The Great World Cup Goals, #12: Maicon (Brazil) vs North Korea, 2010 (Video)

Chris Wright

20th, May 2014

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By Chris Wright

South Africa Soccer WCup Brazil North Korea

With tempartures dipping below zero at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, it took Dunga’s frost-bitten Brazil side (rated number one in the FIFA rankings at the time) almost an hour to score against North Korea (rated 105th) in their opening group tie at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa – but my-oh-my was the goal worth the wait when it eventually did arrive…

Maicon’s bending beauty immediately stoked one of the great “did he mean it?” debates around the world, with the man himself looking none-the-wiser as he celebrated with his team-mates in a state of strange emotional limbo…

South Africa Soccer WCup Brazil North Korea

Brazil went on to win the game 2-1 – though, of course, that very much depends which news reports you choose to believe…

More in the series…

#1 – Maxi Rodriguez (Argentina) vs Mexico, 2006
#2 – Saeed Al-Owairan (Saudi Arabia) vs Belgium, 1994

#3 – Giovanni Van Bronckhorst (Holland) vs Uruguay, 2010
#4 – Pierre Njanka-Beyaka, (Cameroon) vs Austria, 1998
#5 – Nelinho (Brazil) vs Italy, 1978
#6 – David Platt (England) vs Belgium, 1990
#7 – Alessandro Del Piero (Italy) vs Germany, 2006
#8 – Javier Zanetti (Argentina) vs England, 1998
#9 – Manuel Negrete (Mexico) vs Bulgaria, 1986
#10 – Emmanuel Sanon (Haiti) vs Italy, 1974
#11 – Josimar, (Brazil) vs Northern Ireland, 1986