Thursday, 15 November 2012

Is this the greatest goal ever scored?

Is this the greatest goal ever scored? Swedish striker's stunning propeller kick leaves even defeated England's fans applauding

PUBLISHED: 21:23, 14 November 2012 | UPDATED: 10:33, 15 November 2012

Something really annoyed Zlatan Ibrahimovic. It may have been the unkind comparison to Andy Carroll made by England fans or he may have been offended by the sudden rush of so many unfamiliar substitutes.

Whatever it was, he responded by completing his hat-trick and then scored a fourth - quite possibly one of the greatest goals scored by anyone, anywhere in the world.

Joe Hart headed a clearance up rather than away and Ibrahimovic followed it through the air before springing to apply an overhead kick from 30 yards out, wide on the right, which arched over the stranded goalkeeper and into the open goal.

VIDEO: Watch Ibrahimovic's propeller-kick wonder goal here..

VIDEO: Watch the other three Ibrahimovic goals here..

Wonder strike: Ibrahimovic scored a stunning fourth goal to complete Sweden's win

Pure delight: Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates his outrageous fourth goal as Sweden beat England

Match facts

Sweden: Isaksson, Lustig (Sana 73), Granqvist (Antonsson 73), Jonas Olsson, Martin Olsson (Safari 46), Larsson (Jansson 85), Elm, Kallstrom (Svensson 61), Kacaniklic, Ibrahimovic, Ranegie (Wernbloom 89).

Subs Not Used: Hansson, Holmen, Berg, Hamad.

Booked: Granqvist, Ibrahimovic.

Goals: Ibrahimovic 20, 77, 84, 90.

England: Hart, Johnson (Jenkinson 74), Caulker (Shawcross 74), Cahill, Baines, Cleverley (Wilshere 61), Gerrard (Huddlestone 74), Osman, Young (Sturridge 61), Sterling (Zaha 85), Welbeck.

Subs Not Used: Ruddy, Bertrand, Jagielka, Forster.

Booked: Wilshere.

Goals: Welbeck 35, Caulker 38.

Att: 49,967

Ref: Svein Oddvar Moen (Norway).

If you are looking for the best way to mark the opening of a national stadium and overshadow Steven Gerrard's 100th cap and six England debutants, that's not a bad way to do it.

Silence fell as those inside the Friends Arena held their breath. and watched the flight of the ball. Then the noise exploded as it landed in the net.

England supporters stood to applaud the audacity of Sweden's captain. Sometimes it is simply a thrill to witness such flashes of sporting beauty.

Let us bury forever the notion that he does not produce against English teams or vanishes on the big occasion. Ibrahimovic ripped off his shirt, tossed it towards the crowd and shrugged as he was shown a yellow card.

If the race is on to be known as the world's third-best player, here was his candidacy. No-one in a white shirt could match his strength of personality or quality.

No-one had scored a hat-trick against England since Marco van Basten in 1988.

Nobody had ever scored four. Ibrahimovic opened the scoring in the 20th minute but Roy Hodgson's team responded well with goals from Danny Welbeck and Steven Caulker to take a half-time lead.

Captain fantastic: Steven Gerrard led England out on his 100th cap

Opener: Zlatan Ibrahmovic fires Sweden into the lead against England before celebrating (below)

Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimovic reacts after scoring the opening goal

England were still leading 14 minutes from time, when Hodgson handed substitutes Ryan Shawcross, Carl Jenkinson and Tom Huddlestone front-row tickets for the Ibra Show.

Within seconds, Ibrahimovic escaped Shawcross without trying too hard and slammed an equaliser past Hart.

It was a harsh baptism for the Stoke defender. Seven minutes later he fired Sweden in front, lashing a free-kick low into a corner from 35 yards.

Finally, 47 seconds into added time, his masterpiece. Hart will feel he ought to have done better with the third, perhaps with the fourth, too, but England, vulnerable at the back throughout, had gone to pieces.

If, as Hodgson suggested, the game is assessed in two portions, then the last 15 minutes were a total disaster and the first 75 offered mild encouragement, an improvement on last month's performance in Poland.

There was a zip and more threat in attack but the feeling remained that England were loose, easily stretched and an accident waiting to happen in defence - even before the late shambles.

Hodgson handed debuts to six players, including Wilfried Zaha , Raheem St erling, Jenkinson and Shawcross, four players with dual nationality.

This non-competitive friendly does not tie them to England but it proves willingness on both sides.

Level pegging: Daniel Welbeck is on hand to tap home England's equaliser

England's Danny Welbeck celebrates after scoring

Sterling enjoyed a purple patch either side of half-time, with flashes of pace and quick feet, but his naivety was in evidence, too.

Ibrahimovic's first goal in the 20th minute was launched after Martin Olsson had muscled Sterling off the ball as he collected a pass from Gerrard.

Olsson charged on down the line, took a return from Mathias Ranegie and whipped in a low cross. Caulker managed to smother Ibrahimovic's first effort but the ball spilled kindly for him to stab a shot past Hart.

This was a taste for the Spurs defender of how the cookie crumbles against the best strikers.

Until that point, Caulker had looked assured alongside Gary Cahill, a pairing which will have been one of the key areas of interest for Hodgson as he considers his central defensive options after John Terry's retirement. But there were alarming examples of disorganisation.

The game was only 30 seconds old when Cahill and Hart collided as they raced to mop up a pass aimed towards Mathias Ranegie.

It triggered memories of the game against Belgium when Cahill broke his jaw in a freak clash with the England keeper in a friendly in the summer.

The pair got in a tangle again when Hart ventured from his goal-line, failed to collect and Ranegie wasted the chance, firing over an empty net.

It was an escape and England stirred, levelling when Ashley Young supplied an exquisite cross for Welbeck, who found space between Jonas and Martin Olsson to convert.

Debut strike: Steven Caulker puts England in front in Sweden before he is mobbed by team-mates (below)

England's players cheer after Steven Caulker's goal

Three minutes later and Caulker bundled in the second at the back post from Gerrard's swerving free-kick, which was missed by Andreas Granqvist.

Sterling had played an important role in both goals. He fed the ball to Young on the first and won the free-kick for the second with an electric dribble.

For all the mobility of Leon Osman, who performed ably on debut, and Cleverley, England lacked physical presence in midfield and Ibrahimovic continued to trouble the central defenders.

He drifted away from Cahill late in the first half and would have equalised were it not for a last-ditch slide by Caulker which deflected his shot over the bar.

Hat-trick hero: Zlatan Ibrahimovic curls home a free kick to put Sweden in front against England

Jonas Olsson blocked from Gerrard and Andreas Isaksson saved from Osman on the turn.

When Ibrahimovic volleyed wide with his team trailing 2-1, the England fans serenaded him with a chorus of 'You're just a s*** Andy Carroll'.

Jack Wilshere returned after a long absence from the England team amid a flurry of second-half substitutions, as did Huddlestone, who replaced Gerrard 16 minutes from time.

The captain took his place on the bench as a very young team tried to hold out.

Welbeck, with 14 caps, was the most experienced outfield player. Gerrard had spoken on the eve of the game about the weight of the England shirt and how he hoped the next generation might not be saddled with the same thing.

But as he watched them fail their first test he must have wondered and he must have prayed, along with all fans, that one of them is able to develop into a talisman like Ibrahimovic. Either one of them or Andy Carroll.