Soccer Football - Scottish Cup - Final - Celtic v Rangers - Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - May 25, 2024 Celtic's Adam Idah scores their first goal REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
One of the many events from the Scottish Cup Final that has been overlooked is the shot from Paulo Bernardo that led to the decisive goal.
All sorts of refereeing issues from disallowed goals, penalty claims dismissed and potential red cards have dominated the headlines rather than Adam Idah’s goal and the build up towards it.
Paulo Bernardo has almost been overlooked, as time passes his role in a famous victory is likely to grown stronger with the video below as evidence.
A centrally struck shot from 25 yards should almost always be stopped, Jack Butland should have held it or pushed it away for a corner, instead he parried with the alert Idah pouncing to knock the rebound under the ‘keeper.
Neither BBC or Premier Sports seem to have had a camera directly behind Butland’s goal but one fan certainly did, keeping a steady hand until the bedlam of the celebrations.
The shot
The swerve
The finish
The noise
The limbsSimply magnificent pic.twitter.com/E78haCofto
— BelfColm (@BelfColm74) May 28, 2024
From the clip the ball does swerve noticeably towards Butland’s right, it isn’t easy but an experienced former England ‘keeper will have dealt with plenty of shots like that through his career.
The final will be remembered for Idah’s goal but there is no doubt that Berenardo had a considerable assist in what may be his last appearance for Celtic.
I think there is a case for buying Bernardo, particularly if O’Riley ends up being sold or Rodgers decides to move on Hatate whose performances haven’t been as dazzling as they were under Ange, albeit he’s had an injury-disrupted season.
Fully agree, I’d but bernardo as has shown he is a big game player with big goals to, reo hasn’t had the glittering season like we all would have liked, has been injured too often so would like to hope to board see the managers wishes come thru and sign the youngster up along with several other 1st team players. Gk, cb, lb add idah, bernardo and a big balm winning Central midfielder too that wanyama type player we have badly missed. Let’s make this gap even bigger celtic let’s get it done.
He’s had plenty of boots, head cracked by Sevco Hun elbow assault and nothing done about it…
Good old Bonnie Scotland eh !
Thanks for sharing that: after the game I was looking for a clip from behind the goals.
Can’t believe the TV companies didn’t have a camera positioned there.
…it’s not as though there’s a lack of space behind the Hampden goals… 🙁
Must admit though, I thought the swerve would have been more extreme,
but at least Bernardo took a shot – and from outside box – and it paid off! 🙂
All kidding aside, Butland had every right to expect that bunch of jokers in front of him to block Bernardo rather than open up a pathway. Raskin was the first culprit because he was more interested in putting the boot into Bernardo on the halfway line when he picked up McGregoer’s pass, than he was in winning the ball! Mistake #1!
Then as the big man ran straight at the defence, they all backed off and at around 25 yards Paolo saw his opportunity! He hit a brilliant swerving drive at the perfect, most difficult height for Butland to get under control.
I honestly wouldn’t have blamed Butland if he’d been our keeper! The first guy I’d have blamed would have been the idiot who thought trying to put the boot in (and failing) at the halfway line rather than attempting to win a 50/50 ball, was the right thing to do!
Actually come to think of it, take that back! That was just terrible coaching. This is how they are coached. This was after all the same player who blatantly and very openly used both hands to push big Joe at the corner which meant they had to succumb to the same rules everyone else does and not get away with it! No goal! OOPS! Well done Coach and Raskin!
But it certainly wasn’t Butland to blame for their terrible defending!