England was overcome by Ibrahimovic’s scoring frenzy, as the striker scored all over the pitch in the friendly. But what is buzzing across the soccer world today is not the final score (4-2 Sweden) but the goal that should have never been.
In extra time near the end of the match, chasing a long pass, Ibrahimovic hesitated when England goalkeeper Joe Hart rushed out to clear the ball with an odd header just outside the penalty area.
Ibrahimovic turned around to reach the ball before it could strike the ground and lifted it over Hart and two England defenders with an ambitious bicycle kick, struck with his back to goal.
“When I saw the goalkeeper was out, I tried to put it against the goal, and luckily it went in,” Ibrahimovic said to media. “It’s both luck and skill.”
We’ve all seen bicycle kicks before, but this was came from 35 yards away from the net. If that isn’t the finest goal of 2012, I don’t know what is.
Even the opposition loves what they saw. “It is the best goal I have seen live,” said England captain Steven Gerrard after the game. “An overhead kick from 25 yards when the ball is six feet in the air – only certain players can do that. And he is a special player. … That was one of the best individual performances I have seen.”
The world seems to agree, thanks to many YouTube videos showing the goal. One video, embedded here, has attracted more than 1.7 million views since it was uploaded Nov. 14.
