(Newswire.net — April 15, 2021) — What can keep you on the edge of your seat and get you excited more than an unexpected twist of your favorite sports game? If you are a football aficionado, you probably know that there has been a wealth of such twists throughout its history. Given that these sudden episodes during matches can even boost our psychological mood, we need more of them. But first, let’s traverse back in time and reflect on some of the most unexpected goals of the football world we already have.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and His 30-Yard Bicycle Kick vs. England
When you narrow down the list of goals that no one expected to 7, you might miss out on some decent kicks. But you can’t just do that to Ibra’s smashing overhead kick. It was back in 2012 when England played Sweden in an international friendly. You can hardly blame Joe Hart (the goalkeeper) for handing Ibrahimovic the opportunity and not being able to stop him. It takes a lot of practice to predict someone like Ibrahimovic, who is utterly unpredictable. The striker literally jumped at the opportunity and threw himself at the ball. It went right over his head into the net, giving the world of football another brilliant goal to rave about for years. This was the fourth goal of the night. Sorry not sorry, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s performance slightly damaged a couple of careers during this match.
It’s kicks like this that make the world of sports even more intriguing and unpredictable. They, thus, propel other industries such as sports betting to a new level with the breaking record of goal scores. But before you jump start on your next pre-match bet, let’s reveal some more kicks you could hardly foresee.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh_KNH8QqSw
Wayne Rooney’s Bicycle Kick vs. Manchester City
Speaking of the most unforgettable goals, let’s give credits to Wayne Rooney’s overhead kick in 2011 against Manchester City. The stunning strike indeed established itself a good place in the history of Manchester United. On top of that, Rooney’s kick played its role in winning the 158th edition of the Manchester derby and the Premier League title that season.
Many of the Reds confessed they wished they’d performed the kick. Why wouldn’t they? The incredible kick even went on claiming the club’s Goal of the Decade award.
It all started when Nani’s cross took a deflection, and Rooney just decided to go for it; he jumped up in the air and performed a beautiful overhead kick that ended up with the ball in the net. He later admitted that the deflection actually slowed down the ball’s pace and gave him enough time to adjust himself. The kick was crucial not only for the whole team but also for Rooney’s career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km_9ntw05pw
Ronaldinho and His Overhead Kick vs. Villarreal
Another stunner was scored by the legendary Brazilian forward Ronaldinho in the game against Villareal in the 2006-2007 season. The Yellow Submarine couldn’t stand a chance against Ronaldinho’s acrobatic bicycle kick. The unusual way in which he performed a sublime kick over his head after controlling the ball with his chest makes it one of the most memorable goals in La Liga. You can still see throwbacks to this outstanding performance on different social platforms of FC Barcelona.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH_gBJT9bAg&t=5s
Di Maria’s Goal from Corner Kick vs. Nimes
Another unexpected goal award goes to Angel Di Maria’s insane kick from a direct corner in the Paris Saint-Germain against Nimes Olympique game. Despite all the highlights of the game, this was the strike that got everyone talking. Di Maria managed to score directly from a corner, and Paul Bernardoni, well, didn’t want to take the splendid kick away from us. The ball flew straight inside from a corner giving us another beautiful goal just before half-time. It’s hard to get enough of such corner kicks, so let’s hope we’ll get more in the upcoming seasons.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7WbKVJv0OE
Alessandro Florenzi’s Goal from 40 Yards out vs. Barcelona
Nothing tells how unexpected the goal was better than the goalkeeper’s expression when the ball hits the back of the net from nowhere. That’s exactly the one Marc-Andre ter Stegen had on his face during the Roma vs. Barcelona game back in 2015. What he couldn’t predict was the long-range stunner by Alessandro Florenzi. Florenzi performed a 40-yard wonder kick and made the crowd go crazy. It takes fairly good skills to score a goal like that, and the 24-year-old player certainly had them. There could hardly be a more impressive way to equalize the score of the game. It is still listed among the most outstanding Champions League goals you wouldn’t want to miss.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDZHY4tGQGw
Chicharito’s Ridiculous Goal vs. Chelsea
This one was even super unexpected for the scorer himself. Chicharito (Javier Hernandez) scored a decisive goal during the game against Chelsea. Although the goal is a bit hard to describe, it proves that sometimes football is a game of luck, and Chicharito’s face was in the right place at the right time. The goal has fairly earned its place among one of the funniest and most unexpected scores. The win is a win, and you can’t criticize someone for getting lucky.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGj5gKIP3Pw
Roberto Carlos’ Legendary Banana Free Kick
While tackling the most famous kicks no one expected, we need to recapture one of the best highlights in football’s history by Roberto Carlos. Back in 1997, during the opening game of Tournoi de France, Roberto Carlos went against physics laws and astounded the world with the most spectacular banana free-kick. It became the most unexpected and famous goal in his career. The kick that was initially flying to the corner flag suddenly curved back and hit the net. This couldn’t but catch the whole world and Fabien Barthez off guard. The player’s career took a huge spike after this unbelievable kick, although we could never see him performing the same masterpiece twice. Roberto claims that he didn’t even try to recreate the kick, knowing that it’s hardly possible to score like that again. We still owe one of the most beautiful and even strange goals in the history of sports to Roberto Carlos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yofcwPYI8LQ
This is just a sneak peek of what the world of football features. It is getting even more exciting, and we’re all craving some part of it. The best way to feel the thrill and try your skills can be sports betting. Challenge yourself, try to predict the unexpected, and get the taste of the win by watching your favorite games and placing risk-free bets.