Football’s Greatest Goals No.39
This week’s ‘Greatest Goal’ is Robin van Persie’s wonderful diving header for Netherlands against Spain in the 2014 World Cup.
The Dutch were out for revenge after Spain had beaten them four years earlier to win the 2010 World Cup Final in South Africa. It was the furthest that a Netherlands had gone in a World Cup since 1978. When the two were drawn alongside each other in Group B, the Dutch saw this as the ideal opportunity to try and eradicate the memory of four years earlier.
This match will feature in ‘Football’s Greatest Matches’ so I don’t need to go into any further detail as it’ll be covered in that article. This piece is only about van Persie’s excellent header towards the end of the first half.
Xabi Alonso had scored with a penalty to give Spain the lead after 27 minutes. As the clock ticked over to the 44th minute, Robin van Persie grabbed scored a fabulous equaliser that was the first of five goals scored by the Netherlands in a dominating display.
Daley Blind collected a ball played out to him from central defence. The left back was stood on the halfway line and a matter of inches from the touchline.
Blind let the ball roll in front of him and turned to face Spain’s goal. He looked up and saw that Robin van Persie had found a gap in the Spanish defence and had started to run towards goal.
After taking a touch, Blind thumped a cross-field, diagonal ball towards the edge of the penalty area.
Van Persie anticipated the pass and began running through on goal. As his marker Sergio Ramos had his back turned to him, van Persie was already a few yards ahead of the defender. Ramos had no chance of catching the Manchester United striker.
As van Persie got closer to the edge of the box, he realised that he had to slow down to get to the ball. He began slowing down whilst keeping his eyes fixed on the ball.
Spain’s veteran goalkeeper Iker Casillas was stood outside his six yard box and began back-pedalling. The Dutchman realised his opportunity and dived forward to reach Blind’s cross, using his neck muscles to force a looping header over Casillas and into the back of the net.
Spain’s decision to play with a high defensive line had backfired as Gerard Pique failed to keep up with the other defenders. This meant van Persie was able to stand ahead of Sergio Ramos and remain onside. With his fast pace, he would always outrun his marker and this is what helped give van Persie all the time and space he needed to execute the wonderful header.
The Dutch striker picked himself up and ran as fast as he could towards his manager Louis van Gaal who stood on the touchline. The two high-fived each other before van Persie was mobbed by the Dutch substitutes.
The goal was awarded the second best of the tournament behind James Rodriguez’s goal for Colomia against Uruguay.
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