Liverpool fans burned a Fernando Torres jersey on Monday night, furious that the striker their club pried from his hometown team in Madrid for tens of millions of pounds left Merseyside after three-plus seasons for Chelsea's tens of millions of pounds.Torres probably didn't grow up dreaming of playing for the Reds or the Blues. His favorite team was Atl�tico, and he played at his boyhood club for a dozen years. Those ties were loosened only when Rafael Ben�tez came calling in 2007.
Liverpool fans may be angry, but Torres was never really theirs to begin with.
The final day of the European transfer window was yet another reminder that club soccer is a business first. Players are motivated largely by the trappings of the pro game -- the money, the titles, endorsements and prestige. That's not a criticism. It's the nature of the beast.
If it's inspiration, loyalty, permanence and passion that you're looking for, turn toward the international game. For the most part, national teams feature players wearing a shirt they've yearned to put on since they could walk. The money clearly is secondary, and they strive not for the next big contract, but for national glory, history, friends and family.
The soccer may not always be as good, and there's still a bit of recruitment here and there, but it's far more pure than what's on offer at the club level (except perhaps at Barcelona, which combines the best of both). Win a championship with your national team, and you're not a mercenary who earned his keep. You're a legend.
Last weekend, a relatively unknown, 25-year-old Japanese player named Tadanari Lee (photo) attained that status. The Sanfrecce Hiroshima forward, playing in just his second international match, scored the Asian Cup winner on a thunderous overtime volley against Australia.
The juxtaposition between Lee's singular transcendent moment and the near absurdity of the transfer window left us interested in tracking down similar goals. The goals that secured at title that the scorer dreamed of winning in the shirt he was wearing, the goals that brought glory to both the player and a nation.
Our definition of such a goal will be based on Lee's -- it broke a tie in the competition's deciding game and proved to be the final tally in a match concluding with a one-goal margin. A true winner.
These goals are milestones in the history of the sport, yet many were new to us. We think they're worth watching and celebrating, so have compiled many of them here. So, in honor of Lee, Torres and as a reminder of how meaningful soccer can be, here's a one-stop repository of the biggest goals ever scored:
WORLD CUP
The earliest goal we could find (sorry, Angelo Schiavio) occurred more than 60 years ago and doesn't look like much, but it still has plenty of meaning. As Brazil 2014 approaches, the nightmare of the Maracanazo will be brought up again and again. Here's Uruguay's Alcides Ghiggia, scoring the goal that won the game, 2-1, and the 1950 World Cup for La Celeste in Rio de Janeiro.
Four years later, the favorites went down again. A Hungarian team that blasted Germany, 8-3, in the first round probably figured it was on its way again when it took a 2-0 lead in the final. But the Germans, as they would prove for the next half century, don't go down easily. Helmut Rahn scored the 84th-minute winner to cement "The Miracle of Bern."
Germany won its second World Cup in 1974, again coming from behind against a favorite who became famous for playing beautiful, but ultimately losing soccer. Johannes Neeskens gave the Netherlands an early lead, but the Germans won the trophy on Gerd Muller's 43rd-minute strike.
The Germans recovered from yet another deficit in the 1986 final, but they couldn't stop Diego Maradona. His 83rd-minute pass split the defense and Jorge Burruchaga provided the deft finishing touch, breaking a 2-2 deadlock as Argentina won its second World Cup.
The only goal on this list that came from the penalty spot was the decider in a dour 1990 final in Rome. Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Goycochea already had guided his side through two shootouts, but he couldn't stop Andreas Brehme's 85th-minute effort. Germany was champion for a third time.
And of course, Andr�s Iniesta rescued the 2010 final in Johannesburg and brought Spain a deserved first World Cup title (FanHouse was there -- you can read the story from Soccer City here.)
CONCACAF GOLD CUP
Luis Hern�ndez gives lifts Mexico to 1-0 win over the United States and the 1998 Gold Cup title -- its third straight -- with this header just before halftime in Los Angeles.
Daniel Osorno salvages regional pride, and gives Mexico Gold Cup No. 4, with this golden goal against guest Brazil in 2003.
Benny Feilhaber scores American soccer's goal of the decade as the U.S. comes from behind to defeat Mexico, 2-1, in the 2007 final at Soldier Field.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
The Soviet Union won UEFA's first championship for national teams in 1960, defeating Yugoslavia, 2-1, in Paris. Viktor Ponedelnik headed in the overtime winner in a final between two countries that no longer exist.
A sharp, 84th-minute header from Marcelino Mart�nez lifted Spain to a 2-1 triumph over the Soviets in the 1964 final in Madrid.
Germany won its second European championship when Horst Hrubesch beat the Belgians in the 88th minute of the 1980 final in Rome.
Oliver Bierhoff introduced the world to the finality of the golden goal when his deflected shot confused Czech goalie Petr Kouba in the 1996 final at Wembley Stadium. Germany hasn't won a title since.
Four years later in Rotterdam, world champion France mounted an incredible comeback against Italy that was settled with David Trezeguet's overtime blast. Italy would get its revenge in Berlin six years later, when Trezeguet's shootout miss gave the Azzurri their fourth World Cup.
Greece ground out three stunning 1-0 upsets on its way to the 2004 title in Portugal. Angelos Charisteas scored the goal that defeated the hosts in the final.
Fernando Torres did the honors in 2008, leading Spain to a 1-0 win over Germany in Vienna and ending his country's 44-year trophy drought.
COPA AM�RICA
Uruguay defeated Chile, 1-0, in the 1987 final thanks to Pablo Bengoechea's rebound goal in the 56th minute. Chile has failed to make any of the nine finals since.
Rom�rio gives us a taste of things to come with the only goal of the 1989 final (against Uruguay at the Maracan� -- small revenge). It was Brazil's first Copa title in 40 years.
Argentina's most recent Copa Am�rica came all the way back in 1993, and it came thanks to Gabriel Batistuta. His well-taken 74th-minute goal was his second of the Guayaquil final and was enough to defeat Mexico, 2-1.
Mexico was the victim again in 2001 as Iv�n C�rdoba headed Colombia to the only major title in its history.
ASIAN CUP
Takuya Takagi brought Japan the first of its four continental championships with his first-half strike against Saudi Arabia in the 1992 final in Hiroshima.
Title No. 2 for the Blue Samurai came eight years later in Beirut. This time it was Shigeyoshi Mochizuki who bested the Saudis.
Perhaps the most improbable championship in the history of international soccer, Iraq's 2007 Asian Cup triumph was secured by Younis Mahmoud's 72nd-minute header in Jakarta.
AFRICAN NATIONS CUP
Nigeria was the villain of the piece in 1994. One year after Zambia's national team was wiped out in a plane crash on the way to a World Cup qualifier, the Chipolopolo embarked on an inspiring Nations Cup run in Tunisia. Emmanuel Amuneke, however, ended Zambia's hopes with his second goal of the final just after halftime.
Tunisia won its first and only championship in 2004 when Ziad Jaziri converted this second-half rebound against rival Morocco.
Shocking defending from Cameroon gave Mohamed Aboutrika the opportunity to break a scoreless tie in the 2008 final in Accra. Egypt won its second straight title.
This classy 85th-minute finish from Mohamed Nagy, known as Gedo, lifted Egypt to a 1-0 win over Ghana in Luanda, its third straight African championship and seventh overall.
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