First post?

SAH-WEEEEEET!!! Finally, I'm in...among the first posters!! Yes!!! So what do I win?

Re Marmol: I'm going to head over to Ives spot and watch Chi-town and metrocows sling insults at each other. Very enjoyable thing to witness.

Goff, I'll be looking in the mail for that "Goff Wallbanger" that I just won :)

I firmly believe that Amado Guevaro has already received an undeserved award at the expense of a better DC United player (the 2004 MVP). MLS shouldn't allow the same mistake twice. TFC fans are busy stuffing the ballot box at an amazing rate, so there may no alternative.

GOTW is a tough call. Gallardo struck a moving ball, but he was a lot closer to net. Guevara hit a real nice free kick from further out.

I voted for Gallardo, but I am afraid Guevara's "look better on TV". That, combined with the obvious ballot-box stuffing going on in Toronto, will likely give the nod to Guevara.

WALLBANGERS! Hi-def, high impact! Now you can bring the action home with life-size posters of your favorite soccer journalists! GOFF! GALARCEP! BUENO!

Gallardo's goal was pure class. It's the reason we brought a player of his calibre to MLS. We really haven't seen goals like this very much.

I love Toronto FC supporters' enthusiasm, and it's awesome to see a city support an MLS club the way that they do. We don't do such a bad job in supporting our club either. How cool was it to see our attendance higher than Toronto for the Saturday game? Off topic back to the point, I think that any objective voter should pick Gallardo's goal over Guevara's. I guess I'm a little biased though.

Tough for Canada to see the other goals.

They only get TFC matches in the 52nd state up there.

Goff,

What is the latest on the WaPo blog hit stats? Is yours still #1 except for the pointy ball blog?

Kosh, you win the "i'm a giant d*****bag" shirt with the WaPo logo on it. and if there were any justice in the universe you'd have your right to use a computer taken away for a period of no less than 5 years. but please, keep us informed of where you will surfing over to next so we can steer clear.

as for the GOTW, both required a high degree of precision, but Gallardo's had a chance to actually kill Rimando had his face been in the way, so i think that clinches it for me.

@ Virginia Blue Blood

Awesome! Post of the day for me.

that booming "thump" the ball had when it left Gallardo's foot doesn't really come across in the video I'm afraid. Sure it would be nice for that to be GotW, but in the grand scheme of things I don't know that he will be upset too much if it doesn't win.

Continues to amaze me that people compare free kicks with goals in the run of play. Run of play is ALWAYS harder. Moving ball, moving defenders, much less time, etc. A free kick should NEVER win goal of the week/year.

Bethesda, I completely agree. I can't believe that there is even a comparison between Gallardo's goal and Guevara's. I have always admired players who can deliver on free kicks (Gomez, Etch, etc;) but seriously there is no comparison to the degree of difficulty and just how awesome Gallardo's goal was.

I must have watched that a dozen times on my tivo as it happened. Freaking brilliant!

Amado is pulling ahead in the vote count. I'm doing what I can, but the Canadians are relentless. What does a guy have to do, build a macro or script to win this thing?

Absolutely agree with Bethesda. Can't understand why anyone would compare the spectacular goals from the run of play with spectacular goals from a set piece. Funny thing is that a lot of people on Guevara's band wagon are the same folks who passively deride Moreno's all-time-goal record as being padded with... set pieces.

With GOTW going to Guevara, the Sierra Mist honors look a lot less credible.

off topic. Rooney is out for ManU.
Any logical person can understand that Gallardo's goail is real and should win the gotw award. I do know that it's tough to score from the set piece but if Cuevara gets the goal of the week award there are unlimited goals like that.

What's a foot-ankle?

With GOTW going to Guevara, the Sierra Mist honors look a lot less credible.

Posted by: Mickey | April 29, 2008 2:01 PM

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As opposed to what, all those years that it DID look credible? There always been ballot-stuffing on this thing. Doesn't change the fact that Gallardo's goal was something that maybe 2 or 3 other players in the league could have pulled off. Guevara's free kick was nicely placed, but Jeff Larentowicz scores on free kicks too.

I blame the exchange rate. One Canadian vote equals 1.2 U.S. votes.

SAH-WEEEEEET!!! Finally, I'm in...among the first posters!! Yes!!! So what do I win?

Posted by: Kosh | April 29, 2008 1:12 PM
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A life?

After I witnessed Gallardo's goal, I had the involuntary reflex of screaming, "HOLY SH*T!" at the top of my lungs for about five minutes. That kind of goal you rarely see in this league. As for Guevara's goal, it was as beautiful a free kick as you'll see, but . . . I have to quote Kenobi, "Jeff Larentowicz scores on free kicks too."

