5 of the best team goals ever scored
Olivier Giroud’s moment of sheer brilliance against Crystal Palace had the world of football buzzing over the New Year weekend. It almost put Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s scorpion goal from two weeks ago to shame. But this is not the time to talk about awe-inspiring individual goals.
While some football players mesmerise us with their individual talent and genius and give us unforgettable goals, we sometimes forget that football is, after all, a team sport.
And, as a team sport, there are countless goals scored every week that can be credited to the entire side and not just one man. In a sport where the whole point is to come together as one body and score, there have been some outstanding team efforts that have made history, that have amazed fans as they watched an entire unit move seamlessly to create a moment of unsurpassable wonder.
Nothing is quite as satisfactory as watching a side string together passes, find a way around defences and score that perfect goal. So, without further ado, here are the five best team goals ever scored:
#5 Ajax vs FC Twente, 1995
Despite Louis van Gaal’s troubled tenure at Manchester United most recently, he was once at the helm of the ‘golden boys’ of Dutch football in Ajax in 1995. The side’s electric ‘Total Football’ was as mesmerising for viewers as it was brutal for their opponents.
The likes of Danny Blind, Edwin van der Sar, Patrick Kluivert, Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, Frank Reiziger, Ronald and Frank de Boer alongside Marc Overmars were the shining stars of the brilliant side that beat AC Milan to lift the Champions League trophy that year.
Given their record, it’s no wonder they feature on this list of best team goals ever scored. In the 1995-96, not only were they the defending Eredivisie champions but European champions as well. In a repeat of their previous campaign, the Dutch side was dominating as ever when they met FC Twente in the 9th round of the league away from home where they eventually won 3-0.
The build up from the back that actually started with them trying to clear the ball from danger even included their keeper Van der Sar. In an attempt to escape the high-pressing style of FC Twente, they quickly turned the tables and emerged with a searing counter-attack that ended with a sensational Marc Overmars strike.
Once Van der Sar, Finidi George and Reiziger extricated themselves from a sticky defensive situation, Jari Litmanen quickly passed the ball to de Boer who found Davids. The Dutch midfielder proceeded to send Blind through who passed the ball to Overmars on the far side.