It is imperative that whichever way you watch a football game, you have a good commentator. How often are we disappointed when a good goal goes in and the commentary is rather underwhelming. After all, each shot, each pass is amplified with the right type of commentary.
If it is a drab affair, then the whole experience is drowned in mediocrity no matter the quality on the pitch. It doesn’t necessarily have to be in your language as well, South American or Arabic commentators are famous for being notoriously excited especially when a goal is scored.
We look back at a number of instances when commentators went a little overboard with their celebrations, if we can call it that, while on the microphone.
#1 Gary Neville – Fernando Torres (Chelsea) vs Barcelona – UEFA Champions League Semi-final 2012
It was a match that somehow saw almost every neutral cheering for Chelsea. This was probably one of the most recent underdog Champions League victories as well.
Roberto di Matteo’s side headed into the match with a 1-0 aggregate lead from the first leg. But as we all know, playing Barcelona at the Nou Camp is another story altogether. The trend continued as Barcelona were bossing the match with a 72% possession and almost carving out a chance whenever they went near the Blues’ goal. Sergio Busquets scored in the 35th minute followed by an Andres Iniesta goal in the 43rd minute.
Things got worse when John Terry saw a red card for a foul on Sanchez in the 37th minute. Barcelona already looked like winners. But two minutes later, Ramires went in and chipped Valdes to get the scores level on aggregate. More than that, Chelsea would go through now on away goals. Barcelona were stumped going into the break.
The second half followed a similar theme with Chelsea literally hanging for their lives. The 49th minute saw Lionel Messi step up to take a penalty which he missed! The Argentine had now failed to score in eight games vs Chelsea and Barcelona had not beaten Chelsea in their last seven attempts. Kryptonite anyone? Chelsea were going through as it is but there were still nervy moments and a lot of Petr Cech saves to keep Barcelona at bay. Cue Gary Neville.
This was probably Gary Neville’s finest moment as a commentator, no matter how well he analyses teams on Monday Night Football. Torres had quite rightly said a week before the match that ‘the best team doesn’t always win’ and how prophetic was that! He was right and with his goal,
Cech launched a ball high up the pitch and Torres gathered it and ran almost a quarter of the field with Carles Puyol trying to play catch up. He then rounded a hapless Valdes and scored. Chelsea went onto the final and Gary Neville certainly had his moment of joy. Quite evidently as well. One can hear the excitement build up in Gary Neville’s voice and then it just goes all crazy, to say the least.
Full-time score – Barcelona 2-2 Chelsea (Agg. 2-3)
#2 Jack van Gelder – Dennis Bergkamp (Netherlands) vs Argentina – Quarter-final 1998 World Cup
It was a tense match at the 1998 World Cup which saw the much-touted attack of the Netherlands vs the ferocious defence of Argentina. Patrick Kluivert gave the lead to the Dutch in the 12th minute. The joy was short lived as Carlos Lopez equalised through a Juan Sebastian Veron assist in the 17th minute.
Artur Numan was sent off for the Dutch in the 76th minute and after that, Argentina knew they had a real chance of winning the game. Ariel Ortega almost went through on the Dutch goal when he came up against Jaap Stam but he could not get past the defender. The Argentine fell to the ground but the referee wasn’t having any of it. The Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van Der Sar game Ortega an earful for diving. Argentina were also reduced to 10-men as Ortega was sent off in the 87th minute of the game.
The game that followed was a nervy affair for both. It was the 89th minute of a fiercely contested World Cup quarter-final. Dennis Bergkamp brought down a 50-yard pass from Frank de Boer like Po from Kung Fu Panda catching that fireball.
He then rounded an Argentine defender and fired the ball past the keeper and into the net. This led to van Gelder shout ‘Dennis Bergkamp….Dennis Bergkamp’. Just before the goal happened, the commentator was screaming out in delight, even before the goal went in. When the ball did hit the back of the net, things went up a notch.
Dennis Bergkamp was known for his first touch and the way he brought down the ball and scored is commendable. This is considered as one of the greatest goals scored in the history of the World Cup and certainly, the commentator made it a moment to remember.
Full-time score – Netherlands 2-1 Argentina
#3 Carlo Zampa – Francesco Totti (AS Roma) vs Juventus – Serie A 2012/13
Imagine working in a profession you love. Sounds good, right? Okay, now imagine loving your profession and then something you desire comes true. Would you be satisfied? Nothing would compare to commentating on your favourite team’s game and watching your club legend score against your bitter rivals. I do not blame Carlo Zampa for going absolutely ballistic celebrating this peach of a goal by Totti against Juventus. What a goal and what a way to celebrate it.
