Johnson wins MLS Goal of the Year

                              Photo by ISIphotos.com

Real Salt Lake's Will Johnson was the winner of the 2008 Sierra Mist Goal of the Year for his flick and volley in a must-win game against FC Dallas on Oct. 18, the league announced today. Johnson's goal received the most votes in online fan voting.

Chris Wingert started the sequence by playing the ball to Johnson's feet at the top-right of the 18-yard box. The Toronto, Canada native flicked the up and hit a first-time strike past Dario Sala for the game-winner in a 3-1 victory against FC Dallas.

Here is the goal.

Ironically, that goal wasn't good enough to be goal of the week in Week 30. That honor belonged to Red Bulls goalkeeper Danny Cepero, who on his debut became the first MLS goalkeeper to score a goal when his 80-yard free kick bounced over the head of Columbus goalkeeper Andy Gruenbaum.

Cepero was one of five finalists, along with Columbus' Robbie Rogers, Geoff Cameron of Houston, Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Johnson.

What is my take? I can't see how Cepero couldn't have won. Johnson's strike was great, but how often do you see a goalkeeper score a goal? And on his debut? Sure he didn't do anything spectacular, and he was aided by the Giants Stadium FieldTurf and a stunning gaffe by Gruenebaum, but when you think back to the best goals of 2008, will you remember Cepero's amazing goal or a strike by Johnson, which is nice but something you'll likely to see a few times this year in various leagues around the world.

Then again I thought John Wolyniec should have won the honor in 2003.

What do you think? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

[Mike22]

Johnson's goal was a sublime piece of skill. Exactly the image the league wants to project.

Cepero's goal was a flukey goal caused by luck, an eyesore field, and a bac backup goalkeeper. No Thanks!

[jrnail23]

I'm biased as a DC United fan, but the best goal didn't even make the final list.
Marcello Gallardo's volley (a-la Van Basten) was the best goal I've seen in MLS in quite a while. And unlike Cepero's goal, he actually MEANT to do it.

[Gaelen]

I think the argument may be that cepero's goal may be the most memorable goal of the season, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is the best.

[SteveJW]

I'm thrilled the fans didn't vote Cepero's goal as goal of the year. Yea, the Cepero goal was an amazing fluke goal. I don't think you can give a goal of the year award to a play in which the player wasn't even intending to shoot on goal, but ended up being lucky on a couple different aspects of the play (field turf, poor GK'ing)

[Katatonia]

Cepero for goal of the year....good god.

Johnson's strike desered to win. Gallardo's volley should have been up there for sure too.

[CD]

Thought it was a great goal. The people voted and he won cograts. I was fortune enough to see the goal live and I found it more dramatic since Will Johnson had proceeded the goal with about 5 bad passes to the other team. Until that goal I was really wondering why he was in the MLS. It was one of those "where did that come from" moments in sports.

I think the greater memory of Cepero for this year will be how he has managed to pull out amazing efforts to take his team to the championship game. I think his goal might be a side note but not what his 08' season is defined by in the history books.

[Camjam]

Yeah, Cepero's goal was entertaining, but too many other factors in play that he had nothing to do with. Mostly the turf, and terrible positioning. I love the Johnson goal, but Gallardo's for me was a close second.

[mike]

No way Cepero should have won. It was an entertaining goal to watch but like others said, goal of the year should be on purpose. I voted Johnson and am happy he won

[Nick]

Gallardo's strike was good, but if you're comparing it to Van Basten's then you're completely insane. And Ives is crazy for thinking Cepero should have won. Johnson's goal was pretty clearly the best from my perspective. And in an important match as well.

[eric]

I think it's unfortunate that great team goals or build up play get lost in the Goal of the Week/Year, it's all about the finish. Even the assist is rarely considered.

[Super Metro]

I think people made their point. For whatever reason however; we'll all remember Cepero's, why? not so common...let history be the judge.

[Ethan]

I agree with most of those above me. Johnson's goal deserved it, Gallardo's goal should have been considered more strongly, and Cepero's goal was a fluke.

