Best goals from beyond halfway: Kane, Beckham, Rooney, more،
Harry Kane continued his good start to life at Bayern Munich this weekend with a hat-trick in what turned out to be a chaotic but very eventful 8-0 defeat to Darmstadt, which saw all eight goals scored in the Last 40 minutes of the match.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (US)
The former Tottenham striker scored his 12th, 13th and 14th goals (and seventh assist) in what was just his 13th game for Bayern, but only after the Bavarian giants had been reduced to 10 men with less than five minutes to play. Darmstadt then had two players sent off during an otherwise pedestrian first half that ended without a single goal being scored.
The second half saw Darmstadt capitulate spectacularly as Kane opened both the scoring and the metaphorical floodgates in the 51st minute. However, it was the Bayern striker’s second goal of the evening that will go down as one of the best of his career.
After collecting the ball in his own half, Kane took a quick glance upfield, saw that goalkeeper Marcel Schuhen had strayed from his penalty area and duly unleashed a monstrous shot from 60 meters which flew high and slipped under the crossbar.
With this, Kane became the latest high-profile arrival among a select group of players who managed to find the back of the net from beyond the halfway line.
Kemar Roofe (Rangers) vs Standard Liège, 2020
⚽️ GOAL OF THE DAY: @roof against Standard Liège pic.twitter.com/mwPkwyyKZf
– Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) March 10, 2022
Roofe’s gargantuan goal against Standard Liege was scored from a distance of 54.6 meters, making it the longest strike ever recorded in the Europa League.
Wayne Rooney (DC United) vs Orlando City, 2019
WAYNE ROONEY FROM THE PAST MIDFIELDER!!!! pic.twitter.com/dJ5BriAOx3
– Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 27, 2019
Rooney set the template for his England successor Kane with a powerful 60-yard strike for DC United that flew over the head of Orlando goalkeeper Brian Rowe, the veteran striker’s long-range strike diving deep enough to kiss the line of goal along the way. In.
Wayne Rooney (Everton) v West Ham, 2017
Surprisingly, it wasn’t the first time Rooney had scored in his own half, having previously scored with a similarly herculean hoof during his return season at boyhood club Everton. The shot was measured at 59 yards, which was the furthest a Premier League goal had been scored since April 2015.
Charlie Adam (Stoke) v Chelsea, 2015
How daring to try this 😅#GoalOfTheDay X @Charlie26Adam pic.twitter.com/6DBTPL5fpP
–Premierleague (@premierleague) March 27, 2022
This stunning strike in April 2015 was scored by Stoke midfielder Charlie Adam, who scored one of the most audacious consolation goals the Premier League has ever seen in what turned out to be a 2-1 defeat of the Potters at Stamford Bridge.
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) v West Ham, 2014
West Ham were once again the target of a Rooney rocket when the Manchester United striker smashed home a looping lob in a 2-0 win. Coincidentally, David Beckham was in the crowd at Upton Park to watch Rooney imitate the famous halfway line strike he scored for United in 1996 (more on that shortly).
Orlando Engelaar, (Melbourne Heart) v Central Coast Mariners, 2014
🤯 Orlando Engelaar from inside his half! Who remembers this classic banger against the Central Coast Mariners?#CmonCity | 🎟 https://t.co/ODdg9vKwI8 pic.twitter.com/4YEVG6GJvJ
– Melbourne City FC (@MelbourneCity) March 18, 2021
Surprisingly scored on the same day as Rooney’s effort, former Netherlands international Engelaar valiantly attempted to beat the Englishman in the ‘long distance goal of the weekend’ stakes with an absolute cannon against the Mariners. You can decide for yourself if it was better than Rooney’s looping effort against West Ham.
Alex Colon (Deportivo Quito) vs. Deportivo Cuenca, 2013
Colon scored a breathtaking goal under the crossbar in his side’s 5-1 loss to Deportivo Cuenca in Ecuador’s Primera A division.
Maicon (Porto B) vs. UD Oliveirense, 2013
Porto B’s Brazilian center back Maicon Periera Roque (just old ‘Maicon’ to his friends) fired an almighty free kick at the Oliveirense goalkeeper and without rebounding from his own half during a Portuguese second division match last year.
It’s safe to say that no one expected Maicon to attempt something so outrageous, least of all the cameraman.
Dejan Stankovic (Inter Milan) v Schalke, 2011
🔙 | April 5, 2011
Deki #Stanković from the center line! 🚀🎯#InterForever #This day #TBT ⚫️🔵 pic.twitter.com/ghRBK2Bse1
– Inter (@Inter_en) April 5, 2018
A rare example of a full volley from halfway, Stankovic contorted his body and sent Manuel Neuer’s unorthodox headed clearance over the Schalke goal with industrial zeal.
Rivaldo (Barcelona) versus Atletico Madrid, 1998
Rivaldo, in usually nonchalant style, looked up, weighed up his options and proceeded to casually pass one through from the halfway line during his Barca heyday.
Xabi Alonso (Liverpool) v Newcastle, 2006
Boldness level: @XabiAlonso
🗓 #This day in 2006… pic.twitter.com/ns5aZZxKGb
–Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 20, 2016
Alonso made a habit of scoring from over 50 yards during his years at Liverpool, but the polished Spanish midfielder’s spectacular effort against Newcastle stood head and shoulders above the rest.
Mor Diouf (Supersport United) v Mamelodi Sundowns, 2013
After breaking up an attack on the edge of his own box, Diouf pushed aside his troublesome teammates and proceeded to unleash an absolute monstrous shot from over 70 yards out.
Nayim (Real Zaragoza) v Arsenal, 1995
¡Hoy cumple 53 years old @maanayim!
🎊🎉🎉🎉Exjugator of @FCBarcelona_es, @Spurs_ES o @RealZaragoza.
He played in the UEFA Recopa at Real Zaragoza in 1995 in the Paris final before Arsenal. pic.twitter.com/UnhlgUVKjA
– UEFA.com in Spanish (@UEFAcom_es) November 5, 2019
After leaving Tottenham to join Zaragoza a few years previously, Nayim appeared to ruin Arsenal’s chances of winning the 1995 Cup Winners’ Cup by hitting a long ranger past goalkeeper David Seaman in the final seconds of extra time to win the victory. game 2-1.
Of course, to this day, Spurs fans still goad Seaman for letting such a speculative effort slip through his grasp, chanting “Nayim, from the halfway line” in his direction at every available moment.
David Beckham (Manchester United) v Wimbledon, 1996
Say hello to David Beckham 👏#GoalOfTheDay | @Man Utd pic.twitter.com/LqcSIK7O41
–Premierleague (@premierleague) December 8, 2021
Still used as a reference point for every shot of the same length scored to this day, Beckham’s arcing shot (famously delivered despite wearing someone else’s boots) against Wimbledon on the opening day of the 1996 season- 97 has become an archetype of the genre.
Ryujiro Ueda (Fagiano Okayama) vs. Yokohama FC, 2011
How about this for a long term goal❓
Ryujiro Ueda scored with a header from his own half #This day in 2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣1️⃣… pic.twitter.com/VQkKxCKleg
– Football on This Day (@footieonthisday) October 30, 2018
Special mention must go to Japanese defender Ueda, who as far as we know is still the world record holder for the longest headed goal ever scored after bending his neck of steel to nod 58.6 meters against Yokohama FC (breaking a record set by Jone Samuelsen of Tromso a few weeks earlier.)
