Was The 2017 Puskas Award Unfair?

2017 gave us two of the most 'illegal' goals in football history. In one corner, you have Oscarine Masuluke, a South African goalkeeper who went up for a 96th-minute corner and scored a perfect bicycle kick to save the game. In the other, Olivier Giroud, the Frenchman who turned a cross behind him into a scorpion-kick masterpiece for Arsenal. Giroud took home the trophy but half the world thinks the goalie was robbed. Was it a stroke of luck or pure skill? Let’s settle the debate.

The Deadly Breakdown
1. Oscarine Masuluke (The Miracle)
-The Context: 96th minute. Baroka FC are losing 1-0 to Orlando Pirates. The keeper runs up for the final corner.
-The Goal: The ball is punched clear. Masuluke, with his back to the goal at the edge of the area, launches into a perfect overhead kick. It loops over everyone into the top bin.
-The Rarity: Goalkeepers scoring is rare. Goalkeepers scoring a bicycle kick in the final seconds of a derby is a "glitch in the matrix."

2. Olivier Giroud (The Work of Art)
-The Context: A lightning-fast Arsenal counter-attack. Alexis Sánchez crosses the ball but it’s a yard behind Giroud.
-The Goal: Instead of giving up, Giroud improvises, flicking his left heel back to catch the ball mid-air. It cannons off the crossbar and in.
-The Style: It was Joga Bonito at the Emirates. Arsène Wenger called it the greatest goal he had ever seen at that stadium.

The Verdict: Why Giroud Won
-The Voting: Giroud won with 36.17% of the fan vote, while Masuluke finished second with 27.48%.
-The Aura Factor: Giroud’s goal was part of a sweeping team move in the Premier League, which gave it global visibility.
-The Support: Interestingly, CR7, Messi, Harry Kane and Lewandowski all showed support for the goalkeeper. Cristiano Ronaldo famously stated at the awards ceremony that he would have voted for Masuluke’s goal.

If you had the final vote, who are you giving the award to?

SO: Narrative of the Exceptional
No copyright intended, purely educational
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