The death of Diego Maradona has triggered three days of national mourning in his home country of Argentina, a period in which many will be fondly remembering his greatest moments on the pitch.
“He leaves us but does not go away, because Diego is eternal,” said Lionel Messi, paying tribute to a player widely regarded as one of the best ever, who died from a cardiac arrest just weeks after his 60th birthday.
Those lucky enough to have watched Maradona live will be eulogising his vision, his touch, his effortless flair, the displays of individual brilliance and the inspirational effect it had on the team around him, one which led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup and Napoli to two Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990.
Meanwhile, football fans born after his retirement have inevitably heard the tales, both good and bad, the baggage that came with the genius, but when focusing solely on his footballing exploits it is clear Maradona had a gift few others, if any, possessed.
In an attempt to show off this repertoire, but by no means doing it justice, here are five memorable Maradona goals which perhaps best sum up his brilliance.
Red Star Belgrade vs Barcelona – 1982
There is something satisfying about watching a defender helplessly slide in, equally a goalkeeper who knows he has been caught out. This move started in Barcelona’s own half, but ended with a trademark dribble before Maradona casually lobbed the ball over the Red Star goalkeeper.
The applause from the Red Star crowd, in what was then Yugoslavia, tells you how it was one of those rare moments in football that transcends allegiances as supporters appreciated the sheer quality of a goal very few could have pulled off.
Napoli vs Milan
Gary Lineker’s poignant tribute to Maradona on Wednesday night highlighted how the Argentine was a natural with the ball. “I’ve never seen anyone have such a beautiful affection with a football,” ex-England striker Lineker said on BT Sport, recalling the time Maradona hoofed a ball into the air 13 times in a row and needed no more than three paces to reach where it would land.
Of his many goals that would highlight his affinity with the ball, perhaps one of the best came for Napoli against Milan – a side he would always thrive against in Italy – where he plucked the ball down from the sky with ease, taking two touches before the ball reached the ground before seeing his strike evade the efforts of two sliding defenders.
Napoli vs Juventus – 1985
Another feather to his bow, another example of his panache, Maradona made an indirect free-kick from inside the penalty area against Juventus look as though he had 25 yards between himself and the goal to loft it over the wall and into the top corner.
The delicacy of the strike, the roar of the crowd, the glances back from the players in the Juventus wall all make for another one of those strikes which few in the game would be able to replicate.
Argentina vs Greece – 1994
The last of Maradona’s 34 goals for Argentina is arguably better remembered for the aftermath and the celebration, but what came before the wide-eyed roar down the camera was a sublime team goal in the 1994 World Cup group stages against Greece, with an elegant one-touch passing move finished off by their No 10, who with two touches and a little shimmy gave himself enough space to unleash an unstoppable effort with his left foot into the top corner.
It proved to be his penultimate match for his country, for after the win against Nigeria four days later Maradona found himself on a plane home from the States after testing positive for the stimulant ephedrine, a sorry end to an international career which spanned four World Cups and totalled 91 appearances.
Argentina vs England – 1986
Of course. Dubbed goal of the century, and officially given that title by FIFA in 2002 for World Cup goals, Maradona’s moment of individual brilliance against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final is best watched with the poetic commentary of Víctor Hugo Morales, which translates into:
He’s going to pass it to Diego, there’s Maradona with it, two men on him, Maradona steps on the ball, there goes down the right flank the genius of world football, he leaves the wing and he’s going to pass it to Burruchaga… Still Maradona! Genius! Genius! Genius! There, there, there, there, there, there! Goaaaaal! Goaaaaaaal! I want to cry, oh holy God, long live football! What a goal! Diegoal! Maradona! It is to cry for, excuse me! Maradona, in a memorable run, in the best play of all times! Cosmic kite, which planet did you come from, to leave so many Englishmen behind, for the country to be a clenched fist crying for Argentina? Argentina 2, England 0! Diegoal, Diegoal, Diego Armando Maradona! Thank you, God, for football, for Maradona, for these tears, for this Argentina 2, England 0.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2KJGsB5
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