Sadly, the first time Beckham scores a free kick this year, he'll win Goal of the Year, hand's down. Pathetic.

At least he's not "out with a knee".....

Jaime's first PK gets GOTW in the "cheeky" category. Man, that takes some guts. And watching poor Nicky R. try to scramble back as the ball lobs into the back of the net - priceless.

HazyDavy: Yeah, but at least Nicky had the class to grin and applaud Jaime after he collected the ball from the back of the goal.

After I witnessed Gallardo's goal, I had the involuntary reflex of screaming, "HOLY SH*T!" at the top of my lungs for about five minutes. That kind of goal you rarely see in this league. As for Guevara's goal, it was as beautiful a free kick as you'll see, but . . . I have to quote Kenobi, "Jeff Larentowicz scores on free kicks too."

Posted by: Leaky123 | April 29, 2008 3:21 PM

Francis Doe got his visa so he is avaialble for Colorado game.

With GOTW going to Guevara, the Sierra Mist honors look a lot less credible.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Come on....really, who cares?
What is there a $1 million bonus per week or something?
Or points in the standings? What?
It is just another advertising venue for Sierra Mist, Freddy's favorite drink.
Vaguely interesting discussion but, if this is what is important I guess I need to start posting "FIRST" also.

Soehn-RRY BLOWS AS A MANAGER!...allow me to explain last year's semi-success was because he(Soehn)took over a well established team this season is a real test! AND HE HAS FAILED! LET HIM GO! WE NEED A REAL COACH... U ARE RIGHT GOMEZ IS GONE, MY POINT EXACTLY, THE SOEHRRY LEADER LET HIM GO!

silentbob - good one.

I'm a Chi fan, but hands down the GOTW goes to Gallardo - for the moving ball argument. Plus, when you look at the replay you can see it's still a pretty narrow angle he's shooting from. But with TFC fans slathering over the Guevara strike don't count on Gallardo getting the prize this week.

RE: Marmol. I want to see this guy play. JCO brought him over - and if his judgement on Conde is any indication, he knows how to pick 'em. Ives reports that Marmol got a DUI at his last club in Spain which was one reason the left there.

You know what no one has mentioned is that if you look at the Gallardo goal video, it's clear that he did not expect to receive the cross at that spot in the box. He raised his arm to signal he wanted the ball near the top of the box and appeared to be preparing to take it near there.

The cross was so off target that Gallardo was forced to take it from that acute angle and obviously he produced a highlight reel goal. There is definitely a difference in quality between the avg. MLS player and a guy who played on the Argentine national team...

As opposed to what, all those years that it DID look credible?

Posted by: Kenobi | April 29, 2008 2:49 PM

Cynicism aside, the GOTW has been a rather honest debate among fans in past years. Problem this year - even the folks at Big Soccer know that the merits of a shot are well below the voting prowess of TFC fans since last season when forecasting GOTW honors.

Frankly, Guevara's shot is impressive just as Denilson's first MLS goal was impressive (set piece off the vertical post)... although both are forgettable.

On the other hand, not many other players in the league have been able to pull down a lofted cross on a shallow angle and literally twist a verteran goalkeeper in his boots.

Ultimately, the GOTW honors are hollow honors but nevertheless important in growing the sport in the US - similar to the ESPN play of the day/play of the week honors... sad to see it fall to mere internet gaming...

Ultimately - Not that big of a deal... Gallardo already knows that it is one of his best strikes in his career...

Surprisingly Guv's goal was number 6 and Kljestan's number 5 made it to the fox soccer's top ten list in competing with all the major stars overseas. Yet, Gallardo's is no where to be seen. Wow from now i could care less about those things. Honestly there are several there are beautiful.

We all know Gallardo's goal was better, so who needs it to be legitimized by some flawed voting system?

Curling 25yd strikes into the top corner off of free kicks are great, real pretty, and relatively speaking a dime a dozen. I'd even rank Quaranta's finish above Guevara's as far as degree of difficulty goes.

That strike by Gallardo is the classiest finish I've seen in an MLS match in a loooong time. When you consider the added distraction of the central defender missing his header by an inch or two just in front of him it becomes even more surreal.

Etcheverry had some great goals, finishing off corner takes, 50yd lobs of the keeper etc... Or Moreno, skinning 2-3 guys and placing a lower 90 shot. This was a different style, but definitely in the same class, world class. One of the best finishes DC and MLS have seen in years.

It's not even close, Gallardo's is both prettier and more impressive. He's pulled ahead at the moment... vote early, vote often.

As a consolation gift for Guevara, he gets to be on my fantasy team.