Rumination on a golazo

If you watch the highlights of Gallardo’s goal, you’ll hear two quotes that I’ll reference in this post. The first is Dave Johnson saying, “Surely that’s the one!” He’s referring to the fact that a 4-1 score line is likely to stand with only 10 minutes left in the match. I prefer to think, however, that Johnson was speaking more broadly, meaning that when Gallardo buried Burch’s high cross, that goal would certainly rise to the top as an eventual Goal of the Year nominee.

I was so impressed with Gallardo’s goal on Saturday night that I feel like it needs more discussion, dissection. It certainly needs your vote for Sierra Mist Goal of the Week.

When I was watching the match on Saturday night, in real time, and I saw Burch’s cross, I immediately felt that the cross was a poor one. It was lazy and seemed too high and when I saw Nat Borchers coming over to play it with his head, I figured United might at best win a corner. Gallardo however, seemed to not even notice Borchers running on to the ball. He didn’t seem phased at all when the defender jumped to try to head the ball out of danger. He just cocked his leg back and hit it as hard as he could.

There are many similarities between United’s 4^th goal of the night and the 3^rd goal by Quaranta. Both came after crosses to the right wing and in both occasions the goal scorer hit the ball first time past Nick Rimando. But watching and re-watching Gallardo’s goal makes me a little embarrassed that I had been so impressed by the quality of Quaranta’s tally. Quaranta did well to control the cross off the inside of his right boot and touch it just out of reach of Rimando, but still keep it inside the left post. It was a very tough angle and he achieved that deft touch with his body fully in midair. I believe he had the Goal of the Week for about 13 minutes.

But Gallardo blasted that ball and buried that ball. He crushed it. It was an absolute bomb. [And let me now apologize to my wife, who was sleeping next to me on the couch at that point, for exclaiming loudly at seeing the strike, and waking her most rudely.]

One more point: Guevara’s free kick was a brilliant one, no doubt. So I don’t want to say anything dismissive or negative about it in order to try to help Gallardo’s cause for Goal of the Week. But if I have to, I will.

As Thomas Rongen summarized the whole thing, “Thanks for coming!”

Update
(4/30 10:13) Gallardo 47%, Guevara 40% (You magnificent bastards...)