Olivier Giroud’s moment of sheer brilliance against Crystal Palace had the world of football buzzing over the New Year weekend. It almost put Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s scorpion goal from two weeks ago to shame. But this is not the time to talk about awe-inspiring individual goals.
While some football players mesmerise us with their individual talent and genius and give us unforgettable goals, we sometimes forget that football is, after all, a team sport.
And, as a team sport, there are countless goals scored every week that can be credited to the entire side and not just one man. In a sport where the whole point is to come together as one body and score, there have been some outstanding team efforts that have made history, that have amazed fans as they watched an entire unit move seamlessly to create a moment of unsurpassable wonder.
Nothing is quite as satisfactory as watching a side string together passes, find a way around defences and score that perfect goal. So, without further ado, here are the five best team goals ever scored:
#5 Ajax vs FC Twente, 1995
Despite Louis van Gaal’s troubled tenure at Manchester United most recently, he was once at the helm of the ‘golden boys’ of Dutch football in Ajax in 1995. The side’s electric ‘Total Football’ was as mesmerising for viewers as it was brutal for their opponents.
The likes of Danny Blind, Edwin van der Sar, Patrick Kluivert, Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, Frank Reiziger, Ronald and Frank de Boer alongside Marc Overmars were the shining stars of the brilliant side that beat AC Milan to lift the Champions League trophy that year.
Given their record, it’s no wonder they feature on this list of best team goals ever scored. In the 1995-96, not only were they the defending Eredivisie champions but European champions as well. In a repeat of their previous campaign, the Dutch side was dominating as ever when they met FC Twente in the 9th round of the league away from home where they eventually won 3-0.
The build up from the back that actually started with them trying to clear the ball from danger even included their keeper Van der Sar. In an attempt to escape the high-pressing style of FC Twente, they quickly turned the tables and emerged with a searing counter-attack that ended with a sensational Marc Overmars strike.
Once Van der Sar, Finidi George and Reiziger extricated themselves from a sticky defensive situation, Jari Litmanen quickly passed the ball to de Boer who found Davids. The Dutch midfielder proceeded to send Blind through who passed the ball to Overmars on the far side.
#4 Arsenal vs Norwich City, 2013
Jack Wilshere seemingly has the worst bit of luck among football players as he spends weeks on end injured on the bench. Now his star seems to be on the rise on loan at Bournemouth, and his goal against Norwich City in 2013, which features on this list, shows the talent that he possesses. The English midfielder sparked off the movement deep inside his own half that resulted in his ultimate goal, but it wasn’t all him.
Never has an Arsene Wenger side played the game as beautifully as Arsenal did that day in the build up to the final goal. Wilshere’s outstanding strike was the first of the night before their new transfer Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey found the back of the net too. Wilshere passed the ball to the left to a waiting Cazorla before receiving it again at the edge of the box.
The Gunners masterfully executed their own tiki-taka as Olivier Giroud and Wilshere had a little one-two before the Frenchman passed the ball back with a fancy back heel. The midfielder was through and finished the move off with a delightful flick that will endure in the history books fo years to come.
Their victory against Norwich made it 12 consecutive wins for the north London side but they managed just a fourth place finish by the end of the season.
#3 Barcelona vs Real Madrid, 2014
Number three on the list of best team goals ever scored is from the rich history of the El Clasico in Spain. The 2013-14 season was not a great one for either Barcelona or Real Madrid as they conceded their monopoly on the top spot to Atletico Madrid. In the final el Clasico that season, the Los Blancos hosted the Catalan club in the hope of defeating them and inching closer to their local rivals. Barcelona, on the other hand, had to win the game if they hoped to retain their title with 10 games in hand.
However, the hosts were outplayed by the visitors as they lost 3-4 that night. With the title all but lost that night, what stands out is the elaborate 25-pass goal executed by Barcelona. The Catalans engaged in a sly game of cat-and-mouse with their opponents, lulling them into a false sense of security before bursting forward. A visionary pass from Lionel Messi found Andres Iniesta whose shot rocketed into the back of the net after bouncing off the crossbar.
In retrospect, it’s exhilarating to watch Gerardo Martino’s men play the game patiently when you know Messi’s through ball is forthcoming. It’s also inexplicable why Real Madrid didn’t try dispossessing them at any point during the build-up.
#2 Argentina vs Serbia-Montenegro, 2006
Yet another goal from the Barcelona talisman’s side, Argentina put on a respectable performance during the 2006 FIFA World Cup – the year of the infamous headbutt. The Albiceleste topped their group and made it to the quarter-final stage where they lost to Germany on penalty shootouts. The Argentine side that year still had the likes of Carlos Tevez and became known for their attacking football which was on full display against Serbia-Montenegro.
Granted that their opposition wasn’t the toughest, the Argentines did inflict a 6-0 drubbing on the European side to go through to the knockout stages of the tournament. The Argentines worked together 24 perfect passes before leading up to Esteban Cambiasso’s goal in their victory.
It’s fascinating to watch a side moving the ball around for the sake of possession, passing to and fro both wings, waiting and invading before Hernan Crespo’s cheeky backheel inside the box put the ball in Cambiasso’s path who did not fail to score with a top finish. Juan Riquelme, Saviola, Cambiasso and Crespo displayed some smooth and free-flowing combination play to score their second goal of the night.
#1 Southampton vs Liverpool, 1982
The Liverpool side of 1981-82 under manager Bob Paisley was a team of champions. Not only did they win their thirteenth league title that season, but proceeded to lift the trophy the following year too. It’s important to keep Liverpool’s outstanding form in those years in mind when considering Mick Channon’s goal against them on 24 April 1982.
The Southampton and England forward and his teammates strung together a series of passes before scoring an outstanding goal in a match that ended 2-3 in favour of the champions.
The home side gave the visitors a run for their money but the match will always be remembered for Southampton’s supreme effort against Paisley’s side, not least of which was Channon’s goal. The Saints’ accurate and acrobatic passing amidst pressure from their opponents makes it an exciting build up to watch. The final two bicycle kick and headed pass just add to the magic of the moment as the English forward finishes the move off with a confident shot into the top of the net.
Southampton’s Kevin Keegan and Liverpool’s Ian Rush and Ronnie Whelan were the others to join Channon on the scoreboard that night.
