The best goal of the week is the work of ‘Maradona of the Carpathians’ Gheorghe Hagi.
Hagi was playing for Romania against Colombia at the 1994 World Cup when he received the ball wide on the left wing in the 34th minute.
He found Colombian goalkeeper Oscar Cordoba just off his line, took a few touches and then slammed the ball high and over the goalkeeper’s head. His shot landed just under the crossbar and into the far corner of the net.
The goal surprised everyone, but Hagi must have meant it. The Romanian was one of the most talented players of his generation and the greatest player to ever come from Romania.
Romania took a two-goal lead with Florin Raducciu’s first goal in the 16th minute of the first half, followed by Hagi’s goal in the 34th minute of the first half. Adolfo Valencia pulled one back for the South American international just before half-time, but Raducioiu added a second goal in the 89th minute to secure the win.
Romania went on to reach the quarterfinals, where they lost to a strong Swedish team. 1994 is considered Romania’s golden age, with several of the country’s players joining Premier League teams after the tournament. Hagi left Italian side Bari after the tournament to join Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona, where he stayed for two years before ending his career with Turkish side Galatasary.
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