Out of 78 goals between the regular season and postseason, we are down to the final four in the Goal of the Year bracket. 16 goals went head to head in round 1, and only the best eight faced off in the quarterfinals earlier this week. Now the choices only get harder as we get to the final four –– but only you can choose which was the year's best goal.
Without further ado, here are your choices.
Matchup #1
Josef sets the single-season goal record
Josef's historic night in Orlando has cruised through the first two rounds of voting, beating Kevin Kratz's free kick and Julian Gressel's volley vs RSL in the first two rounds by 62% and 59% respectively. That's because this goal came from a night no Atlanta United fan will ever forget. With the game on the line, Josef Martinez goes into enemy territory and chips the Orlando City goalkeeper to break the single-season goal record.
Tito's long-range stunner
Josef comes up against another strong contender in Tito Villalba's long-range special against San Jose, which took 83% of the vote in round one and 79% in round two. And it's not hard to see why. Perhaps the snub of the year in the MLS Goal of the Year vote, Tito's vicious curling first-time effort against San Jose sparked one of the best comebacks the league has ever seen.
Matchup #2
Miggy's unstoppable run against Orlando
The moment a convincing win became a route. One of Miguel Almirón's signature moments at Mercedes-Benz Stadium this year, shrugging off the Orlando City defender effortlessly before smashing home through the legs of the goalkeeper. It was good enough to beat out Franco Escobar's postseason blast versus the Red Bulls in one of the first round's tightest contests, taking home 51.5% of the vote. But Miggy took 60% of the vote against Josef Martinez's opener against the Red Bulls in round two, clinching a spot in the semifinals.
Tito ices the victory over Red Bulls
One of the most emotional moments of the season, the goal that all but clinched Atlanta United's MLS Cup berth. Tito Villalba's swerving effort left the Red Bulls goalkeeper with absolutely no chance. It faced a tough challenge in the first round with Josef Martinez's volley versus NYCFC, but showed how strong a candidate it is with 75% of the vote. Then it edged out another serious contender in Miggy's postseason free kick against NYCFC by a 53% to 47% vote.
Click here to see the round 1 results, or here to see the quarterfinals. Stay tuned for results and the final round coming up soon.
