Messi, Tevez, Fleetwood’s Hall vie for FIFA goal of year

LONDON (Reuters) – Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez, English third tier player David Hall and U.S. women’s international Carli Lloyd were among players included on the shortlist for FIFA’s goal of the year award on Friday.

Costa Rican league player Esteban Ramirez also made the list with an outstanding effort for Herediano in which he caught the ball on his chest, headed it on and scored with a dipping 25-metre volley.

The list was dominated by acrobatic volleys and individual runs. There were no flowing passing moves among the 10 goals or any efforts from world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo.

Messi made the list thanks to a his goal in the King’s Cup final against Athletic Bilbao, which came after a mesmerising 50-metre run down the right touchline.

Messi weaved his way between three defenders at high speed, cut inside another and scored with a shot inside the near post.

Juventus forward Tevez also scored with a run from the halfway line after outpacing three Parma defenders in a Serie A match.

Hall produced a sublime moment in the less glamorous surroundings of the English third tier as he tricked the opposition with some fancy footwork and scored with a 25-metre lob which went in off the far post for Fleetwood Town against Preston North End.

There were several 50-metre goals including one from AS Roma’s Alessandro Florenzi, who scored from a nearly impossible position near the halfway line in a Champions League match against Barcelona.

Florenzi was just inside the Barcelona half when he spotted Marc-Andre ter Stegen off his line and unleashed a looping effort which flew over the Barca goalkeeper’s head and into the net off the far post.

Lloyd scored from a similar distance, but more central position, in the women’s World Cup match against Japan, as did Paderborn’s Marcel Ndjeng in a pre-season friendly against Bolton Wanderers.

There were also acrobatic volleys from AC Milan defender Philippe Mexes and Real Sociedad midfielder Gonzalo Castro, and a bicycle kick from Wendell Lira for Goianesia in a Brazilian state competition.

Castro’s goal, from an acute angle, was reminiscent of Marco van Basten’s famous effort for the Netherlands in the 1988 European championship final.

A shortlist of three will be announced on Nov. 30 and the winner at the FIFA Ballon D’or ceremony in Zurich on Jan. 11.

(Writing by Brian Homewood, editing by Ed Osmond)