[Salopbaggie]

I must be missing something about the third Spanish goal, everyone seems to be raving about it, especially the pundits.

What I saw was the player hit the ball, granted with a fair bit of power, but it hit the post bounced across the goal hit the other post and ricocheted in.  Now I am sure that no one would suggest that was what the player intended to do, if it was OMG, it really was the best goal I have ever seen. So if he did not intend it, hitting two posts, resulting in a ricocheted goal, is extremely lucky in my book, so what am I missing, a good goal yes but worth all the hype, not so sure.

what made that a "worldy"
was the way Nacho kept the shot low
and the swerve on the strike
ok it hit the post
but that was a superb goal
have another look at it
great technique

Bang on.  And bear in mind he didn't even take a touch to control it.

90 times out of a hundred when a player shoots first-time from the edge of the box, it balloons over the bar.  Another 5 times he hits it into a defender, or straight at the keeper.  Another 4 times he'll place it just a bit too wide.  So to smash it first time and beat the keeper's reach by inches, but with just enough bend that it curls in off the post, deserves all the praise it gets.

Ska'd agree with most of your analysis, however the vast majority of the type of shot you mention are snap shots with the ball travelling at a fair rate of knots, Nacho had a good 3 seconds to set up the shot, an eternity by professional footballer standards, the ball was travelling relevantly slowly with very little spin, it was just crying out to be hit.

I have gone back and watched the goal again several more times, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXemv-SICk0 and sorry guys I am still being thick and not getting it.  I acknowledge that it was a great strike and if it had hit the back of the net without bouncing around first I would be with you singing its praises.  I would even think it was a great goal, if it had gone in of just one post. It did not though, it bounced off two posts before it went in the opposite corner of the goal to where Nacho was aiming, that makes it a good strike, but a lucky goal in my book. If you compare it to Ronaldo's (love him or hate him) free kick, which had just the right amount of power and bend, granted it is easier with a dead ball, but he hit exactly where he was aiming, surely that is what the skill is.  What would we be saying if instead of hitting the second post and ricocheting in, the ball had hit the back of the head of a defender standing on the far post and gone in, would it still be an amazing goal or would it be lucky?  OK, if it were an Albion player scoring, it would have been an amazing goal, if it were the opposition, it would have been lucky.