The match started out as cagey in a typical Serie A fashion. Juventus went in as heavy favourites but some very hard tackles were flying all over the field in the first half which saw a very clever free kick saved by Roma’s Martin Stekelenburg.
The second half was where both the teams found their attacking instinct and the game opened up a bit. The game came alive after a few Roma attacks. Miralem Pjanic tried his luck from a free-kick which was blocked by the Bianconeri wall and fell perfectly on the ground for Francesco Totti, who unleashed an unstoppable shot past Gianluigi Buffon. Juventus tried to push for an equaliser but Roma looked more threatening with Daniele de Rossi and Marquinho coming close to score their second if not for poor finishing.
The final scoreline was 1-0 which saw Roma beat Juventus and dismiss talks of crisis at the club. The goal was a stunner with Totti literally rolling back the years and ended Roma’s seven match winless run too. Zampa is known for his ecstatic celebrations and heartfelt commentary. So naturally, this is not the only video you would find of Zampa absolutely losing it when Roma scored and especially Totti.
Full-time score – Roma 1-0 Juventus
#4 Martin Tyler – Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) vs Queen Park Rangers – Premier League 2011/12
This was a game worthy of giving heart attacks to many people. Manchester City were being touted to win their first title in 44 years while Manchester United hoped relegation-threatened Queen Park Rangers would sneak a win and help them a bit. Pablo Zabaleta opened the scoring in the 39th minute with Djibril Cisse then equalising for QPR just after the break.
Joey Barton in a moment of madness got sent off for a clash with Carlos Tevez, thus giving City the chance to get all three points. Things, though, were not going the way of the Manchester club and Jamie Mackie gave the visitors a lead in the 66th minute to stun the Etihad. But what happened in the last two minutes of extra time was mind blowing. Edin Dzeko equalised with a header but that wasn’t enough. City needed one more goal. Cue Martin Tyler, Mario Balotelli with his only assist of the season and the man of the moment – Sergio Aguero.
Most of the goals you would see commentators going crazy shouting over and over again with some South American commentators going for the classic never-ending ‘Golaaaazoo’. But with this 93:20 special goal, that wasn’t the case. As Martin Tyler shouted “Aguuuuerrrrrooooooo” and the Etihad Stadium shouted in chorus, he then went silent for a bit. 8 seconds in total to be exact. Tyler was silent and just soaking in what he had witnessed.
On the other side of Manchester, United had won their match and when they learnt of this, it was heart-breaking to watch. But the blue side came out victorious and won their first league title in 44 years. Probably if that day Manchester United had gone onto win the title, Sir Alex Ferguson would’ve decided to retire. Probably one of the most exciting and tense Premier League seasons one shall watch. Will we see something like this ever again?
Full Time – Manchester City 3-2 Queen Park Rangers
#5 Andy Gray – Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) vs Olympiakos – Champions League Group Game 2004
The game was a must win for Liverpool even though it was in the group stages. The Reds needed to win by at least two clear goals to progress from the group and only two teams had beaten Olympiakos that season until then.
The match saw Liverpool play some scintillating football with a Milan Baros goal being ruled out and Sami Hyypia glance a header just wide. Then in the 26th minute, an ageing Rivaldo struck a free kick in the Liverpool net and they thought it was all over.
In a substiution, that sort of changed the game, Rafa Benitez bring on Florent Sinama Pongolle after the break. His impact was instant as he scored right after the break to make the scores 1-1. After that, Neil Mellor gave Liverpool the lead with 10 minutes remaining after the Olympiakos keeper failed to clear an Antonio Nunez shot. Then followed a Gerrard special and one his career defining moments at Liverpool.
When Steven Gerrard hits the ball, it stays hit. And that was the case against the Greek club back in 2004. The Englishman has scored some belters throughout his career and when he claims this one to be ‘one of the best goals he has ever scored’, you know the commentary has to match that.
Thankfully Andy Gray made sure it did. With his “Oh yaa beauty…what a shit son…what a hit”, he made sure that along with this goal, his epic background noise will also go down in history.
There was a lot riding on the match and if Gerrard did not score then Liverpool would’ve never made it out of the group stage and never would have won the Champions League on ‘that night in Istanbul’. Certainly a memorable season for Liverpool and Steven Gerrard.
Full-time score – Liverpool 3-1 Olympiakos
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