It is certainly not the first time a goalie has scored like that either. Paul Robinson anyone?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzBapEAfyOM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_9IPenLuo8&feature=related

and here is a collection that has some pretty hilarious ones:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suLdU3BRuGA

[Mikemike]

Agreed Cepero's goal was a fluke (he even admitted it), but a goal's a goal. We might never see another one like that in MLS.

When you add that to Cepero's performance in the playoffs, the guy is no longer a backup. If he continues to play at this level, Mr. Dimples is going places!

In sum, I don't think that Cepero's goal should be the goal of the year. But don't anyone say anything bad about him. I am an oversensitive NY fan. I feel pain too.

Regardless, I am expecting Angel to come out with the unoffical goal of the year on Sunday.

-Mike

[RP]

RBNY homer much Ives? Sure Cepero's goal is memorable, but, for all the reason's you listed, it was a fluke. A joke even. Johnson's strike had skill and purpose behind it at the very least.

[luis]

Ives, i disagree with you, that goal Cepero made was completely lucky. Johnson's goal was just skills and class.

[Dylan Butler]

Hey RP,

Ives didn't write that post, I did.

Dylan

[kpugs]

Johnson's goal was nasty but Cepero not winning had nothing to do with his goal. He lost it in the end because of the Jersey he wears. There was a Kansas City Wizards blog campaigning for fans to vote for anyone BUT Cepero because he's a Red Bull.

Meanwhile I didn't even realize KC still had a team, and they care enough about another club to campaign against a guy for an award based purely around fun and fan interaction.

[SonicDeathMonkey]

Goals of the year should be based on skill, not luck. Personally, I voted for Robbie Rogers' goal, but Johnson's was very well taken.

[ko'd]

Sorry Dylan, but Cepero's goal didn't deserve to be top 5 for week 30, let alone the whole year. It was a fluke and it was ugly. It had nothing to do with skill or talent.

In fact, I would say the Cepero goal was horrendous. First, Cepero played the ball beyond his target. Second, the ball bounced high on that awful astro-turf. Third and finally, the goalkeeper made a huge mistake. There was nothing "best" about that goal. Sorry.

[Drew]

cepero's...not for me...all luck, no skill.

[SombraAla]

Ok, we can all appreciate Cepero scoring, as a goalkeeper, in his debut.

You said it yourself - it wasn't anything spectacular. That should be the end of the discussion, but unfortunately it's not.

For some reason there are people like you who somehow think it's more special to have someone screw-up and miss play a ball than someone actually demonstrating some level of skill. That's not to say Cepero doesn't have skill, but in terms of a goal scorer - well, how much you want to put down on him _ever_ scoring again?

Cepero's goal will go down in its own history - it'll be included in those blooper reals which show the occasions where goal keepers score on open nets in 2nd half stoppage or when their opposing number makes a horrible mistake. It'll forever be enshrined in MLS history as the first such goal. That's its correct place in the scheme of things - but to say that it has any business being the Goal of the Year is simply maddening. Seriously, it almost makes me want to quit reading this blog.

And as per the whole 'something you'll likely to see a few times this year in various leagues around the world.' - That's the point. By showing off a goal of such high quality it will help convey the message that MLS is stepping forward in terms of quality. Cepero's goal would have told the rest of the world that MLS plays on horrible surfaces and has keepers who make horrible misjudgements. Honestly, what do you want to have a potential MLS fan see when they go out on YouTube and look for MLS highlights.

[Sterlinho]

I voted for Rogers' and Johnson's goals because they were legit. Yeah, everyone will remember Cepero's goal, but it was unintended. They fact that it happened on gridiron football lines is another strike against it. Much love for Danny Cepero though!

[Matt]

Sublime retribution for those of us that voted for this goal the first time around . . .

[MasterShake]

wow. since when did US fans turn into little girls. Ever since NY made into MLS cup everyone have become little whiny babies about everything. I haven't seen this much crying since..well..ever.

[MasterShake]

oh and btw goal of the year is very subjective topic I dont even think it should be voted on. who really cares? its all about what you will remember from this MLS season. I will def remember Cepero's goal for years to come, Johnsons goal? not so much..in fact I already dont remember it.

