Anyone looking for the perfect volley could start with Maxi Rodríguez against Mexico in 2006. The Argentine midfielder took a long diagonal pass on his chest, let it bounce once and struck it with his left foot from 25 yards. It flew into the top corner. The match was in extra time of a Round of 16 tie in Germany, the score was level, and the pressure could hardly have been higher.
The goal came in the 98th minute and put Argentina 2-1 up. It proved to be the winner.
Why Maxi's volley stands out
The chest control, the body shape and the timing all had to be right, and they were. Mexican goalkeeper Oswaldo Sánchez threw himself full stretch and never had a chance of reaching it.
The strike ended Mexico's tournament and sent Argentina into the quarter-finals. FIFA later voted it the best goal of the 2006 World Cup, and it is regularly mentioned among the finest volleys in football history.
Commentators struggled to find words at the time, and it is not hard to see why. Most volleys from that distance end up in the stand. This one was hit so cleanly that it never looked like missing, and Maxi made a very hard skill look simple at the moment it mattered most.
Some goals are good and some are great. This one was about as close to perfect as a volley gets.
Tomorrow: number 22.
