Saturday, November 29, 2008

Gloryous

Total Football; superb 15 pass goal involving every Perth outfield player, surely goal of the season

EARLIER today I wrote about what at the time must surely have been a candidate for goal of the season, a magnificent spin, carry, fake and guide from Shane Smeltz in Wellington last night. It was a beautiful piece of individual brilliance.

Well, move over Smeltz, enter Nikita Rukavytsya, who tonight, just over 24 hours later, was on the end of a superb team move involving 15 passes and every single Perth Glory outfield player.

Yes, believe it or not, the only player not to get a touch in the move was the Glory gloveman, Tando Velaphi.

Have you ever seen or heard about anything like that?

It’s true.

It started on the hour mark with a quickly taken free-kick in the right fullback spot, the result of Adrian Caceres being caught off-side.

Instead of placing it and wait for his team-mates to shape up up the field, in readiness for a launched long ball, as we too often see in this league, Downey played on with a quickly taken free-kick, rolling it up the line for Pellegrino. He carried it on and darted infield where he squared it for Shroj. Soon it was out on the left where Djulbic, with nowhere to go, decided to put his foot on it and go backwards.

There the trio of Topor-Stanley, Coyne and Harnwell played a neat series of triangle wall-passes at the back, until the skipper, able to turn, played a one-two with Topor-Stanely and burst through the midfield beyond Jedinak.

Here is where Perth got their only touch of luck. Coyne’s first touch from the return Topor-Stanley ball was heavy, but with Shroj distracting Osman, the ball had enough on it to escape the midfielder, and make its way to Trinidad.

The ball was now in the final third.

Ducking infield, the little Argentine, nimble on the ball, with his head up, played it into Rukavystya and kept going. This is when the hitherto patient build-up became a work of art, with the two combining for a dazzling triangle of passes.

Suddenly Rukavystya was on the ball again, facing the goal, but when he looked up, there were still a few white shirts in front of him. Only one Glory player hadn’t been involved in the move.

Rukavystya spotted the huge frame of Eugene Dadi, rolled a short five metre ball into his feet and sprinting into the space, inside the box. There he received a wonderfully weighted first touch from the Frenchmen, straight into his path.

There was still some work to do, but instinctively the Ukrainian born Aussie, scoring goals for fun, hit it first time, with his favoured left peg, and despite the hand from Vukovic, it crept in, thankfully and Glory-ously.

It rarely gets better than that, a move lasting just under a minute, involving all 10 outfield players, the ball moved all over the pitch.

“It’s football at its very, very best,” said Foxsports commentator Andy Harper, and he was spot on.

The only tragedy for David Mitchell was the fact Perth couldn’t kill the game, despite some dazzling football shortly after that goal, for it was surely worthy of winning any game.

Thankyou Perth Glory.

10 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow. Didn't notice it involved so many players. So eloquently described T, detailed as always.

It was a beautifully constructed, and this was beautifully written.

Can't think of a better one.

Sun Nov 30, 08:18:00 am AEDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

After such a beautiful goal like Phoenix Perth should surely have gone and won the match.

Mon Dec 01, 01:54:00 pm AEDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

its a cruel, cold game sometimes ...

on the bright side, they do have something they can build on.

if phoenix can break into this year`s top 4, anything is possible.

Mon Dec 01, 07:53:00 pm AEDT  
Blogger The Round Ball Analyst said...

Thanks all for your comments, and insider for your kind words.

Wes/anonymous, that was the great tragedy with the Perth goal - it wasnt enough to win the game, but that was more down to some wastefulness, the odd save from Vukovic and a bit of daft play towards the end.

Wed Dec 03, 05:44:00 am AEDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

sorry tony,

but this is completely and utterly off point. i blame it on seeing the list of earlier articles you keep on the right hand side of your blog.

but you did a big write up on holland when he burst on the scene. what is your take on the young man atm? is he steadily building on that spectacular start, or treading water? how has his game changed? the little i have seen of newc this year hasn`t given me a feel for where he is at.

clayton
http://ramblingobsessive.wordpress.com/

Sun Dec 07, 10:08:00 am AEDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I see K Muscat didn't have a case to answer!

Guessing you weren't surprised Tony?

BC

Wed Dec 10, 12:21:00 pm AEDT  
Blogger The Round Ball Analyst said...

...you did a big write up on holland when he burst on the scene. what is your take on the young man atm? is he steadily building on that spectacular start, or treading water? how has his game changed? the little i have seen of newc this year hasn`t given me a feel for where he is at....

hey clayton, great to see you blogging/rambling, will be sure to check out some of your work.

re holland, i actually dont think he's done too badly this season...when he burst onto the scene he was very much an attacking player, getting forward at will, but he's been alot more withdrawn this season, but his technique is sound and he has the ability to keep the ball. i'd still like so see him get forward a bit more, but i dont think nj have the depth deeper, thus forcing holland back. they're mising musialik more than theyd care to admit.

....Guessing you weren't surprised Tony?...

Not at all BC, not at all, what other player can tee off at refs at the break and get away with it?

Wed Dec 10, 08:42:00 pm AEDT  
Blogger Bill said...

Definitely a beautiful goal - there have been some excellent strikes in the A-League lately, but a goal with this sort of patient and creative buildup is definitely a rare sight. Who'd have thought it would be Perth turning on the style like this!

Thu Dec 11, 05:22:00 pm AEDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

any youtube footageof the goal yet?
and yes, still in the army.

Sat Dec 13, 04:28:00 am AEDT  
Blogger The Round Ball Analyst said...

...Definitely a beautiful goal - there have been some excellent strikes in the A-League lately, but a goal with this sort of patient and creative buildup is definitely a rare sight. Who'd have thought it would be Perth turning on the style like this!...

Thanks for the comment Bill, and welcome.

...any youtube footageof the goal yet? and yes, still in the army....

good to hear from ya sir alex, heard you've been utilising the chiro skills on duty...not sure about you tube tbh, the finish should be there, but not sure if you'll see the goal from start ot finish, but well worth it if you can find it.

Mon Dec 15, 11:02:00 pm AEDT  

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