[Steve B]

I'm as big a USMNT fan as they come but I thought Blanco's goal was a thing of beauty.

[Matt]

@Matt (the other one)

"Sublime retribution"?!?!

It's a goal of the year award, for chrissake. You make it sound important.

[Rory]

I'm just glad a bicycle kick didn't win

[ajr]

....yeah what Rory said

[Aguinaga]

I call BS on all the "Exactly the image the league wants to project" garbage. You are obviously right that Cepero's goal shows bad goalkeeping rather than skill. But there's something to be said for mass appeal and marketability as well. The WOW factor put Cepero's goal on highlight reels around the world. How many did Johnson's make? You can judge aesthetics, fine. And the people have spoken based on all sorts of criteria, who knows what exactly. But this whole 'better for league image' thing, as if those of you who think that even have any CLUE what image the league needs to be succesful, or what image the league even wants, is ridiculous.

I agree there's certainly some real anti NY animosity going on lately due to our success, most of it unwarranted. But I don't think anyone who cheers for NY/NJ should take it personally. It's ingrained into the rest of the ignorant sports fans across America that NY fans are all pompous egotistical sore winners. It's just we haven't had to deal with it ever as Metro fans because we never won! lol Let's hopefully get used to the rest of the American soccer landscape taking swipes at us. Not only does it betray their ignorance and jealousy at our sudden momentum only to be amplified 100x by our new stadium, but it also signals that we've arrived Metro fans. Embrace it. :)

[Jared Montz]

Will Johnson has an unbeleiveable strike on him so I am thrilled he finally got to show the world what he can do with a ball! He deserved that award no doubt about it!

[Ferri]

Wow..lot's of hate for the Cepero goal out there. I have to agree with a lot of the arguments though. He didn't mean for it to go in and it was a fluke so it couldn't be goal of the year.
In fact I hope that Garber is reading this and understands how much the fans want to get rid of accidental goals in the MLS. They could have a lie detector on field and if you didn't mean for it to be a shot, the goal will be called back. I'm looking at you Frankie Hejduk (NY fans know what I mean-that was a cross and we all know it)

[M]

Canada is still not going to the World Cup, EH!

[Matt]

Here you go Aguinaga, at min. 3:00. I'd point out two facts. First, the title of the piece. Second, the notable absence of any goalkeeper goals.

http://www.footytube.com/2008/11/03/superb-goals-200809-part-3/

[Mario in SJ]

Methinks somebody stuffed the ballot box.
If skill is the reason for being selected then Johson's goal was not a very hard one to achieve...no pressure on him, nice roll of the ball to him, tip to raise ball and away it goes. Not a heck of allot of skill there.

[ag nigrin]

What? I didn't even know that Will Johnson scored a goal... Seriously, a goalkeeper scoring a goal in his first game and it being the only goal by a keeper in 13 years of the league's history is very memorable and I will certainly remember his goal over many of the others I have seen over the years... but let's face it the fans can vote for their favorite goal ten times a day and is not really a serious award. Give it to Johnson and spread the awards around to the various MLS teams... Throw a bone to RSL!

[ko'd]

Mario in SJ--Lemme guess...

You have never played competitive soccer, right? Sunday leagues don't count. You must have no concept of how difficult it is to take a touch, turn, and drive the ball on goal from a volley and 20 yards out.

Being good at FIFA 09 does not make you a soccer expert.

[quakes fan]

Johnson'ss goal is quality and a deserving winner. Saying Cepero's goal should have won is silly. A lucky goal should not be goal of the year. A goal that was due to skil, athleticism, and/or great teamwork is what should win.

[Barry Jive and His Uptown Five]

Rolfe's volley against NYRB should have been up there with Johnson and Gallardo.

Cepero's goal was an embarrassment.

[Adam]

Wow, another post that talks about the Red Bulls. I'm shocked.

I think I'll stay away from SBI for a couple of weeks until the Redbullgasm has stopped a little bit.

