Arsenal midfielder Cooney-Cross marked her 50th appearance for her country with the most stunning of long-range efforts that set the Matildas on their way to a 2-1 win over Germany in Duisburg, their first win over the European powerhouse in 19 years.
The goal, scored in October 2024 in a prestige friendly, came against the run of play soon before halftime when "KCC" spotted the Germany keeper off her line and struck a stunning shot from over 40 yards for a goal that required extraordinary vision and even more brilliant execution.
But the 23-year-old rising star of the Champions League-winning Gunners may have her work cut out to win the accolade, especially as the great Marta, arguably the finest woman player in history, has also been nominated.
The Brazilian superstar, now 39, has been nominated for a US National Women's Soccer League match when, typically, she got on to the ball in the centre circle for Orlando Pride, then sprinted and dribbled past two Kansas City Current defenders before rounding the goalkeeper and slotting into an empty net.
Marta also won the award in its inaugural year in 2024 with another startling effort against Jamaica for Brazil.
Others in contention include Ally Sentnor's swerving shot for the United States against Colombia at the SheBelieves Cup, and Dutch superstar Vivianne Miedema's floated shot for the Netherlands against Wales at the European Championships.
The short-list for the FIFA Puskas award for best men's goal of the season features a special from Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal, who scored a beauty against Espanyol in May -- a curling left-foot shot after running across the defence from the right wing.
The list also includes the stunning Declan Rice free-kick for Arsenal against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals, and the solo effort from the halfway line from Lucas Ribeiro for South African side Mamelodi Sundowns against Germany's Borussia Dortmund at the Club World Cup.
With AP
