1) Moritz Stoppelkamp vs Hannover 96
Wow. When a 50 yard goal is scored, such as the famous Xabi Alonso goal against Newcastle from a few years ago, people tend to remember that. This one is a solid 89 yards long. That kind of a goal doesn’t happen in FIFA. That’s a goal that will be talked about for a long, long time.
2) Nikica Jelavic vs Newcastle
I thought about labeling this one as NSFW (Not safe for work) because it is sheer footballing porn. Bicycle kicks are a pure crystallization of talent, acrobatics and precision that explode in a moment of inspiration. They’re the kind of goals that win goal of the season and that the players who score them never forget. My oh my, that is a sexy goal.
3) Ivan Rakitic vs Levante
A thunderbolt from Rakitic. It was between this and the Messi goal from that game, but this one won out through the sheer power of it. While Messi’s goal was a lot of trickery and close control, had the goalkeeper been in the proper place, it would have never been a goal. With Rakitic’s shot, however, very few keepers in the world would have kept that out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey1laiVoq7I
4) James Rodriguez vs Deportivo
This difference between this goal and Rakitic’s was this goal is less power, and more accuracy. To so simply slot this goal into the upper corner is no easy feat, but James Rodriguez makes is look too easy. He’s beginning to show why he is one of the most expensive players in the history of the game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKPB2dfpUGU
5) Raheem Sterling vs West Ham United
Ultimately a consolation goal for the underperforming Reds, but that doesn’t take away from how pretty of a goal it was. People tend to forget that Sterling is only 19 years old. I can’t remember what I was doing when I was 19, but it definitely wasn’t scoring goals like that. To top that all off, the touch from Balotelli to bring the ball down and have a shot of his own was sublime. If Liverpool had been able to play like this the entire game, they would have definitely gone home the victors. Get to it, Brendan.
