fer, Suarez allowed the ball to drop over his shoulder before executing a dipping 40-yard half-volley that left the Canaries 'keeper grasping at thin air.

Javier Hernandez (Deportivo La Coruna vs. Real Madrid, September 2014)

What better way for striker Javier Hernandez to open his account for Real Madrid than scoring an absolute belter after coming on as a substitute in the Spanish giants’ comprehensive 8-2 win at the Riazor in September.

The deadly Mexico international, who joined Los Blancos on a season-long loan from Manchester United on transfer deadline day, collected the ball on the far left-hand corner of the Galicians' penalty area, with seemingly little real danger to the Deportivo defence.

However, they didn't count on Chicharito’s ace shooting abilities, and the 26-year-old wasted little time in unleashing a powerful left-footed half-volley that whizzed past Depor No.1 German Lux at his near post.

Rivaldo (Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona, October 1998)

Hugely skilful Brazilian forward Rivaldo was renowned for scoring golazos during his illustrious career, although none better than this spectacular effort for Barcelona at the Vicente Calderon back in October 1998.

Receiving the ball just inside his own half, the Barca star had a quick look up to assess the Atleti 'keeper’s positioning, before taking out his six iron and depositing the most gorgeous of chip shots into the back of the net from only inches beyond the halfway line.

It really does take quite some imagination to even consider scoring from fully 50 yards out, let alone actually being able to accomplish such a feat.

Gareth Bale (Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid, April 2014)

Great things tend to be expected of you when you are the world’s most expensive footballer. However, Real Madrid’s £85.3 million recruit Gareth Bale did not disappoint during his debut campaign in the Spanish capital last season.

There were goals and assists aplenty from the flying Welshman, with his best strike being saved until the title run-in last April, when the wide man scored a crucial second goal in his side’s 4-0 win at high-flying Real Sociedad.

Taking advantage of a poor kick out from home 'keeper Claudio Bravo, Bale intercepted the ball with his left foot before wasting no time at all in getting away a swerving effort that was past the Chile international at his near post before he even had time to properly set himself.

Stefan Seufert (FC Schweinfurt vs. TSV 1860 Munich, November 2013)

On the face of it, there was nothing that noteworthy to report about FC Schweinfurt’s 3-0 loss to TSV 1860 Munich’s reserve side in November 2013, that is until a closer inspection of the visitors’ second strike revealed it to be a quite incredible long-range own goal.

Yes, FC Schweinfurt’s Stefan Seufert somehow managed to beat his own 'keeper with a beautifully struck effort from just within his own half that unsurprisingly caught the shell-shocked custodian off his line and in no man’s land.

It is anyone’s guess as to just what the player was actually trying to do in the first place, but either way, it will go down in history as one of the all-time great own golazos.

Clint Dempsey (USA vs. Germany, June 2013)

Seattle Sounders forward Clint Dempsey turned in a man-of-the-match display with two goals in the space of four second-half minutes as the United States stunned Germany 4-3 at the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington just 12 months before the visitors were crowned world champions.

However, it was the former Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur man’s second strike that really took the breath away, with Dempsey neatly turning past Lukas Podolski on the edge of the area before curling an unstoppable left-footed 25-yard effort over Marc-Andre ter Stegen and into the top corner of the net.

This special effort is surely one of the best goals of Deuce’s career, especially as it came against such stellar opposition.

Sandro (Tottenham Hotspur V Manchester United, December 2013)

You do not win more than 15 caps as a midfielder for five-time world champions Brazil without being able to manipulate a football at will, as some-time Selecao water carrier Sandro ably demonstrated while playing for Tottenham Hotspur against Manchester United last December.

Picking up possession midway inside the then Premier League champions’ half, the 25-year-old proceeded to then lead his opposite number Tom Cleverley on a merry dance before working the ball back on to his favoured right side and arrowing an inch-perfect shot past a motionless David de Gea in the Red Devils goal.

Now let’s face it, no 'keeper on the planet could have even got a glove on it, let alone actually saved it.

Alexander Tettey (Norwich City vs. Sunderland, March 2014)

When Sunderland captain John O’Shea headed Wes Hoolahan’s left-wing centre powerfully out of his own area in his side’s relegation six-pointer at Carrow Road last March, the Irishman must have thought that the danger had passed.

But how wrong he was, as there waiting to pounce some 30 yards out was Canaries midfielder Alexander Tettey, who returned O’Shea’s clearance from where it came with one sweet swing of his right boot.

And boy did the Ghana player’s beautifully struck volley fly past a helpless Vito Mannone in the Black Cats goal for one of the very best long-range golazos of recent times.

Xabi Alonso (Liverpool vs. Newcastle United, September 2006)

Cultured Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso has developed a reputation for netting breathtaking long-range golazos over the years, and for good reason too, with the Basque having managed it on more than one occasion.

However, it was the player’s effort in a Premier League encounter against Newcastle United back in September 2006 that lives longest in the memory, with Alonso somehow lobbing opposition 'keeper Steve Harper from behind the centre-circle in his own half.

And while Harper’s unfortunately timed slip certainly takes some gloss off the goal, it is doubtful whether the shot-stopper would have been able to get back in time to prevent the ball from ending up in the back of the net in any case.

Nayim (Real Zaragoza vs. Arsenal, May 1995)

Spanish midfield maestro Nayim will always be best remembered for the outrageous long-range golazo he scored to beat Arsenal in the 1995 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup final in Paris, which is surely one of the best goals to have ever sealed a major European trophy.

However, what also made the Real Zaragoza player’s wonder strike so memorable was that it came with the very last kick of the match at the Parc des Princes, as Nayim chested down Andy Linighan’s headed clearance before beating Gunners No.1 David Seaman with a 40-yard lob from out near the right-hand touchline.

And for many years after that night in the French capital, the England shot-stopper was forced to endure chants of “Nayim from the halfway line” everywhere he went.

Maynor Figueroa (Stoke City vs. Wigan Athletic, December 2009)

Talk about catching the 'keeper off his line. Although, in fairness to Stoke City No.1 Thomas Sorensen, I imagine most people in the Britannia Stadium that day back in December 2009 would have also been caught off guard by Wigan Athletic left-back Maynor Figueroa’s quick thinking in the lead-up to his stunning long-range golazo.

After Latics winger Scott Sinclair was fouled on the halfway line, the Honduras international simply ran up and thumped an unstoppable effort from inside his own half with a flat trajectory and speed that left the Potters 'keeper scrambling at thin air as the ball sailed over his head and into the back of the net.

Wayne Rooney (West Ham United vs. Manchester United, March 2014)

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney silenced the Upton Park faithful with an incredible long-range golazo in the Premier League last March.

Taking advantage of Hammers centre-back James Tomkins’ misreading of the flight of the ball after a clearance up to the halfway line, the quick-thinking England international wasted no time at all in swivelling and unleashing a half-volley on the turn.

Before you knew it, the ball had sailed some 45 yards off the player’s right boot over a flummoxed Adrian in the home goal and into the back of the net, where the Spanish goalkeeper also ended up.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden vs. England, November 2012)

When it comes to spectacular long-range golazos, then there are few better than this effort scored by Sweden international Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a friendly against England in Stockholm in November 2012.

However, anyone who knows just a fraction about the cocksure striker will not be at all surprised that Ibra even thought of attempting to hit the back of the net in such remarkable circumstances.

When the ball fell to the Paris Saint-Germain captain after Three Lions 'keeper Joe Hart’s weak headed clearance, there was only ever one thing in his mind: execute an overhead bicycle kick from 30 yards out.

And boy did Ibrahimovic pull off the magic trick with some aplomb.

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