http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsZkCFoqSBs
YouTube credit: FrankdeJong
WITHOUT A TRACE of exaggeration, it is one of the finest goals ever scored on a football pitch.
On 4 July 1998, with the scores level at 1-1 and a minute to play in Holland’s World Cup quarter-final against Argentina, Dennis Bergkamp plucked a raking Frank de Boer ball from the sky with his cushioned first touch, brought it back through the legs of Roberto Ayala with his sublime second, and fired past Carlos Roa with his clinical third.
Three magical touches to capture a career choc-full of genius.
The only words that even come close to doing Bergkamp’s brilliance justice are those of Dutch commentator Jack van Gelder:
Met balbezit voor Frank de Boer, Frank de Boer speelt de bal heel goed naar Dennis Bergkamp. Dennis Bergkamp, Dennis Bergkamp neemt de bal aan. Dennis Bergkamp! Dennis Bergkamp! Dennis Bergkamp! Dennis Bergkamp! Dennis Bergkamp! Oh, Frank de Boer speelt de bal naar Dennis Bergkamp, die neemt de bal feilloos aan en die schiet de bal er in! We spelen nog officieel 20 seconden, Dennis Bergkamp 2-1!
