Stephanie Roche hopes to land world goal honour in Zurich

**snakeeyes** · 12-01-2015, 08:44 PM

Stephanie Roche hopes to land world goal honour in Zurich

Stephanie Roche insists her world goal of the year contender was no fluke.

Republic of Ireland women's player Roche, Colombia's James Rodriguez and Dutch star Robin van Persie will be the hopefuls for the Puskas Award at Monday's Fifa Ballon d'Or gala.

Roche recently successfully re-enacted her remarkable goal after a request by a French TV station.

"They asked me after training whether I'd try to replicate it and thankfully enough I was able to do it," she said.

"I pulled it off a couple of times and people realised it wasn't a fluke, which was nice. I did it on my second go."

Roche's spectacular effort for Irish women's team Peamount United against Wexford Youths in front of only 95 people on 13 October, 2013 means she will join the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at Fifa's annual awards in Zurich.

Wexford coach John Flood brought his video kit to the ground that was intended purely for his post-match analysis but which instead reaped the only recording of a goal now viewed over six million times on YouTube.

Roche, 25, was named on a 10-player long-list by Fifa in November before making the cut to the elite three in December.

It made her the first woman to feature on a Puskas Award final shortlist, and the first player from Ireland.

"I got a tweet from Fifa to say my name was in the top 10 for the Puskas Award and it was a surprise," said Roche.

"It was nothing too official until I got to the top three and they got in touch with the Football Association of Ireland and made contact with me."

The jaw-dropping moment for Peamount came when Roche collected a short cross from the right on her right instep, flicked it over bemused defender Laura Heffernan with her other boot and from 25 yards hammered a left-footed volley into the top right corner of the net.

Roche's remarkable goal helped earn her a professional contract with French top-flight team ASPTT Albi although she is now set to join another club

Albi said last week that Roche had decided to leave them after six months although the Irishwoman refused to comment on the issue in the BBC Radio Foyle interview.

The Republic of Ireland international was earning a reported £650 a month in France, plus her accommodation costs, and the French outfit's manager said she had received offers from "richer clubs".

Fifa has a public vote to decide the Puskas Award and Roche has been attempting to drum up support for her goal.

"I'm quite excited about the ceremony now," added the Irishwoman.

"I haven't had much time to think about it over the last few months, I've just been doing all I can to promote the goal."

Roche represented the Republic of Ireland Under-17 team as a 14-year-old and since making her senior international debut in 2008, has gone on to accumulate 28 caps

Great Goal I hope she wins the award .

BBC Sport - Stephanie Roche hopes to land world goal honour in Zurich

**Luigi** · 12-01-2015, 10:14 PM

It's the best of the three. Good luck to her.

**david44** · 12-01-2015, 11:19 PM

Peamount for when you really gotta shell out

Slainte and good luck in Frencvaros takin the Puskas.

James Joyce was ne'er quite himself after Zuerich and the dropping of the gnome bothering case

**snakeeyes** · 13-01-2015, 03:04 AM

James Rodriguez beats Stephanie Roche for Puskas award

Colombia's James Rodriguez has won the Fifa goal of the year award for his World Cup strike against Uruguay, beating Irishwoman Stephanie Roche.
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Netherlands striker Robin van Persie was third for his diving header against Spain in the World Cup.

Roche, who scored a stunner for Peamount against Wexford in the Irish top flight, had hoped to be the first female winner of the Puskas Award.

But she only landed 33% of the public vote to Rodriguez's 42%.

Rodriguez's control and volley from 25 yards in the last-16 tie was enough to win the award. The 23-year-old, then at Monaco, was the top scorer in the World Cup and joined Real Madrid after the tournament

Roche's spectacular effort in the Bus Eireann Women's National League was in front of an estimated 95 people on 13 October 2013.

She received the ball with her back to goal, took a touch on her right foot, flicked the ball over a defender's head with her left foot and then swivelled and volleyed home from outside the box

BBC Sport - James Rodriguez beats Stephanie Roche for Puskas award

**harrybarracuda** · 13-01-2015, 12:48 PM

Didn't really think they were going to give it to a chick did you?

**snakeeyes** · 13-01-2015, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Didn't really think they were going to give it to a chick did you?

Stephanie Roche thanks fans for 1.1 million votes after agonisingly close Fifa Puskas award loss to James Rodriguez

Stephanie Roche might have been pipped to the 2014 Fifa Puskas Award by James Rodriguez, but she was in no mood to dwell on the result after finding out the overall voting statistics.

The 25-year-old shot to fame after her extraordinary goal for Peamount United in the Women’s National League of Ireland went viral, and eventually ended up making it into the final three for the 2014 Puskas award.

Roche’s strike was eventually beaten by Rodriguez’s stunning volley for Colombia against Uruguay in the last-16 of the World Cup – but only by 9% of the overall votes.

The Irishwoman’s strike still received 1.1 million votes from fans – a third of the total votes overall, and three times more than the number received by Robin van Persie for his headed effort against Spain.

After finding out the full results, Roche took to Twitter to express her gratitude to her fans.

‘Very Proud to receive 1.1million votes. Congrats to James,’ she wrote.

‘A fantastic experience & thanks to everyone (across the world) for your support!’

Ballon d'Or 2014: Stephanie Roche Stephanie Roche thanks fans for 1.1 million votes after agonisingly close Fifa Puskas award loss to James Rodriguez | Metro News

**harrybarracuda** · 13-01-2015, 09:08 PM

Yeah, so she's had a viral campaign going among Ladettes.

Obviously not enough.

**Bruce Bayliss** · 14-01-2015, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by snakeeyes

Great Goal I hope she wins the award .

So did I

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