Ibra, Neymar down for Puskas Award

Football | International

Neymar © Gallo Images

 

Acrobatic volleys and long-range shots dominated the shortlist of 10 goals for Fifa's goal of the year award announced on Monday.
There were no flowing tiki-taka moves or individual runs from the halfway line among the candidates which included two goals from women's football.
Fifa said the goals (http://www.fifa.com/ballondor/puskasaward/index.html) were chosen "by a panel of experts and members of Fifa's football committee."
The list included Zlatan Ibrahimovic's speculative 25-metre overhead kick for Sweden against England, scored late in a friendly when his team were already winning 3-2.
There was also a spectacular effort from the Mexican league where Pachuca's Argentina midfielder Daniel Ludena scored from inside his own half against UANL after spotting the opposing goalkeeper off his line.
Udinese's veteran striker Antonio Di Natale also made the list with a volley which resembled Marco Van Basten's stunning effort in the 1988 European championship final for the Netherlands.


Receiving a looping diagonal cross, Di Natale sent a left-foot volley crashing into the far corner in the match against Chievo.
There were also acrobatic efforts from Peter Ankersen (Esbjerg), Nemanja Matic (Benfica) and Panagiotis Kone (Bologna). Matic's effort followed a bout of head-tennis, described by Fifa as an "awesome circus-like goal".
There were long-range goals from Neymar (Brazil) and Juan Manuel Olivera (Nautico).
The women's goals included a long-rang effort from Louisa Nacib (Lyon) and a bicycle kick by Australian Lisa de Vanna (Sky Blue FC) in the United States' National Women's Soccer League.
The winner will be announced at the Fifa Player of the Year award ceremony in Zurich on January 13.
Other nominees: Peter Ankersen (for Esbjerg v Aarhus in the Danish league); Panagiotis Kone (Bologna v Napoli, Serie A); Daniel Luduena (Pachuca v Tigres, Mexican league); Nemanja Matic (Benfica v Porto, Portuguese league); Louisa Necib (Lyon v Saint-Etienne, French women's league); Juan Manuel Olivera (Nautico v Recife, Copa Sudamericana).