There is something special about long-distance goals. The vision and foresight by the goalscorer as well as the confidence to attempt the shot in the first place is great to see.
More often than not, the shot sails well wide or the goalkeeper has time to watch the ball coming towards him and is able to make a comfortable save. But there are the odd occasions when a truly special goal flies into the top corner from a long way out. This week’s ‘Greatest Goal’ is one of these beautiful moments.
Enter Clarence Seedorf, the Dutch midfielder. For much of his career he sported dreadlocks like Frank Rijkaard, his idol whilst growing up in the Netherlands. It wasn’t his hairstyle though that made Seedorf recognisable on the pitch but his strength, stamina and excellent dribbling skills.
Seedorf played for the successful Ajax side of the mid 1990’s under Louis van Gaal, winning the first of three Champions League titles in the 1994/95 season. The Dutchman would go on to become the first, and so far only player to win the Champions League with three different clubs.
After leaving Ajax in the summer of 1995, he spent a season at Sampdoria in Italy. Real Madrid came calling a year later and Seedorf moved to the Bernabeu the following year.
Real were the reigning champions in La Liga and they would go on to retain the title in Seedorf’s first season at the club. His first Madrid Derby against local rivals Athletico Madrid lives long in the memory of the Los Blancos fans.
With Real 2-1 up and just six minutes to go Roberto Carlos brought the ball out of defence. The Brazilian looked up and saw Seedorf stood in space out on the right wing and whipped a pin-point cross-field ball.
Seedorf looked up to see what options were on before taking a touch to bring the ball under control. He had plenty of time and space to nudge the ball forward before making his next move as there was no defender within twenty yards of him.
The Dutchman suddenly saw that he could take a pot shot at goal and began a short sprint up to the ball. Jose Molina in the Athletico goal had stepped ever so slightly towards the far post and Seedorf put all his strength behind an absolute belter of a shot at the Athletico goal from a full 40 yards from goal.
Seedorf’s shot crashed into the back of the net, surprising everyone on the field and in the crowd. It looked like a fantastic goal on first viewing from the main camera high up in the stand on the halfway line but to appreciate its full beauty, you needed to see it from the camera behind the goal.
The replay from a camera to the right of the goal showed Molina take a step to the right as he anticipated the ball to be coming in as a cross for one of Real’s forwards. He then had to quickly go back to the left as Seedorf’s shot suddenly swerved back to the left and rocketed towards goal.
It was too late for Molina who took two strides towards the ball but never stood any chance of getting near the shot.
Real Madrid would go on and win the Champions League the following season with Seedorf picking up his second Champions League winners medal in the process. He would leave the club in 2002, joining Inter Milan for £20 million.
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