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From Barcelona's Wembley Masterclass To Fernando Torres' Open-Goal Miss - Goal.com Team Share Their Top Moments Of 2011
As we near the end of the year, our writers share their picks for the most memorable incidents and highlights we have seen in football over the past 12 months
30-Dec-2011 3:20:00 PM
Mahmoud maher
DEBATE
As another whirlwind year in football reaches an end, Goal.com takes you back over some of the most memorable moments we have experienced throughout the past 12 months.
During the year Manchester United secured their record 19th league title, Barcelona stormed their way to Champions League glory, and some of the most jaw-dropping transfers in Premier League history took place.
Below is a reminder from our writers as to just some of what we have witnessed during a dramatic year and why they thought each moment was such a highlight.
January 31 - The 2011 January window had hardly been timid as we approached the piece de resistance of modern day football - transfer deadline day.
Darren Bent had engineered an £18 million switch, with the potential to rise to £24m, to Aston Villa from Sunderland. Wolfsburg’s Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko became the latest acquisition in Sheikh Mansour’s Manchester City project, arriving at Eastlands for £27m. Whilst Luis Suarez’s move to Liverpool from Ajax for £22.7m on January 31 was to prove to be only a taster of the whirlwind few hours that lay ahead.
By the end of the evening, Fernando Torres had joined Chelsea for a British transfer record £50m, whilst his replacement, Andy Carroll, arrived at Anfield from Newcastle for an equally astonishing £35m. Staggering was the word then, deplorable now seems more fitting with the gift of hindsight.
February 5 - If you are going to make a bit of history then Tiote showed the way to do it with a spectacular long-distance volley in front of the Gallowgate End and then embarking on a crazed length-of-the-field celebration before sinking to his knees and then being buried beneath a heap of team-mates. Newcastle had recovered from 4-0 down to earn one of the most famous results in Premier League history.
February 12 - With the Manchester derby looking set to end 1-1 with 12 minutes to go at Old Trafford, Rooney's outstanding overhead kick won the game for Manchester United. Receiving the ball from Nani at an awkward angle and with his back to goal 12 yards out, the striker did the unthinkable by planting an unstoppable, out-of-this-world overhead kick into the far corner to score the winner. The execution may not have been as good as it seemed on first viewing - some dismiss the goal by saying 'he shinned it' - but the moment surely has to go down as one of the most memorable in Premier League history.
April 2 - Losing 2-0 at half-time, with the Hammers rooted in a relegation battle and the Upton Park crowd as ferocious as ever, Manchester United turned the game on its head to win 4-2. Wayne Rooney scored a sublime hat-trick, before swearing down the lens of a camera, while Ryan Giggs put in another age-defying performance when it mattered most.
April 27 - With three minutes to go at the Bernabeu in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, Lionel Messi picked the ball up midway inside the Real Madrid half and burst past five players before sliding the ball past Iker Casillas into the net. It was his second goal of the night and secured a vital 2-0 victory for Pep Guardiola's side.
May 8 - It took 35 games to arrive at a title decider in the Premier League last season and only 36 seconds to all but wrap it up. Hernandez knelt to pray in the centre circle seconds before kick-off at the Theatre of Dreams knowing that a win over Chelsea would put his side six points clear at the summit with only two games remaining and therefore almost certainly secure Manchester United their 19th league title.
The Mexican's prayers were answered in less than a minute as the striker, who had started his first season under Sir Alex Ferguson with a fortunate goal off his face against Chelsea in the Community Shield, put the Blues to sword once again within an instant. With Ryan Giggs and Park Ji-Sung combining superbly before the latter played in Hernandez with a perfectly weighted through ball, the striker put David Luiz on his backside with a burst of frightening pace before sliding it past Petr Cech.
A goal for each side followed but the game was up from the start - United were champions at Ewood Park only six days later.
