Free-kicking frontrunners.

By: Brandon Vondera

What's all this talk you hear about free-kick specialists? What is a free-kick? And, who are the worlds premiere free-kickers?

Formally, just another way to restart play after an infringement by the opposition, the direct free-kick is quickly rising to be one of the most dynamic methods to score in football. With its increased importance to a clubs lively-hood, more and more free-kick specialists are emerging in todays modern game. This is one of the most exciting and feared moments in a game depending on which side your alliances fall.

In football a direct free-kick is awarded the opposing team when a player commits a personal foul, for example tripping or pushing an opponent. More so, if the offense was committed within the opposition team's penalty are, the kick becomes a penalty kick. The importance of the 'direct' free-kick, is that it allows a player to shoot directly at the goal. A traditional free-kick must first touch another player before being put on net. Since you know now what it is, let's see why it is so crucial to the game.

Looking back,World Cup dreams have sprung to life, and equally been smashed to smithereens by the free kick. Believe me. One must only ask anyone that witnessed David Beckham's goal drawing England with Greece, enabling his side to secure qualification for the 2002 World Cup. (more on that later)

After much deliberate debate and rounds of re-mixing, here is my list of the world's top-ten free-kick virtuosos.

10.) Steven Gerrard

To get things started, I present to you , Steven Gerrard. He published his own autobiography, Gerrard: My Autobiography in 2006. Nowadays he spends time producing more for his club, Liverpool, than he does for the publishing world. Above fan support, Gerrard has a 3X FIFA World Player of The Year winner, Zinedine Zidane in his corner. "Is he the best in the world? He might not get the attention of Messi and Ronaldo but, yes, I think he might be." Said the famous Frenchman, of the 2009 Football Writers' Association Footballer of The Year. This blast vs The Gunners was spectacular.

9.) Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is quickly making many fans cheer and keepers jeer as he continually makes his free-kick tries count. He may have been number ten on my list, but with his birthday (Feb. 5) coming this week I decided to give him the nod at number nine. Besides, I am pretty sure he is only going to improve for another couple of years. Check out this fan view of a beautiful goal vs. Euro in 2007.

8.) Pierre Von Hooijdonk

Pierre Van Hooijdonk was really doing his thing at the beginning of this decade, and I have not forgotten. While he played for the Dutch club Feyenoord, he was truly remarkable. All throughout the 2001/2002 campaign his free kicks were precise. None more so than his über-shot against Freiburg in the UEFA cup. This shot cemented his name as a legend at Feyenoord forever.

7.) Roberto Carlos

There is one big reason why Roberto Carlos made this list, and it has much to do with his famous goal vs France in 1997. That particular goal defied the laws of physics when it bent around the wall for Brazil. It may be one of the top-three goals all-time.

6.) Diego Maradona

His compact physique, short powerful legs, and low center of gravity were all used with such effectiveness, Maradona is often considered the best footballer of all-time. While it was well documented that he battled monstrously with cocaine abuse, it was his magic on the field that landed the 1986 World Cup Golden Ball recipient at number six. This free-kick is over 20 years old. But time stands still for this spectacular shot.

5.) Alessandro Del Piero

As famous over the years for scoring from the "Del Piero Zone", attacking from the left flank and curling precision lobs into the far top corner of the goal, he is also the ageless wonder of the dead ball. It was the ephemeral Maradona that quipped, "I am certain that Del Piero really never grows old". I've showcased a long video highlighting some of his best. The soundtrack on this clip is well-favored too...

4.) Shunsuke Nakamura

In 2006, he became the first Japanese player to score a goal in the UEFA Champions League. His fame grew astronomically, so much that, the Asteroid 29986 Shunsuke is named in his honor. Undeniably he has failed to shine much since leaving Celtic of the Scottish Premiere League. Although he primarily plays a reserve role for Espanyol of the Spanish Primera Division, he remains one of my favorites from the free-kick. This unstoppable goal in the final ten minutes against Manchester United, although courtesy of a controversial whistle, is one I regard remarkable.

3.) Siniša Mihajlović

Known as one of the top-notch free-kickers of all-time, you had to feel certain Siniša would make my list. One of his finest outings, had to be when he scored a historical hat-trick on free-kicks against Sampdoria during his stay with Lazio. He is currently chiefs Cantina of Serie A.

2.) David Beckham

When the catch-phrase "Bend it Like Beckham" is not only globally recognized, but the synopsis of a Hollywood film of the same title, you are certainly a fanciful free-kicker. Before his days of being established as an elite advertising brand and popular fashion icon, Becks was to play 100 Champions League matches before any other Brit would do so. His most famous free-kick is positively this goal vs Greece that enabled England to qualify for the 2002 World Cup. His former manager Sir Alex, once said about Beckham, "He practiced with a discipline to achieve an accuracy that other players wouldn't care about." A natural entertainer on pitch or off, Beckham often came up clutch for both club and country securing him as one of the choice free-kickers in history.

(Turn up the volume on this one. No more for the magnificent call, but to feel the crowds eruption at Old Trafford)

1.) Juninho Pernambucano

Born Antõnio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr., and hypothetically not known enough for having more free-kick highlight-worthy goals than letters in his name, Juninho Pernambucano is known as the free-kick master of football. It was rumored that he once ownedd a 50% conversion rate on his set piece shots while playing for Lyon, all the while notching upwards of 40 goals for the club. Juninho has been accurately portrayed as "One of the world's most feared strikers of the static ball." The king of the knuckleball, Pernambucano retired from play follwoing the 2006 FIFA World Cup. As June draws nearer and nearer, I can only hope we see a new star of the set piece rise from the Soccer City stage of South Africa.

Who would you pick to be your top free-kick specialists?