The greatest goals that never were... (near-misses)

Raees

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Just came across this vid of Cristiano's failed yet majestic attempts on goal and was wondering which iconic attempts on goal can you think of that would be GOAT contenders only for them to not hit the back of the net?

 

Chipper

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This would have been an iconic goal, instead it's an iconic miss.
 

harms

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Incredible volley from Netzer in the 1972 Euros final. Müller still managed to score seconds later, but what a goal that would've been — something akin to Zidane's Leverkusen volley:
(from 00:09)
 

berbasloth4

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two off the top of my head which resulted in goals.

the giggs attempt from halfway line Ole tapped in rebounder. vs charlton

The maruading run down the line by john oshea that cracked the cross bar that giggs tapped in. vs newcastle
 

Welby5

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I love Pele's outrageous dummy round the keeper in the 70 World Cup. Probably the most extreme dummy ever seen in a match. To do it all at full pace and only have a fraction of a second to see the defender was going to cover the near post, and then pull it across to the far post was genius. You have to remember that was football from 49 years ago. A World Cup that moved football on in leaps and bounds from anything gone before.
 
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schwalbe

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I love Pele's outrageous dummy round the keeper in the 70 World Cup. Probably the most extreme dummy ever seen in a match. To do it all at full pace and only have a fraction of a second to see the defender was going to cover the near post, and then pull it across to the far post was genius. You have to remember that was football from 49 years ago. A World Cup that moved football on in leaps and bounds from anything gone before.
At this angle there's no difference between thr near and the far post and i don't think he looked up, he just went for the goal.
 

adexkola

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Just came across this vid of Cristiano's failed yet majestic attempts on goal and was wondering which iconic attempts on goal can you think of that would be GOAT contenders only for them to not hit the back of the net?

This video wouldn't be less impressive if you included the shots from Ronaldo that went just wide or over.
 

Zehner

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Great thread :D


Ronaldinho almost with one of the most beautiful solo goals ever, but hits the post

Neuville hits the post from a 30m Roberto Carlos-esque in the WC final 2002

Özil hits the crossbar after a nice dribble from 30m against Barca

Zidane missing the open goal after he dribbled a defender and the goalie with this trademark roulette
 

Handré1990

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Cantona, Giggs... Solskjaer, scorer of great rebounds :lol:
He might not be as popular now, but Ole’s roster is filled with beauties. His goal vs Azerbaijan right before he came to us is still one of my favourite goals of all time. Cantona though, he really was a magician.
 

Synco

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Nedved's crazy attempt vs Netherlands 2004

That snippet can't really convey it, but it was even better in the overall excitement of that spectacular game.
 

IhabX7

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Nedved's crazy attempt vs Netherlands 2004

That snippet can't really convey it, but it was even better in the overall excitement of that spectacular game.
My favorite (non-United) match of all time.
 

King Andow

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Van Persie's chip, with his right foot, at the post against Sunderland in 2011. Can't post it.
 

Sandikan

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Not the same thing - but how close did Maradona's second v England in 86 come to not being a goal?
Surely most refs would have given the foul for the guy lunging in on Hoddle 5 seconds before Maradona got the ball!
 

Welby5

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At this angle there's no difference between thr near and the far post and i don't think he looked up, he just went for the goal.
At this angle there's no difference between thr near and the far post and i don't think he looked up, he just went for the goal.
I didn't say he looked up, I said he saw.
Cruyff said his own greatest gift was his eyes, adding great players have great peripheral vision and see things in a flash. Pele saw in a flash out the corner of his eye.
I disagree that he just shot. He saw enough to know the defender would have stopped any shot at the near post.The only real chance Pele had was to pull it back across to the undefended far post.
 

KirkDuyt

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Rob Rensenbrink hitting the post in 1978. Not a beautiful goal, but rather monumental had it gone in.
 

Cheech Wizard

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How many United fans remember this one? I remember watching it live and like many thinking what a goal that would have been from Atletico Bilbao v Manchester United 2012.

Iraola (Atletico fullback) dribbling past Carrick, Evans and Ferdinand and then it put it wide.
put

Only clip I could find of it, so ignore the music and the fact it's in slow motion. It looked better live.
 

Gazza

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Rooney once belted one in from 35 yards in front of the Stretford End, would have completed a hat-trick against Liverpool no less, but was disallowed for some nonexistent foul in the build up.
 

Amir

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Will post clips later but those two sprang to mind
He had a knack for it... I also remember a first time volley hitting the post against Chelsea in the 1996 FA Cup semi final and a first time volley hitting the bar against Wimbledon in a 1997 league match.
 

Stobzilla

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Paul Ince had one Vs. Newcastle at OT in 1994/95 I think. We won 2-0, Pallister and Gillespie got the goals.

Ince absolutely thumped one against the bar, it near enough went for a throw in after it hit the bar, so hard it was hit.

It just looked so aesthetically pleasing.
 

starman

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I'll add this long distance one from Rooney:
That was pure greed, Rooney constantly has been trying to score from the half way line. I remember being so pissed at him not just slipping the ball through back to Giggs
 

VeevaVee

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That was pure greed, Rooney constantly has been trying to score from the half way line. I remember being so pissed at him not just slipping the ball through back to Giggs
Really? The quicker we had a shot the more likely Hart wasn't going to be back in time. He might've been able to get a lower arcing shot off but I doubt there was enough time to think about that.