May 28 - Barcelona and Manchester United arrived at Wembley as the best two teams in Europe last season but by the end, the Spanish side showed they were light years ahead of their English counterparts.
United started with the intent and energy required to avenge their defeat in Rome two years ago but Barcelona began to find their rhythm and the trio of Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Messi proved too much for Sir Alex Ferguson's side who repeatedly surrendered possession.
Although Rooney almost instantaneously pegged back Pedro's opener, further goals from Messi and David Villa in the second half sealed the Champions League crown for Barcelona as they brushed United aside with ease.
May 30 - After weeks of infighting and exposés detailing decidedly dodgy dealings going on in the run-up to Fifa's presidential elections, Blatter's one and only rival to take his job was forced to step down, yet the organisation's sham of an election nonetheless continued and the bulbous Swiss had the nerve to act as though he was a progressive shining light fighting a one-man battle against corruption.
Blatter, in an act of staggering but totally unsurprising hubris, held a press conference the day before his unopposed election and not so much as shrugged off critical questions from journalists as outright laughed in his inquisitors' faces. Asked how he felt about Fifa being in such a mess under his watch, he responded by tapping his watch – much to his own amusement but the exasperated silence of a room full of international reporters and millions of viewers watching live on TV. He then topped that when he was asked by a Saudi reporter whether Fifa was in a crisis and angrily retorted: "Crisis? What crisis? If one of you can describe to me what a crisis is, then I can answer."
July 24 - Manchester City were facing LA Galaxy in a pre-season match in the World Football Challenge as part of their tour to the USA. They were 1-0 up on 28 minutes, when an impressive passing move involving Edin Dzeko and David Silva sent Mario Balotelli clean through on goal. With the net gaping, a second City goal appeared to be certain.
However, the controversial Italian decided to improvise with a bizarre backheel attempt to beat the keeper, which backfired spectacularly as the ball trickled harmlessly wide. It was an embarrassing miss and appeared to disrespect the Galaxy.
Fans inside the stadium booed him and Dzeko remonstrated in disbelief, while Balotelli couldn't seem to understand what all the fuss was about. Roberto Mancini immediately substituted him for James Milner, despite the game only being half an hour old, and had an angry exchange with his player on the touchline as he made his way to the bench. The miss was almost costly - the game finished in a 1-1 draw, but City were able to edge home 7-6 on penalties.
September 18 - Having pulled Chelsea back into this Premier League clash at Old Trafford with a superbly-taken goal just after half-time, Torres later showcased the lack of confidence and form that has weighed him down since his big-money move from Liverpool. After rounding David de Gea to be left with an open goal, the Spaniard proceeded to slice wide of the target to the amusement, Chelsea fans aside, and absolute bewilderment of all who witnessed.
September 27 - A one-man mutiny swept through Manchester City as they trailed 2-0 to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Tevez, who had previously expressed his desire to leave Eastlands on a number of occasions, remained unmoved after Mancini instructed the Argentine to enter the match as a substitute.
That show of defiance led Mancini to claim the striker was finished at the club, while a subsequent hearing at City the following month saw Tevez's charge watered down to a refusal to warm up. The 27-year-old hasn't played since September and has returned to Argentina, with a proposed escape to AC Milan waiting in the wings.
As another whirlwind year in football reaches an end, Goal.com takes you back over some of the most memorable moments we have experienced throughout the past 12 months.
During the year Manchester United secured their record 19th league title, Barcelona stormed their way to Champions League glory, and some of the most jaw-dropping transfers in Premier League history took place.
Below is a reminder from our writers as to just some of what we have witnessed during a dramatic year and why they thought each moment was such a highlight.
| January's deadline day merry-go-round |
January 31 - The 2011 January window had hardly been timid as we approached the piece de resistance of modern day football - transfer deadline day.