[Mario in SJ]

@ko'd
Never played FIFA 09 nor Pro soccer....
I said "there was no pressure on him".
If you are the soccer expert you should know what that means!

[jmadsen]

Regardless of which was the best, do you really want someone abroad to pick up the MLS Goal of the Year video as a 30 second filler to the sports edition (assuming anyone would), and have them show the ball bouncing across Astroturf with American football lines painted on it?

[MasterShake]

so when Ives posted all those NYRB practice posts during the season nobody cared...but as soon as NY gets somewhere everyone is crying their eyes out about how this is a pro-NY blog?

note: this post wasnt even posted by Ives.

[eric]

Actually, I think this was justice. The first goal by a keeper in MLS history deserves some props, but was fluky enough to not merit goal of the year.

Anyways, with each passing performance by Cepero where he plays out of his mind, I do wonder if that lucky goal didn't give him an extra shot of confidence that's fueled this NY run to the MLS Cup.

[eric]

Holy Crap! Thorrington at RB tonight? Cooper and Altidore starting? From the MNT blog:

Guzan; Thorrington, Goodson, Parkhurst, Bornstein; Mastroeni (c), Clark, Adu, Kljestan; Cooper, Altidore

[Richard, UK]

Cepero's goal? Really? C'mon Ives. That's almost as bad as Jaime Moreno having a penalty in the goal of the week section last season.

[irishapple21]

Well, it looks like RSL's fans have finally taken their revenge for their playoff loss to RBNY by stuffing the online ballot box for GOTY. This makes RSL the official Sierra Mist Whiny Sour Loser Crybaby Team of the Year.

[Don]

I am glad that the goal of the week showed not only individual skill, but effective team work. I'm sick of long-range and dead ball blasts in the goals of the week on TV. Just as boring as watching TV turning baseball into a game of "jacking one" and basketball into "slam dunks". Let's keep it the beautiful game.

[ArteEtLabore]

Cepero's goal was a good candidate for 'Goalkeeper Gaffe of the Year'. Or perhaps 'Lucky Turf Bounce of the Year'. Or even 'Most Overrated goal only because it was a Goalkeeper who scored it'. But it shouldn't have even made Goal of the Week.

[ko'd]

Mario in SJ...

That's not all you said. You stated:

"no pressure on him, nice roll of the ball to him, tip to raise ball and away it goes. Not a heck of allot of skill there"

First of all, what does it mean to "raise" the ball? No one uses that term. "Away it goes" is just ignorant. "Not a heck of allot [sic] of skill there"? That shows your inexperience and lack of knowledge. Can other pros do that? Sure. With the time that Johnson had? Of course. But those pros have...you guessed it: Skill.

[lou]

This is crap, slillful yes, but once in a year type goal absolutely not, im a red bull fan and i would rather see dc scums' marcelo gallardo's goal win over this. Cepero's was not just once a year but once a career, what a rip off.

[Mario in SJ]

@ko'd,
This is an opinion board. Personal attacks only show your class.

[JT]

Cepero's goal, like the Red Bull's playoff run, was pure luck. Hopefully the MLS Cup outcome will reflect this Goal of the Year award - skill beating luck.

[Brokenbil]

All right, Will Johnson! That was my pick from the final five, too. Cepero's free kick was the novelty of the year, but not the greatest goal.

As for MLS Cup and "skill beating luck" -- ah, who cares as long as the game is good. The MLS playoffs are not the measure of the best team in the league. It's a separate, season-ending competition and a highly competitive and entertaining one at that. I think the Supporters Shield defines the true MLS champion. (I'm just glad we don't have to see Houston and New England play for a third year in a row.)

[ko'd]

Mario-- I thought we were having a conversation about the merits of Will Johnson's goal. I didn't call you an idiot. Instead, I noted that your analysis of the goal lacked depth and understanding. That is the key difference. If you want to talk about being "personal," I believe your comment that "If you are the soccer expert you should know what that means!" was personal under your rubric, but I ignored it. Nothing I said was directly personal.

