Football’s Greatest Goals No.47
There are some goals that live long in the memory of football fans. They can be special goals scored in big matches, cup ties or just a mundane league fixture with nothing riding on the match. These are often only remembered because of the skill or the excellent finish.
Other goals secure a major trophy and are held dear to the fans because it wins a cup final or a league title. For example, Paul Rideout’s goal for Everton in the 1995 FA Cup Final was only a header from six yards out, but Everton fans look back on it fondly as it won their last major trophy.
Even Sergio Aguero’s goal in 2012 against QPR that won Manchester City their first Premier League title wasn’t particularly special. The Argentine hammered the ball in from close range, but it is looked back on fondly because of the implications.
This week’s goal comes from Shunsuke Nakamura. Not only was it a sensational strike, but it won the league title for his Celtic side.
Nakamura had made a name for himself by scoring sensational goals. He wasn’t a great goalscorer, more a scorer of great goals. In the 166 games that he played for Celtic, he found the net 34 times, many of those strikes were absolute gems. This free-kick at Rugby Park was no exception.
The Hoops were playing away to Kilmarnock and a win would secure the league title. In the last seconds of injury time at the end of the game, Celtic won a free-kick 25 yards from goal, halfway between the ‘D’ and the right-hand corner of the box. There was only going to be one player who was going to take it.
Nakamura stood poised, hands on hips a few week away from the ball. Five of his team mates swarmed the Kilmarnock penalty area, outnumbering the three Kilmarnock defenders. The option for an indirect free-kick was there if he wanted it but the Japanese international had other ideas.
With a rapid swipe of his left foot, Nakamura fired a free kick hard and low towards the far post. It whistled over the heads of the players in the box and landed inches inside the post. Killie’s goalkeeper Alan Combe was stood in the middle of his goal line but the free kick left him rooted to the spot. He didn’t stand a chance.
The travelling Celtic fans went crazy behind the goal as they knew that the goal secured their second successive league championship. Their joyous celebrations provided the perfect backdrop for a wonderful goal.
After leaving Celtic in 2010, Nakamura joined Spanish side Espanyol for a season before returning home to Japan. He spent seven years at Yokohama F.Marinos, then moved to Jubilo Iwata before moving to Yokohama FC in 2019, where he continues to play at the ripe old age of 42!
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