The 2016 AT&T Goal of the Year final is upon us, and it is up to MLS fans like you who will take home the title: New York City FC's Jack Harrison with some spectacular one-on-one play and a curling finish or Shkelzen Gashi of the Colorado Rapids with his swerving free kick.
The vote will last until Friday, and in the meantime, we polled some of the MLSsoccer.com editorial staff to get their takes on who should win Goal of the Year. (Vote at the bottom of this post.)
Also be sure to vote for your favorite goal in the Goal of the Year bracket, where you can also see all 64 original candidates and enter to win a VIP trip to MLS Cup 2016. When you're done, you can share the bracket with friends and make your case in the comments below!
TEAM GASHI
Nicholas Rosano, New Media Editor: No disrespect to Jack Harrison's outstanding effort but did you SEE the swerve on that Gashi free kick? Look at it head on – the ball leaves his foot well inside the goal, goes square with the post, and then curls back into the net at the last second, all with pace. You can't hit a free kick any better than that, and that's why it's my pick in this final round.
Ben Baer, Associate Editor: Harrison puts Ambroise Oyongo to shame, but his goal comes nowhere close to Gashi’s. The Albanian’s technical skill and execution on the goal is far superior to Harrison’s.
TEAM HARRISON
Alicia Rodriguez, Contributor: I want to lodge a protest vote for Quincy Amarikwa's goal, which will be the goal I'll remember from this season. But if I have to choose the one that is still in the running, I'd go for Jack Harrison's. I'm a sucker for a good dribble before unleashing a wonderful shot, and that one combines my favorite skills the best (of those still in the running).
Simon Borg, Editor-in-Chief: The approach, the run, the control, the dribbling trick, the technique, the curling shot: There's a lot to appreciate in that Harrison goal.
Steve Brisendine, Contributor: I have to go with Harrison. For me, a heat-of-the-moment goal is always going to beat a free kick. Gashi’s goal was beautifully struck and bent, but nobody was defending him. Harrison had to make a huge move to get free, then pull the trigger before the window closed.
Ben Couch, Senior Editor: Gotta weight this one to open-play action, Gashi’s goal was a stunner, but it was off a set piece. With one man to beat, Jack put Ambroise Oyongo in the BLENDER, then measured the gap between Wandrille Lefèvre (2 for flinching!) and Eric Alexander to line up a physics-defying curler past a solid keeper’s futile effort. The outstanding individual effort – created and executed from run of play – deserves to be recognized.
Sam Stejskal, Contributor: If Gashi’s goal last weekend against LA was in the running, I imagine I’d be leaning a little differently. But it’s not, and I’m with Harrison. We see top corner free kicks relatively frequently. I haven’t seen a crossover like that since Allen Iverson’s glory days. Go on, young Jack.
