Greatest. Penalty. Ever.

// July 3rd, 2010 // Uncategorized

Some people still appear to be mired in the Luis Suarez debate that I still don’t understand (in addition to the rules issue, it shouldn’t have even been a penalty because Appiah was WAY offside), but I want to make sure we don’t forget about one of the other greatest moments in World Cup history: Sebastian Abreu’s game-winning penalty. 

In real time, it seemed to take forever, at least for me.  What nerve, to pull off a Panenka as the final moment in a World Cup quarterfinal.  Yes, the original was special, and yes, Zidane did one in the World Cup final, but this was greater, for two reasons.

First, the irony of it all.  Asamoah Gyan had just missed a penalty to win the game because he was way too nervous.  As soon as the ref blows the whistle he is off to the races — he can’t get the experience over with quickly enough.  No composure at all.  So, in a sense, Abreu was showing him up.  Yikes.

Second, neither Panenka or Zidane were well-known worldwide for taking penalties like that — they had the element of surprise.  But Abreu who has a massive Youtube library of taking penalties exactly like that.  Here’s a clip of him doing the same thing a few months ago.  And here’s another one. And another.  Yawn.  And another.  Hey, Oliver Twist, would you like some more?  Really, for him to do it again made it even more special.

We’ll be on to the Uruguay-Holland analysis soon (and it doesn’t look good for us, without Suarez, Fucile, Lodeiro, Lugano, and probably Godin — jeez, that’s like half our team), but I’m still savoring that chip for a little longer.  Yum.

Posted by Lazar

3 Responses to “Greatest. Penalty. Ever.”

  1. alch says:
    July 4, 2010 at 1:36 am

    hi there, came across your comment in the guardian and had to disagree. i understand your joy at uruguay’s progress, which was a great achievement. but on the subject of best penalties ever in a WC i fear you may be a bit biased.

    zidane’s has to be the best hands down. for the following reasons:

    1. his was a penalty in normal time, and was definitely more ballsy. what could be more at stake than a penalty in the World Cup final? in contrast Abreu’s was the final one in the shootout, when uruguay already had a clear advantage, and when uruguay were kicking first. it would’ve been more ballsy if Abreu was kicking last and Uruguay were one penalty down, i.e. the last penalty in the shootout.

    2. zidane’s one looked better. it bounced on the underside of the crossbar and over the line and out again. incredible accuracy (if he meant it). kingson went down before breakfast and abreu just needed to chip it down the centre.

    3. zidane’s was against the world’s best keeper, not wigan athletic’s third choice goalkeeper.

    4. in fact i am of the view that because abreu did his all the time, maybe it wasn’t so unexpected and hence not that great.

    well, just my two cents. keep up the good work and hope you guys do well against the dutch… adios

    Reply
  2. Lazar says:
    July 4, 2010 at 10:36 am

    Thanks, alch. Your points are good ones, particularly about Buffon. My only counter would be that Zidane actually took it poorly — he almost missed it! I can’t believe he meant to cut it that close. Abreu’s though, is taken perfectly.

    One other note: watch Kingson on the play. Comes off his line way too early (illegally), and the look of despair as he realizes that he’s been played is priceless.

    Reply
  3. john@York UK says:
    July 4, 2010 at 12:39 pm

    Greatest.Penalty.Ever.
    This occurred during the fall of 2008 during a particularly exciting match which enjoyed (heaven forbid, modesty and all that) myself scoring a “bobby dazzler” of a pen.
    The goalkeeper was mystified by my skill and had no chance of saving it.
    It went up, down, swerved, came back, went back again and in off the bar and “across” the line.
    However, now that goalie has started school, I am sure that in a few years she will be a much more worthy adversary.
    Such a shame it was never on video.

    Reply

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