Darren Bent had engineered an £18 million switch, with the potential to rise to £24m, to Aston Villa from Sunderland. Wolfsburg’s Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko became the latest acquisition in Sheikh Mansour’s Manchester City project, arriving at Eastlands for £27m. Whilst Luis Suarez’s move to Liverpool from Ajax for £22.7m on January 31 was to prove to be only a taster of the whirlwind few hours that lay ahead.
By the end of the evening, Fernando Torres had joined Chelsea for a British transfer record £50m, whilst his replacement, Andy Carroll, arrived at Anfield from Newcastle for an equally astonishing £35m. Staggering was the word then, deplorable now seems more fitting with the gift of hindsight.
| "As a Newcastle fan, the disbelief followed by that wry smile when anyone wonders, ‘£35 million!?'" - Andrew Kennedy |
| Tiote's late equaliser in Newcastle's 4-4 draw against Arsenal |
February 5 - If you are going to make a bit of history then Tiote showed the way to do it with a spectacular long-distance volley in front of the Gallowgate End and then embarking on a crazed length-of-the-field celebration before sinking to his knees and then being buried beneath a heap of team-mates. Newcastle had recovered from 4-0 down to earn one of the most famous results in Premier League history.
| "When it’s good enough to make it into the new Guinness Book of Records – which it is – then surely I could look no further because Tiote’s goal meant that this comeback when down as the greatest in Premier League history. Those Newcastle fans who headed off to the pub after 26 minutes when their team were 4-0 down will never forgive themselves." - Rob Stewart |
| Rooney's spectacular Manchester derby winner |
February 12 - With the Manchester derby looking set to end 1-1 with 12 minutes to go at Old Trafford, Rooney's outstanding overhead kick won the game for Manchester United. Receiving the ball from Nani at an awkward angle and with his back to goal 12 yards out, the striker did the unthinkable by planting an unstoppable, out-of-this-world overhead kick into the far corner to score the winner. The execution may not have been as good as it seemed on first viewing - some dismiss the goal by saying 'he shinned it' - but the moment surely has to go down as one of the most memorable in Premier League history.
| "The massive importance of the goal, quite simply. Not only was it a stunning winning goal in a much-hyped Manchester derby, but it saw Rooney become an instant hero again for disgruntled United fans who had turned against him following his controversial transfer request just months before, while it also ended any realistic chance City had of winning the title." - Danny Hart |
| Manchester United's revival at Upton Park |
April 2 - Losing 2-0 at half-time, with the Hammers rooted in a relegation battle and the Upton Park crowd as ferocious as ever, Manchester United turned the game on its head to win 4-2. Wayne Rooney scored a sublime hat-trick, before swearing down the lens of a camera, while Ryan Giggs put in another age-defying performance when it mattered most.
| "It was the first time I'd seen Manchester United in the flesh, and as a neutral their performance was everything I'd hoped for. Having grown up in the Premier League era, Man United have gone from being a side I despised through envy during my childhood to a club I now hold immense respect for. They are after all the Liverpool of my generation. "Evra was replaced at half time by Hernandez, and to the surprise of everyone in the ground Giggs was moved to left-back. But the 38-year-old was absolutely immense, and United surged forward with attack after attack to turn the game completely on its head. "For me, Rooney's outburst said it all. So often United are branded as going into 'auto-pilot' with performances such as this, especially when viewed on the TV, but his reaction showed everyone at home the that this wasn't just a fantastic side going through the motions, but a team brimming with determination to win when they had absolutely no right to." - Richard Parry |
| Messi's solo effort to sink Real Madrid |
April 27 - With three minutes to go at the Bernabeu in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, Lionel Messi picked the ball up midway inside the Real Madrid half and burst past five players before sliding the ball past Iker Casillas into the net. It was his second goal of the night and secured a vital 2-0 victory for Pep Guardiola's side.
| "I was at the Bernabeu and Messi's moment of pure genius lit up a match that would otherwise have been remembered for ugly spats and diving. It was probably the best goal I have ever seen in the flesh, and most certainly scored by the best player I have ever seen. It was a wonderful moment, on the biggest occasion, as Barcelona beat their bitter rivals before going on to conquer Manchester United in the final at Wembley." - Greg Stobart |
| Hernandez's 36-second opener against Chelsea |
May 8 - It took 35 games to arrive at a title decider in the Premier League last season and only 36 seconds to all but wrap it up. Hernandez knelt to pray in the centre circle seconds before kick-off at the Theatre of Dreams knowing that a win over Chelsea would put his side six points clear at the summit with only two games remaining and therefore almost certainly secure Manchester United their 19th league title.
