GOAL II follows the success of GOAL number 1 and is really a trilogy based of the life of young football (soccer as it is called in North America) star, Santiago ‘Santi’ Munez (Kuno Becker).  The film begins with Santi’s success with Newcastle United leading him to be transferred to play big time in Madrid, Spain. 

The move leads to problems – the classic being the conflict between the newly found fame and time with his girlfriend, Roz (Anna Friel).  With fame going to his head, he sacks manager Glen (Stephen Dillane) until he comes to his senses (naturally) and wins the final game.
GOAL II is a definite crowd pleaser full of clichés that audiences love and critics despise.  Mike Jefferies’ script includes subplots involving Santi and his lost mother, his half brother and the relationship between him and coach Glen.  This means that half hour close to the film’s end, this critic is looking at his watch knowing that all these issues need be resolved before the audience is let out.  Thankfully, the latter problem is solved quickly with Glen basically telling Santi to ‘f’ off.  This is the film’s best move.

The climatic match has 4 minutes to spare with Santi’s team two goals behind.  Will the team win?  Will not disclose the result here, though no prizes will be offered as to whether Santi and team score the two goals in the remaining 4 minutes.  But most weird is that after director Collet-Serra brings all issues to a closure, the words ‘To be continued…” flashes on the screen.

For a film supposedly based in Newcastle, there is hardly any local ‘geordy’ lingo heard.  I heard only the work ‘belter’ (meaning smashing) once.  There was another football movie in the 90’s from Newcastle called PURELY BELTER.  The accents are all over the place and clearly not ‘geordy’ and it is easy to see why.  Friel is from Lancashire (west of England), Dillane from London and Becker, obviously from Mexico.  The football stunts at least look a bit convincing though I read that Becker is no great footballer.  The inter-cutting of games with shots of the likes of football stars like Zidane, Roberto Carlos and of course David Beckham help but one cannot help but realize that all this is a put up for show.

One thing to note was that the Champions League final was actually played between Arsenal and Barcelona.  So, everything in GOAL II: LIVING THE DREAM is a wild dream from the point of filmmaking.