Either way, it seems that by resorting to such an allegation, you have admitted that you don't have any additional support for your analysis. No hard feelings--I was trying to have a meaningful discussion about how an observer looks at a player's technical and tactical abilities. I think the consensus supports my argument.

Cheers!

[Soccer Uniform]

If I would get an opportunity to give live fan vote then I definitely would give in the favor of Johnson. I am a great fan of Johnson.

[Berbatov1442]

Ives - I have always valued your web-site and the pieces you put up. But following the site through the Red Bull's run has made me realize just how biased you are to the team. Cepero for goal of the year? There was 50 better goals than that. Gallardo from D.C. had the best strike with his volley!

Let's work on a little more of an un-biased site! and oh yeah... Go Crew!

[Ryan]

Its about damn time RSL gets some attention!!!!

[C. Elvis]

Cepero's goal = most memorable
Johnson's goal = goal of the year
and I voted for Cepero

[Bootsy]

What made Gallardo's "van Basten-like" was not only that it was a full volley, without any preceding touch, but it was scored when Gallardo was seven yards outside the near post, but only about two and a half yards off the endline (I just watched it to get these numbers). It was an *incredibly* narrow angle.

As for Cepero, if he'd meant to do it, it'd deserve GOTY without question. As others have said, a GOTY should always be intentional.

[.]

Cepero's goal certainly belongs on a highlight film...the blooper reel...but not as goal of the year. That would be the equivalent of awarding goal of the year to an own goal. They belong on the same highlight reel.

[sublicon]

As a Red Bulls fan, Cepero's goal was a fluke. It deserved Goal of the Week MAYBE, but I'd never vote for it for Goal of the Year. I couldn't vote for any Red Bull goals, the only one I would've voted for was Jozy's run during the NE home game. One of the best goals I've seen scored live. Other than that, Robbie Findley and David Beckham deserved it in my book.

[chupacabra]

The winner is not important. What is important is the fact that Blanco's goal, which was like 10 other GOTW winners this season, didn't win GOTY.

[Heffe]

Johnson's goal was the best by far. What a crack that was, and not even looking up before the hit?! Gallardo's was a close second for me.

I think everybody is going a little overboard though on Cepero. Sure, it was lucky, and not much skill involved, but how often can a goalkeeper make the other team look like a joke? I don't know it would be top three, but I can see it being in the top five. Besides, keepers don't get the chance to score all the time, so it is fun to see a keeper get the score.

[TimN]

Reminds me of Cambiasso's goal in the 2006 World Cup against Mexico. He struck an amazing half volley from about the same spot on the field as Johnson did on this goal.

[metrostar 4 life]

what a joke. unbelievable

[JVC-RSL]

Johnson is a classy player and the award is well deserved. For me, what makes the goal really special beyond the brilliant strike is that it was the game winning goal in a huge match for both teams in front a packed stadium.

[bratislava]

that was a beut mate!

[Andrew]

RSL fans got screwed all year. Multiple terrible calls/no calls (ask Kreis abotu that), no press coverage, Javier Morales not getting named an all star, Morales not being a candidate for MVP, a short history of horrible teams. I'm glad they finally got something. And yes, Will Johnson's goal was the most skilled of the year.

[Skinn]

"Sure he didn't do anything spectacular." Exactly.

[Skinn]

"Canada is still not going to the World Cup, EH!"
What's your point, Vanessa?

[sublicon]

Goal of the Year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n70YCXKr0i8

Done.

[Brokenbil]

My favorite goal of the year was Beckham to Blanco to Gomez in the MLS All-Star Game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z3oKkDYx3s

[Rob Voss]

Hats off to Will Johnson & Real Salt Lake for a great season & spectacular score. Nice to see a midfielder playing up that far when play allows- of course, it is incredibly difficult to play a strong & accurate double-touch with defenders converging & keeper blocking- perfectly done, a play of beauty! Especially great to see home-grown Americans on the field in the MLS successfully competing against all the testy foreigners..although a Fire fan, sorry to see that RSL didn't quite push into the Cup final- overall, they were better than the Crew or the Red Bulls & showed alot of heart, momentum & skill- way to go Will!