Reliant Stadium is known for hosting some of the biggest international friendlies, as well as being home to the NFL's Houston Texans. On Saturday night, a happy holiday crowd witnessed some of the world's best free kickers and goalkeepers - from current rising stars to retired players - in a high-stakes competition to determine the 2008 Free Kick Master...
Houston's own MLS team the Dynamo had two kickers entered - Dwayne de Rosario and Brad Davis, and USA had a duo from both ends of the USMNT age and experience spectrum - 34-year-old Eddie Lewis and teen phenom Jozy Altidore. However, two 2007/08 FC Barcelona teammates were the biggest names here - they were the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year runner-up Lionel Messi, and two-time past winner Ronaldinho...
Goalkeepers included former USMNT number one Kasey Keller and Manchester United's David James (the latter took the competition's $500,000 goalkeeping first prize)... The star strikers turned out to be two from Mexico, however - Jared Borgetti, and the winner - 2008 Free Kick Master Rafa Marquez. The top prize of a cool $1 million was his after a sudden death playoff round...
As for the rules of this skills competition, here are the basics from the event's press release:
"There is qualifying round and a final round. Each kicker has a wall and a goalkeeper to beat. A number of free kicks are made from four distances (18, 21, 25 and 30 meters).
Twenty-four free kickers and six keepers compete in the qualifying round; six kickers join six "wild-card" kickers and the top four keepers in the final round. Players earn points for goals, the number of points depending on the distance of the free kick. Points are also awarded for striking any of the goalposts. Keepers are assessed penalty points for goals allowed. The player with the most points and the keeper with the least points after the final round win."
The event was filmed for later telecast around the world as a Fox Sports special...
VIDEOS and more of the story from MVN Soccer here,
( http://mvn.com/soccer/2008/07/06/event-recap-and-videos-who-is-the-2008-free-kick-master/ )
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