The Mexican's prayers were answered in less than a minute as the striker, who had started his first season under Sir Alex Ferguson with a fortunate goal off his face against Chelsea in the Community Shield, put the Blues to sword once again within an instant. With Ryan Giggs and Park Ji-Sung combining superbly before the latter played in Hernandez with a perfectly weighted through ball, the striker put David Luiz on his backside with a burst of frightening pace before sliding it past Petr Cech.
A goal for each side followed but the game was up from the start - United were champions at Ewood Park only six days later.
| "Like all great footballing moments, the goal defined much more than the match in which it came. Fergie had described his aim at Old Trafford as to knock Liverpool off their perch when he arrived at the club in 1986, with the side at the other end of the M62 the undisputed kings of England after they went on to claim 18 titles, 11 more than United. "This was the moment that the Red Devils got ready to take their place on the throne and even for a club known for leaving it late, Chicharito's early opener against Carlo Ancelotti's men was indicative of the Scot's quarter of a century on the banks of the River Irwell. Breathless drama, breathless football and the holy grail of the 'No. 19' all but secured - job done, Sir Alex." - Jonathan Birchall |
| Barcelona slicing open Manchester United at Wembley |
May 28 - Barcelona and Manchester United arrived at Wembley as the best two teams in Europe last season but by the end, the Spanish side showed they were light years ahead of their English counterparts.
United started with the intent and energy required to avenge their defeat in Rome two years ago but Barcelona began to find their rhythm and the trio of Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Messi proved too much for Sir Alex Ferguson's side who repeatedly surrendered possession.
Although Rooney almost instantaneously pegged back Pedro's opener, further goals from Messi and David Villa in the second half sealed the Champions League crown for Barcelona as they brushed United aside with ease.
| "Barcelona had 19 attempts on goal to United’s four, completed 667 passes to United’s 301 and enjoyed 67 per cent of possession - the statistics give you an idea of how convincing Barcelona's display was. "The final at Wembley was the culmination of Barcelona's performances throughout the season. It was a stage on which they could showcase their dominance and prove they are in a class of their own as a collective. Individuals too, Messi, Xavi and Iniesta in particular, seized the opportunity to cap a phenomenal campaign in such convincing fashion. "Teams are now attempting to copy the Barcelona blueprint but it's unlikely we'll see a club successfully emulate one of the greatest sides in history." - Chris Davie |
| Blatter's 'Crisis? What crisis?' press conference |
May 30 - After weeks of infighting and exposés detailing decidedly dodgy dealings going on in the run-up to Fifa's presidential elections, Blatter's one and only rival to take his job was forced to step down, yet the organisation's sham of an election nonetheless continued and the bulbous Swiss had the nerve to act as though he was a progressive shining light fighting a one-man battle against corruption.
Blatter, in an act of staggering but totally unsurprising hubris, held a press conference the day before his unopposed election and not so much as shrugged off critical questions from journalists as outright laughed in his inquisitors' faces. Asked how he felt about Fifa being in such a mess under his watch, he responded by tapping his watch – much to his own amusement but the exasperated silence of a room full of international reporters and millions of viewers watching live on TV. He then topped that when he was asked by a Saudi reporter whether Fifa was in a crisis and angrily retorted: "Crisis? What crisis? If one of you can describe to me what a crisis is, then I can answer."
