On Thursday night, Leagues Cup revealed last season's nominees for the best plays from the 2024 tournament, Best Save, Best Celebration, Best Assist, and Best Goal. These included long-range curlers, point-blank saves, and even a goalkeeper assist from LAFC’s Hugo Lloris.
Most would have looked at the nominees for Best Goal and shrugged, content that four worldies made the cut.
When New York City defeated Tigres UANL on August 13 in the Leagues Cup Round of 16, Santiago Rodríguez sealed the win in the 65th minute, with a give-and-go goal played with Maxi Moralez. The goal was more about team interplay than individual effort, but nonetheless, the Uruguayan’s effort should have been nominated.
Via Instagram | Courtesy newyorkcityfc.com
Here it is from an overhead angle.
It might appear to be a routine goal between two creative midfielders at first glance. But here’s the build-up between the two attacking midfielders, combined with Rodríguez’s off-ball movement and Moralez’s awareness, is the product of high-level chemistry. It's a complex goal that Rodríguez and Moralez make look simple.
The other nominees
The eye test usually determines the winner of Best Goal. When evaluating the nominees, Alan Medina’s was, quite frankly, unremarkable.
While his outside-the-box volley was entertaining, plenty of more experienced players would have also scored in the same situation. Was it a truly special goal? That's up for debate. Since Medina likes taking chances on volleys close to goal, he might have just gotten lucky here.
¡Pero qué golazo, Alan Medina! ⚽️@clubleonfc 🆚 @TimbersFC
— Leagues Cup (@LeaguesCup) July 29, 2024
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The other three are more deserving as they required positioning, agility, and finishing.
Inter Miami’s Matias Rojas scored a thrilling goal. Jordi Alba served him an opportunity on a golden platter executed with the curler’s long-range precision and speed.
Nelson Palacio of Real Salt Lake scored a similar goal, but Palacio’s was farther outside the box. His shot rendered the goalkeepers helpless.
Finally, Deportivo Toluca striker Paulinho executed an outrageous flick to score, astonishing Zack Steffen of the Colorado Rapids.
Those three strikes were impressive. And Rodréguez's goal should have been included among them.
