Toe bog, bog toe or bull toe. Call it what you like (I call it toe bog), it gets a lot of negative press as a method of striking a ball.
Why though? It's a legitimate technique that has an appropriate time and place. Looking back on a rich and storied underage career in GAA I remember frequently calling on my big toe to make an indelible effect on proceedings. Granted, the biggest impression it would usually make was a bruised toenail, other, more cultured proponents of the toe bog have used the technique with much aplomb.
But what is the technical definition of a toe bog? I would argue, any shot of moderate pace where the big toe makes a hard contact with the ball. And before I hear shouts of 'that goal was a trivela' or 'a toe poke', let me say that the toe bog/bog toe/bull toe is an Irish phenomenon and that while the goals in this list may fall into other types of categories that still does not preclude them from being agricultural toe bogs.
Here are eight great 'toe bog' goals.
1. Torres V Man United
Torres definitely had a bloody toe for a few days after this.
2. Tarrabt V Fulham
Exquisite bull toe by the mercurial Morrocan.
3. Oscar v Croatia
A great example of a toe bog done right. Measured, accurate and cheeky, though the goalkeeper will be asking questions of himself.
4. Ronaldo v Turkey
The Brazilians love their bog toe, so they do. Here the original 'Ronaldo' bull toe's the ball past Turkish keeper Rustu in the 2002 World Cup. That protractor haircut takes me back...
5. Ronaldinho v Chelsea
The deftest of bull toes by Ronaldinho here in 2005. This was subsuquenlty tried in playgrounds up and down the country to little success the following day. Purists will say this was a toe poke, but from that far out? Nah, I'm not having it. Toe bog all the way.
6. Michael Essien v Arsenal
Beautiful use of the toe by the big Ghanaian. Just because he got a bit of swerve on the ball does not mean that this isn't essentially a souped up toe punt.
7. Keane V Arsenal
Some say Keane's toe is still swollen from this effort.
8. Henry V Sparta Prague
Trivela? Try Toe bog.