| "Blatter's breathtaking bumptiousness and revulsion with the journalists who had asked legitimate questions – he said he would "not get into discussions with people who create problems", insinuating that it was the reporters' fault that Fifa had made headlines over the corruption saga – made for sensational TV and united fans the world over, briefly creating a wave of optimism that people power could bring the downfall of one of the most decrepit and despotic organisations on the planet. "It wasn't to be, but at least we got to see the coot at his unedited and despicable worst, though he and his backslapping buddies probably thought it was a triumphant display." - Nick Price |
| Balotelli's pre-season showboat failure |
July 24 - Manchester City were facing LA Galaxy in a pre-season match in the World Football Challenge as part of their tour to the USA. They were 1-0 up on 28 minutes, when an impressive passing move involving Edin Dzeko and David Silva sent Mario Balotelli clean through on goal. With the net gaping, a second City goal appeared to be certain.
However, the controversial Italian decided to improvise with a bizarre backheel attempt to beat the keeper, which backfired spectacularly as the ball trickled harmlessly wide. It was an embarrassing miss and appeared to disrespect the Galaxy.
Fans inside the stadium booed him and Dzeko remonstrated in disbelief, while Balotelli couldn't seem to understand what all the fuss was about. Roberto Mancini immediately substituted him for James Milner, despite the game only being half an hour old, and had an angry exchange with his player on the touchline as he made his way to the bench. The miss was almost costly - the game finished in a 1-1 draw, but City were able to edge home 7-6 on penalties.
| "If there was ever a moment to sum up the enigma that is Mario Balotelli, then this is it. The ex-Inter man is one of the most talked about and controversial characters we have ever seen in England and can range from brilliant to bizarre to downright stupid at any given time. "Part of the appeal and what was made him such a popular figure with many is that whenever things seem to be going well, he will do something like this. Watching the incident was hillarious and the moment became a worldwide hit on the internet to liven up pre-season. "It also represented what was to come in the months which followed, with Balotelli making just as many headlines for his behaviour both on and off the pitch in the calendar year than for his football, which has produced some impressive individual performances. Balotelli has all the makings of a flawed genius." - Chris Myson |
| Torres's howler at Old Trafford |
September 18 - Having pulled Chelsea back into this Premier League clash at Old Trafford with a superbly-taken goal just after half-time, Torres later showcased the lack of confidence and form that has weighed him down since his big-money move from Liverpool. After rounding David de Gea to be left with an open goal, the Spaniard proceeded to slice wide of the target to the amusement, Chelsea fans aside, and absolute bewilderment of all who witnessed.
| "A Sunday League player would have been ridiculed for missing the target in that position so for a £50m World Cup winner to have done it makes it all the more amazing - and in a game of such magnitude too. It's certainly right up there in the top drawer of football's greatest misses and is a certainty to be included in gaffe DVDs for many years to come." - Stephen Darwin |
| Tevez staying put on the bench at Bayern |
September 27 - A one-man mutiny swept through Manchester City as they trailed 2-0 to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Tevez, who had previously expressed his desire to leave Eastlands on a number of occasions, remained unmoved after Mancini instructed the Argentine to enter the match as a substitute.
That show of defiance led Mancini to claim the striker was finished at the club, while a subsequent hearing at City the following month saw Tevez's charge watered down to a refusal to warm up. The 27-year-old hasn't played since September and has returned to Argentina, with a proposed escape to AC Milan waiting in the wings.
| "You could always sense something was brewing and Tevez's display in Germany has been arguably the highest-profile case of player power we've witnessed in recent years. City's failure to fully back Mancini, as shown by their inability to prove Tevez refused to play, which led to a reduced charge, showcases how clubs are now at the wrong end of the power struggle with their players. "The fact Tevez's four-week fine was halved by the Professional Footballers' Association proves even further how little control a club can have over their player discipline. Tevez was aware of his monetary value and knew his actions couldn't be met with City simply terminating his contract." - Chris Davie |
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