Advertisement

Meet Stephanie Roche, The First Woman To Make The Shortlist For Soccer’s Goal Of The Year

CREDIT: YOUTUBE/FAIOFFICIAL
CREDIT: YOUTUBE/FAIOFFICIAL

James Rodriguez, Robin Van Persie, and Stephanie Roche. Those are the three contenders for this year’s FIFA Puskas award, which is given to the scorer of what is voted by soccer fans worldwide to be the year’s best goal. Van Persie, the Dutch striker who leads Manchester United, and James, the Colombian who now stars for Real Madrid, are household names among soccer fans, but few people knew of Stephanie Roche before FIFA announced the three contenders for goal of the year earlier this week.

Roche, 25, is the first woman to make it to the Puskas top three. The Dublin native became a YouTube sensation this year when her wonder-goal for the little known Irish club Peaumont United went viral. While Van Persie’s and Rodriguez’s goals were watched live by millions of people worldwide during the World Cup, Roche’s goal was serendipitously filmed by someone in the stands. She scored her goal in a tiny stadium outside Dublin with hardly any spectators present. Although the difference in circumstances between her goal and the other two is immense, there is no difference in the amount of technical skill involved. This is how FIFA describes Roche’s goal:

“When the ball came towards Peamount United forward Stephanie Roche against Wexford Youths, she had her back to goal, yet three touches later and without the ball touching the turf, it was in the back of the net. With her first touch she controlled it masterfully, before producing a dink over her marker’s head, spinning and unleashing a magnificent volley.” Watch the goal here:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=c0L0WIK2Ync

“At the time I didn’t really think much about it. I was just happy to score.” Roche told BBC Newshour yesterday. “It wasn’t until after the game when I’d seen the goal on the laptop and I was like: okay, that was nice.”

Advertisement

Roche has since moved up in the soccer world. She now plays for French Division 1 team ASPTT Albi and has solidified her position as a mainstay in the Ireland women’s soccer squad. Last week she recreated her prolific goal for French television to show that it was not a one-time fluke.

Although women’s soccer has made progress over the past few years, the world’s most popular game is still an overwhelmingly male dominated sport and industry. Not only are female players paid much less on average than even lower league male players, they are often discriminated by the sport’s governing bodies. This year a group of star female players sued FIFA due to the institution’s decision to have the 2015 Women’s World Cup played on turf instead of grass — something which would never be suggested for men’s soccer because turf changes the pace of the game and is also more injury prone. Women’s soccer is often characterized as less technical than men’s soccer, essentially a lesser version of the beautiful game.

Roche hopes her goal will help remedy all that. “It’s not just good for women’s football in Ireland but for women’s football all over the world. It’s being seen at a higher stage,” she said. “It’s something I’m obviously very proud of.”

The winner of the Puskas award will be announced in January at the FIFA Ballon D’Or ceremony in Zurich.