PUSKAS AWARD : Whos Ferenc Puskas?

Ferenc Puskas
(Hungary/Spain)


     One of the finest ever players in the game, Ferenc Puskas never was able to fulfil his true potential in a World Cup, despite being silvermedalist in 1954. He began his career in 1943 in Kispest a suburb of Budapest, and at the age of 18 in 1945 he made his debut for Hungary against Austria in his country's first post-war international match. Puskas played in the fabulous Hungary side that trashed England 6-3 at Wembley in 1953, the first team outside Britain to beat England at home.
     Born in 1927, Puskas was an odd looking footballer. He was short, stocky, barrel-chested, overweight, couldn't head and only used one foot. Known as "The Galloping Major", a reference to the fact that he was an army officer playing for an army team, he had huge success in Hungarian football with Kispest Honved. He won four league championships with them before moving to Real Madrid. He would enjoy even more success in the Spanish capital. Partnering the great Alfredo di Stefano up front, they formed the most feared duo in international football. Puskas was topscorer four times in the Spanish league, helping his team to win six domestic trophies and three European Cups. In the 1960 European Cup final he hammered home four goals in Madrid's 7-3 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.
     Puskas and Hungary were unbeaten in four years of international football when they arrived in Switzerland to play in the World Cup in 1954. It looked like their record would remain after beating South Korea 9-0 and the strong Germans 8-3! Puskas missed the quarter- and semifinal through injury, but his teammates took care of the business beating Brazil 4-2 in the "Battle of Berne" where fighting seemed more interesting than football for the players. Defending champions Uruguay were beaten after extra-time and the stage was set for a final against West Germany. Puskas insisted on playing in the final despite not being fully fit. The Galloping Major took over the captaincy and after only eight minutes Hungary were two goals up, with Puskas getting one of the goals. However, The Germans characteristically came back and won 3-2. It was a shock result and Hungary's four year unbeaten record came to an end. The team broke up a couple of years later during the revolution in Hungary. Puskas later played four times for Spain in his time in Real Madrid but failed to score. For Hungary he played 84 times and scored a world record 83 goals! No player, not even Pelé, has scored that many goals for a national team.


CREDIT SOURCE

Faiz’s goal scores worldwide

PETALING JAYA: A Malaysian footballer could find himself nominated for this year’s Puskás Award for the aesthetically best ever goal scored.
Penang’s Mohd Faiz Subri’s wonder goal from a freekick against Pahang in the Super League at the City Stadium on Tuesday is being shared around the world, with the video clip going viral.
The nippy player’s strike is even being compared to the thunderbolt scored by Brazil’s leftback Roberto Carlos against France in 1997.
The Puskás Award was introduced in 2009 by Fifa to award the player, male or female, judged to have scored the most aesthetically significant or “most beautiful” goal of the year.

The award was named in honour of Ferenc Puskás, a Real Madrid striker in the late 1950s and 1960s, and a central member of the highly successful Hungarian side from the same era.

Faiz’s hit from about 30m looked to be heading towards the top left corner of the goalmouth, but the ball then swerved dramatically to top right corner of the net.
The wicked “physics-defying” swerve deceived the Pahang goalkeeper, who could only helplessly watch the ball sail into the net.
The freekick has awed football-crazy Malaysians, local political figures and foreign publications.
In his posts on Facebook and Instagram, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is currently in the United States, confirmed that news of the glorious goal had even reached US shores.
Najib said he had watched a clip of the 29-year-old’s incredible feat and described it as “memang cantik!” (truly beautiful).
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng also praised the sportsman from the Pearl of the Orient.
“Cannot get enough of Penang player Faiz Subri’s wonder goal that helped brighten up the Malaysian footballing scene,” he said on Facebook.
Faiz’s goal has also been shared by football fans all over the world.
On the 101greatgoals.com Facebook page, the video has been shared more than 31,000 times. Facebook user James Downie wrote: “The wind was tame and Faiz’s freekick was just sheer spin. He sliced that ball beautifully.”
The goal has also been highlighted by news organisations worldwide, including the Sydney Morning Herald, Bleacher Report and The Independent.