BARCELONA STARS LIONEL Messi and Neymar are among the nominees for Fifa’s Puskas Award, which recognises the outstanding goal in world football over the past 12 months.
Messi’s free-kick for Argentina in their Copa America Centenario semi-final victory over hosts the United States makes the ten-goal shortlist, along with Neymar’s audacious flick, spin and volley at the end of a lightning Barca counter-attack versus Villarreal.
Alongside two of La Liga’s finest imports, there is Spanish representation in the form of Mario Gaspar, for his spectacular overhead kick for against England, and Saul Niguez, whose mesmerising solo goal versus Bayern Munich in Champions League semi-final is deservedly recognised.
Euro 2016 is only represented once among the finalists, courtesy of Hal Robson-Kanu’s exquisite Cruyff turn and finish against Belgium that helped to send Wales through to the quarter-finals, but there is no place for Xherdan Shaqiri’s overhead kick against Poland.
South Africa might not have qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations next year, but Hlompho Kekana’s remarkable strike from his own half against Cameroon is up for the award.
Cornithians’ Marlone and Atvidaberg’s Simon Skrabb join Gaspar in having acrobatic volleys nominated, while Messi’s free-kick could be outshone by Mohd Faiz Subri’s vicious, swerving effort for Penang in the Malaysia Super League.
A stunning solo goal by Venezuela’s Daniuska Rodriguez against Colombia in the South American Under-17 Women’s Football Championship concludes the list, and FIFA.com users able to vote for their favourite until 2 December.
Then the top three goals will progress to the final round, with further votes to be gathered before the gong is presented at the Best FIFA Football Awards in Zurich on 9 January.
Here are all the goals on the shortlist:
Mario Gaspar - 13 November 2015, Spain v England, international friendly
Hlompho Kekana - 25 Match 2016 , Cameroon v South Africa, Africa Cup of Nations qualifier
Marlone - 21 April 2016, Corinthians v Cobresal, Copa Libertadores
Lionel Messi - 21 June 2016, USA v Argentina, Copa America Centenario semi-final
Neymar - 8 November 2015, Barcelona v Villarreal, La Liga
Saul Niguez - 27 April 2016, Atletico Madrid v Bayern Munich, Champions League
Hal Robson-Kanu – 1 July 2016, Wales v Belgium, Euro 2016
Daniuska Rodríguez – 14 March 2016, Venezuela v Colombia, South American U-17 Women’s Football Championship
Simon Skrabb - 31 October 2015, Gefle v Atvidaberg, Allsvenskan league, Sweden
Mohd Faiz Subri - 16 February 2016, Penang v Pahang, Malaysia Super League
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Let’s hope Scotland bottle it like they did in their independence referendum.
To be honest I’ll be disappointed enough if, atleast a handful of lads don’t moon em shouting freedom!
this is a proper game
okay deflection but I still think a decent keeper would have saved it
what’s he takin Wes off for?!!
I’m sorry but where was the f*cking urgency in those last 5 to 10 minutes
One word-drab
Not the team I would have picked but I am not the manager. Here’s hoping MO’N knows something the rest of us don’t! COYBIG!
No anya in Scotland team!!
not confident at all to be honest. n ire, Scotland and Wales all on the rise while we seem to be gettin worse, or at least not progressing much
we reap what we sow, total lack of support & investment in our league
Anyone else agree that Ronnie Whelan shouldn’t have the commentary gig for such an important match? I think every second thing he says makes me grind my teeth. Why couldn’t they have given the job to Giles?
Playing with a diamond midfield I think, 1-0 Ireland win. COYBIG
Rte player down. What the hell do I do???
watch porn instead
Is there a more unlikeable player around than Naismith?
Ronaldo. At least he’s a great player though
Looked like offside, 5 million to Scotland
You have stay positive #COYBIG
COYBIG
Scottish jersey looks like someone puked on it
That Naismith is an awful pr*ck. He’d also give Tom Daley a run for his money in the diving stakes.
This game is made for McClean & Long
And walters…. G’won
Nice start, keep it up! COYBIG
why is shane long still sitting on the bench?baffling.
C’mon Ireland! 1 more now!
And no dirty stuff!!!!
Get McCarthy off now. The lads head isn’t in the game at all. looks like he’s trying to get himself sent off
Mon now Ireland ta f**k! doesn’t even have to be pretty. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr just feckin do it lads
Great atmosphere. The fans are really noisy. The team are playing with great attitude. And it’s 1-0… This game reminds me of Irl v Holland in 2001 when we won 1 nil courtesy of McAteer and we went on to qualify for the World Cup. It was a Saturday too if I remember correctly.. More of the same please!!!!!!!!
Really hoping for an Ireland and a Laois win!!
Scotland have this won from the National Anthem. We are a disgrace.
it’s the euros Ryan, not the eurovision
Given, whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Deflected in fairness to him. O.G.
Deflected
Yes I know this,but as a keeper myself he really should have gotten something on that playing at international level
Also, does Given know he’s allowed throw the ball to one of his defenders?
given should have readjustd simple as
Cant believe Shane Long not starting, he’s a proven scorer at premier level. Murphy ok, but scoring in lower league,
Proven scorer? Once every 4 games or so?
Really hope Ireland wins.( support Celtic after all) green`s my favorite colour ) Dunno what colour scotland’s strip supposed to stand for? Great goal from Ireland.
I’ve been prepared for the thumping we’re going get since the Poland game and this lineup offers no hope.
That’s the spirit!
O’Neill and Keane will get plenty of criticism after this but it’s time for the likes of McCarthy, Wilson, and Whelan to stand up in games like this. They are all playing for top half premier league clubs and their influence on the game today was negligible. It was poor, but I don’t think any other manager could have conjured up a performance from that group of players. Just a complete lack of leaders on the pitch when they were needed.
Is O Neill waiting for us to go 2-1 down before making a change.Murphy hasn’t done a thing
And bizarre decision to take Hoolahan off for Keane. Agree, should have been Murphy off
thought Murphy played well actually
Sorry, Murphy did play well, but faded later
Anyone else think we should have kept Trappatoni?
no.
Route 1 football on show,hoof it up and hope for the best,pure dogged effort,it’s like watching a mix between afl and tennis.Whelan and Walters thriving on it
Robbie Brady’s left foot should be made a patron saint #COYBIG
In my drunken state I have appointed him Fed Ex Brady because of his great delivery.
his delivery was brutal, don’t get that
It’s great to see Ireland winning, another home nation at the euros next year !
Home nation?
Ireland are a home nation like Wales
‘There were estimates that around 20,000 fans would travel over for the weekend — let’s hope that they don’t all have tickets’ – what a dreadful unsporting comment to make.
Well shut up about it
Murphy was terrible, look disinterested in the game, no urgency to get across defenders to try and get a header in, don’t know how o’neill and co could leave him on for 80mins and take-off Holohan. actually at half time o’neill must have told them relax Folks we have won because as a team they had no desire in that second half.
So are we out or what??