Can we get a worst XI based on the size of their f**k ups. e.g. Andres Escobar for being assassinated due to an own goal, Frank Sinclair for scoring last minute own goals on succesive saturdays etc. Over to you (explanations for inclusion may be necessary) Edit: Latest team Seaman (last minute blunder gifts Zaragoza Cup Winners Cup - notable mention for helping England exit 2002 World Cup against Brazil) Escobar (own goal got team eliminated in group stage of World Cup) De Boer (two penalty misses costing the Dutch progression to the Euro 2000 final) Arnefjord (last minute own goal ultimately costs AIK Swedish league title) No LB Beckham (kicking out may have ultimately eliminated England from World Cup) Zidane (headbut and subsequent sending off probably cost France World Cup final) No other CM No LM Gyan (missing a last minute penalty that would have made Ghana the first African country to reach the World Cup semi-finals) Khalfan (miss for Qatar probably cost his team a place in Asian Games semi-final
And this Swedish guy who played for the main rivals in Sweden Gotta say that I love him. They would have won the "gold medal" with 3 points in that game, 30 seconds left of the game and the opponents attack. Look what he does. Awesome own goal
Ok, so far we have: No keeper Escobar (own goal got team eliminated in group stage of World Cup) Sinclair (90th minute own goals on consecutive saturdays) Arnefjord (last minute own goal ultimately costs AIK Swedish league title) No LB Beckham (kicking out may have ultimately eliminated England from World Cup) Zidane (headbut and subsequent sending off probably cost France World Cup final) No other CM No LM Rooney (sending off against Portugal may have led to England being knocked out of World Cup) Khalfan (miss for Qatar probably cost his team a place in Asian Games semi-final There must be some better contenders out there.
didnt lee bracey get a red at liverpool for handling outside the area ok maybe not unique or outrageous but maybe he will do for now.
ooh! just remember the goalie - kraut keeper who flattened a frog forward in a WC semi many years ago. should have been sent off for a blatant bodycheck to the head and the sicko bent ref didnt even give a freekcik.
For a keeper I'd like to nominate David James against France in the Euro's in Portugal, I went to that game and would gladly have shot him immediately afterwards, he made two glaring errors(I can't find them on YouTube) and cost us the game. I was in a bad mood all the back to the Algarve, I didn't even bother to put the roof down on the car, that's how annoyed I was.
The penalty mistake was awful, but so was Gerrard's backpass, I can hardly put all the blame on James: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KyyqcZh5g8 around the 3:20 mark. What was the other mistake supposed to be? Not brilliant keeping for the other goal but not outrageous either.
There was another moment not long before the penalty when he made a bad cock-up that he got away with, but it's not on that clip. To be honest I'd forgotten how bad that back-pass was.
Since his team won that game I think he should go into a villains XI together with Maradona. Although I am thinking of changing it to Roberto Rojas for taking a razor blade to his head to get a game abandoned (I could probably put half the Sheff Utd team that lost to West Brom in that category)
for a goalkeeper I nominate Gary Sprake. Anyone old enough to remember him throwing the ball into his own goal against Liverpool in the early 70s?
How about the whole French team imploding at the last world cup. Evra, Anelka having a go at their trainer and their daft manager relying on horoscopes to pick the team. Funny as ****. Roy Keane arguing with McCarthy before the 2002 WC and storming off and being sent home. I know ROI did well but Keane would have been useful to have in the team.
I'm sure Sunderland fans would nominate Paul McShane for his performance against Everton when he was either fully or partially at fault for each of the 7 goals that Everton scored Frank De Boer, missed a penalty in normal time to win a game for Holland vs Italy, then strolled up in the shootout, winked at someone in the crowd and missed again....foolish At left back, you could nominate Wayne Bridge, for being at fault for all 3 goals in a 3-0 loss on debut for West Ham this year And on the same lines, Woodgate for scoring and og and getting sent off on debut for Real Madrid
Hurrah, a LB option! Thought I was going to have to have Gareth Bale for going something like 30 games at Tottenham without being on the winning side. Amazing how things change.