Top Eight Goals of the Week

With most football leagues on their winter break during the holiday season, the number of goals and gaffes we can bring you this week are less than our standard offering. With that being said, let’s begin with those unfortunate souls who were hoping we were too drunk or busy to spot their screw-ups.

While it’s been a decent start for Big Sam at Rovers, Blackburn should be celebrating maximum points from their Christmas fixtures instead of recording just two draws. Sloppy defending cost Rovers on Sunday, but on Boxing Day, Jason Roberts’ inability to stick the ball into an empty and unguarded net, despite having beaten the keeper, let his side down (1.30 minutes into this video).

Making good contact with the ball was a problem that also spread to the continent. FC Volendam’s number one, Jeroen Verhoeven, failed to get his sizable weight behind his attempted clearance, gifting Vitesse’s Santi Kolk with the freedom of picking his spot in the open goal (the second goal on this video). But perhaps more laughable than his kick was Verhoeven’s angry outburst after the goal went in.

Stockport’s custodian Owain Fon Williams also had a nightmare when trying to clear his lines against Leeds, as the keeper scuffed his clearance straight to teenage sensation Fabian Delph. But unlike in Holland, Delph still had a lot to do in order to punish the error from 35 yards. To see what happened, refer to goal six below.

Which brings us neatly onto the goals.

Excellent team moves contributed to goals three, seven, and eight, while individual skill accounted for goals two and five ripping into the back of the net. Arguably goal one is the strike of the week; however, Nick Ward’s howitzer for the Melbourne Victory in a cracking match with Sydney runs it pretty close.

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

1. Diego Biseswar (v NAC, Dec. 26, 2008)

2. Ryan Taylor (Newcastle, Dec. 26, 2008) (first goal on the video)

3. Abou Diaby (v Aston Villa, Dec. 26, 2008)

4. Shannon Cole, Brendan Gan, and Nick Ward (Melbourne Victory-Sydney FC, Dec. 27, 2008)

5. Scott McDonald (v Rangers, Dec. 27, 2008)

6. Fabien Delph (v Stockport, Dec. 28, 2008) (third goal on the video)

7. Steven Gerrard (v Newcastle, Dec. 28, 2008)

8. Bojan Krkic (v Colombia, Dec. 28, 2008)