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Soccer

George Best scores "The Greatest Goal Ever" for San Jose Earthquakes

Best scored this sublime dribbled goal against the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers, on 22 July, 1981 at Spartan Stadium in San Jose.

Update:

George Best cuts past one, into the box, jags left to leave three flat-footed, drags right in a twinkling of an eye to open up a tiny space, slides left to take out the final defender and slots the ball home. A move that's widely known as the Greatest NASL Goal Ever, if not the Greatest Soccer Goal Ever. Utterly sublime play from the Northern Ireland player, who was in his single season with the San Jose Earthquakes, having moved there from Scottish club Hibs who he'd failed to save from relegation the season before. Best had in fact played with the Strikers a couple of years before in the 78-79 season, just one of the many clubs he turned out for in the long, nomadic, decline of his glittering career.

Best: the greatest dribbler of all time

Best is widely considered to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest dribblers of all time, as can be seen from his goal in the video above. Scottish sportswriter Patrick Barclay summed it up: "In terms of ability he was the world's best footballer of all time. He could do almost anything – technically, speed, complete mastery of not only the ball but his own body. You could saw his legs away and he still wouldn't fall because his balance was uncanny, almost supernatural. Heading ability, passing ability, I mean it goes without saying the dribbling – he could beat anybody in any way he chose. For fun he'd play a one-two off the opponent's shins."