The 1998 World Cup was the topic during a nostalgic OTB Football Saturday, with THAT goal by a certain Dennis Bergkamp drooled over quite a bit.
The Dutch striker, a legend at Arsenal after a career in north London that saw him score 87 goals over an 11-year period, hit the net in the final minute of a 2-1 World Cup quarter-final win over Argentina.
Bergkamp took down a 60-yard pass from Frank de Boer with an exquisite touch, bringing it down through Argentine defender Roberto Ayala's legs, and finished it past Carlos Roa in goal from a tight angle.
It has gone down as one of the greatest finishes in history, and certainly one of the all-time top goals ever scored at a World Cup finals.
John Duggan was joined by Dan McDonnell, Johnny Ward, and Neil Treacy and they discussed that particular moment of magic on July 4th, 1998 in Marseille.
Johnny Ward said for him knowing Bergkamp's reserved personality only adds to the moment.
"We spoke about Tardelli last week where you're lost in the emotion of celebration over something you've done. Bergkamp's reaction to what he'd just done, the pass, the absolute disbelief.
"And [there's] the fact that Bergkamp is a guy with a fear of flying, he's a very shy individual, he has his own human traits like the rest of us.
"If you meet meet him he's not a remarkable individual, he's not going to tell you like 'I was an amazing football player'. He's very down to Earth, the goals he could score, and for me that's of the great all-time goalscoring moments.
"Not only was it in the 90th minute, but to take place in Marseille as well, pretty much the home of football in France. Unforgettable stuff."
Dan McDonnell added that the goal typified Bergkamp's brilliance, and said the commentary gave it a touch of extra magic.
"Lads, that is football..."
Was that Bergkamp goal at France '98 the greatest in history?@JohnDugganSport, @McDonnellDan, @Ui_Maine and @neil_treacy discussed on OTB Football Saturday.@paddypower pic.twitter.com/VsvBFbpWVX— Off The Ball (@offtheball) March 28, 2020
"I had forgotten that Ortega had gotten himself sent off before it for the headbutt on Van der Sar.
"He had these moments of brilliance, but obviously the self-destruct overcame the brilliance in that...
"The Bergkamp goal... I got a lot of comments on the Barry Davies commentary of that as well, people saying it was just an amazing piece of commentary that he produced. But that [goal] was just awesome.
"I remember Berkgamp scored a great goal for Arsenal against Leicester City at some point, and it was late in the game as well, but that moment... basically from a hopeful punt forward in the sun.
"It was a very angled ball, but you wouldn't be talking about that pass [from Frank de Boer] 22 years later if it wasn't for the control, the fact that he plucked it out of the air, that's what made it so good. I'm sure several similar passes were tried in the same game, but that was just..."
