I was watching this nutmeg compilation set to "Rock Ya Body" by MVP and I realized that I am often not impressed by nutmegs because they often don't seem intentional. The first one in this clip probably is, but it's one where the "nutmegger" is backing down the "nutmeggee" and has plenty of time to wait and set up for a back-heel or turn through their legs. I suck at soccer and I could do that. Several in this clip are similar.
I guess the second one by Jose Antonio Reyes seems intentional too but even then he really has to set the stationary defender up in a 1-v-1 situation. This is certainly a legit way to "burn" someone but it doesn't seem to be how most of the 'megs in this video transpire. The attackers mostly make attempts to sidestep fast approaching defenders with a quick touch through their legs. I guess these could be on purpose but when you think of how small that space is and how little time a player has to see that space and make their move before it closes, most of these nutmegs seem like luck. Even worse, if these players were actually trying to take a touch around their defenders, they failed miserably.
Plenty of other people must have caught on to this, but I feel like no one mentions it because we like to think that players more often than not mean to do exactly what they do because it goes along with a sense of fairness and justice that we desire for sports and other things more important that sports. More simply, people are made uncomfortable when things they deem important are determined by luck. If Maicon didn't mean this goal, it takes away from its worth, effects our perception of how much Brazil "deserved" to win (though in this case they obviously did), and makes us wonder if Maicon is as outlandishly brilliant is this goal makes him out to be. Every bit of sense I have tells me the first goal is bs, but I still maintain the slightest belief that it could be forreal because I have committed to the idea that Maicon Douglas Sisenando is above suspicion and wouldn't try to fool me like that. Also being Brazilian helps.
Anyway, I ended up watching the nutmeg video because this video of Juan Mata housing Raul Albiol has been circulating recently. It's in training so I'm not counting it.
