Maradona: Hand of God
For many (me included), this is one of the most iconic moments in footballing history.
Any avid soccer fan will describe it to you as unforgettable.
It was the quarter final of the 1986 World Cup.
Emotions were running high as Argentina was set to play England.
All the expectations were on the man who was considered the best player in the world, Diego Maradona.
If people were expecting him to give it his all this match, they would not be disappointed. He gave 110% no doubt, but he left a sour taste in the mouth of many football "purists".
Hodge had dropped back to defend, and attempted to clear a botched pass by Argentinean striker, Valdano. Hodge however, got quite a bit under the ball and his attempted clearance ultimately resulted in a scoop-like ball towards his goalkeeper. Maradona was lurking in the penalty area and immediately pounced on the opportunity.
Bare in mind, Shildon stands at 1.85m while Maradona stands at a tiny 1.65m. Therefore, Shildon was the clear favorite to win the ball. Maradona was first in the air, and struck the ball with VENOM with his left fist.
In a later interview, Maradona stated: "I was waiting for my teammates to embrace me, but nobody came. So I told them 'Come hug me, or the referee isn't going to allow it.'"
But it was this quote that is synonymous with this moment: "un poco con la cabeza de Maradona y otro poco con la mano de Dios" (a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God).
It wasn't all bad though, as Maradona pulled a master-class goal out of his hat. A goal that was later known as "Goal of the century". He received the ball at about 10 meters inside his own half, and began on the most iconic solo goal in the history of football. He dashed all the way to England's posts in 10 seconds, beating 4 outfield players, and eventually faking the shot to Shilton, tucking it away with maximal ease.
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