Where I live, my friends and I always wanted to play soccer but we had two problems: There were not enough soccer fields available or, if there was an empty space we could play at, we didn’t have what was most important: a soccer goal. I remember we used to put two rocks to simulate the goal. It was always a discussion whether it was a goal or not.

Having a soccer goal wherever you play changes the experience of the game HUGELY. Buying a portable soccer goal can represent a great investment either for big teams at training, or for your own personal use if you don’t have access to a good soccer field, to play with your friends, alone, and even take some freekicks.

My dad owns a school and he wanted to organize and indoor soccer league but didn’t know what soccer goal to buy for the tournament. I did the research and helped him buy the best goal for a reasonable price.

I can speak with all confidence about it and give details about its performance because I have actually played in it many times.

My 2 Recommended Picks for Portable Soccer Goals:

  • SKLZ Quickster Soccer Goal (click to check price on amazon): This is the ideal soccer goal for a small-sided pitch. I would buy this to play a 5 vs 5 game or to put it at a indoor soccer field. The size is ideal for kids also, as it is not extremely big but also not super small. However, teenagers and adults can also use it at a small sided field as I said before. If you need a bigger goal you can also buy The Pro Version of the same goal.
  • GOLME PRO Training soccer goal (click to check price on amazon): This goal is ideal for a big sized soccer pitch. It is perfect for a 11 vs 11 soccer match as it has the official soccer goal size at: 8 x 24 feet. I would also use it for training freekicks.

Why I picked the SKLZ Quickster Soccer goal

 

As I said at the beginning of this article, my dad is the owner of a High School. They decided to build a small basketball/indoor soccer court. In this court we would play the basketball and indoor soccer leagues. At the beginning of the soccer league we used to put two sticks to represent the posts of the goal. To score a goal, the ball had to pass lower than a certain height or it wouldn’t count.

There was ALWAYS a discussion whether it was a goal or not, and playing was not as fun as it would be with a real soccer goal. My dad decided to make the investment to buy a portable soccer goal for the league. Knowing that I am very involved in the soccer world, he asked me for help to choose the correct goal.

I came up to the SKLZ Quickster goal at a local store. The first thing that was important for me at the moment was the SIZE. I found the size 12 x 6 feet to be perfect for the small-sided type of soccer. I am about 1.85 meters tall (6.1 feet) and didn’t found this goal excessively small and not overly big at all.

What calls me most the attention about the SKLZ Quickster goal are the “posts”. In all soccer goals, posts normally are solid metal or wood material. In this goal the posts are nylon tapes or straps as you saw in the picture above. This is a great advantage for kids safety when playing, although adult players will have a good experience playing with it as well.

The nylon straps contribute to make this goal more portable and durable. Because the post are not solid, the ball won’t rebound in them and there is no risk of the goal breaking apart.

At first, the goal seems to be a little weak but when I started using it and kicking as hard as I could into it, I found out I was totally wrong. This goal is impressively durable. The only thing I would be aware of is to protect it from the rain. If it is exposed too much time to the water from the rain, the nylons from the net can start to wear off and some aluminum parts may rust due to the over exposition to the weather.

Portable goals are made to be used and then packed away to be stored in a safe place until its next use. If you take care of it, you will have a goal that could last for a long time. This goal has a year covered in warranty.

I’ve come across called “portable goals” that are less portable than a desktop computer. There are some goals that are just supremely hard to install and to pack, and are super heavy. The SKLZ Quickster goal is incredibly portable, lightweight, and easy to install. Probably it will take from 3-5 minutes to set it up and another 3 minutes to put it away in its bag. A 10-year-old can carry it folded in its bag easily.

Another important aspect of this goal is stability. It is important that when you buy a portable soccer goal, this one doesn’t fall with the wind and that it stays firm and stable with hard shots, which is the case with this product.  It will be stable either on hard cement floor, artificial, and natural grass.

For all the things it offers, I found the SKLZ Quickster goal to be a very good portable soccer goal for the price it sells for, in comparison to other expensive portable soccer goals.

GOLME PRO Training Soccer Goal

If what you want is a more hardcore, professional size goal, the way to go is the GOLME PRO training soccer goal. When you are looking for good portable goal with a pro 8 x 24 feet size, it is VERY hard to find something that is cheaper than 300 dollars.

I found goals this size to be extremely expensive, but with this goal I am recommending you truly get the best value for money at a fairly reasonable price.

First of all, it is important to clarify that this goal is not as easy to set up as the SKLZ Quickster goal, however, when you get the hang of it, it is very easy to do. With this goal you get two solid posts and a crossbar that is very similar to the posts from the SKLZ goal (not solid; bendable).

This goal has a 365 day warranty (a year), which a strong aspect in its favor. You can get that warranty and see its price here on amzon.

A crossbar like this is important if you want the goal to be as portable as possible. For a goal this size, GOLME does a great job to make such a big goal, fold into a reasonable size bag. I found a review and an easy setup tutorial on youtube so you can get a better idea of how this goal really is.

How to buy the perfect soccer goal

Consider the size and playing surface

Everyone has different necessities when buying a goal. Depends a lot on where you want to use it. Whether it is in an indoor court 5 vs 5 with friends, 7 vs 7 game or a full size 11 vs 11, you need to consider this factor very well to get the most out of your goal.

Make sure that the goal you are buying can be set up in the surface you are playing at. There are some goals that can only be installed in soft natural grass, others can only work at cement, and some that can work at both like the SKLZ Quickster goal.

Make sure it’s portable…DUH!

Be careful with false advertisement, most portable goals retailers will tell you how easy and practical to set up their goals is, but it may be far from the reality when you realize that setting it up is harder than solving a 1000 pieces puzzle, plus it is even harder to carry it everywhere.

Before buying a goal, search youtube videos or articles that teach how to set it up. By doing this, you’ll get a better idea of how easy it is to assemble and if it will reach the objective of being able to carry it anywhere you play.

Stability

It makes no sense buying a goal that moves around with the wind or that falls down every time you kick into it. Make sure it is strong enough to handle your hard shots and the strong breeze.

Durability is everything

If you are going to invest 200-300 dollars in a portable soccer goal, make sure that it is one that will last for at least 3-4 years. Read product reviews online to find out what buyers think about the product.

Make sure it is stable and rough. A goal that can stand a hard 120 km/h shot without the net tearing apart or the goal falling and moving out of position are the goals we are looking for. Both goals I recommend are completely durable and fulfill this aspect exceptionally. Look for the goal’s warranty period (it should be at least a year-long).

Advantages of buying a portable goal

There is nothing like playing with a strong solid goal. The problem is that it is not easy to set them up anywhere, and they can’t move from where they are if they don’t have wheels. Also, at least in my country, it is not easy to find these type of soccer goals if it is not at a stadium or a private field.

Then, what are soccer enthusiasts supposed to do? The best and most logic option is buying a portable goal.  Some advantages of buying a portable soccer goal are:

  • Take it anywhere you go: The only thing you need to have is an empty space to set up the goal and a soccer ball. You can set it up at your backyard, at the park, etc.
  • Suits perfect for kids: Usually kids don’t need huge goals to play at. With portable goals you have the possibility to choose the ideal size for your kids.
  • Reasonable price: Did you know a professional rigid goal can cost up to 2000 dollars? That is super expensive for a normal person like us. For only 300 dollars you can get a portable durable goal that you can take anywhere with you. Obviously, it is not the same experience as a pro goal, but it will offer a great sensation for training and developing your skills.