Football

Was this miss from Tom Brady’s Birmingham the worst ever? Not even close

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Birmingham City came from behind to beat Derby County 2-1 in the English on Saturday though the result would have been a little more comprehensive had Luis Vázquez not produced one of the worst misses in history at the tail end of the game.

With just a couple of minutes left to play at Pride Park, the Argentine forward failed to extend Birmingham’s lead when he somehow managed to miss the target entirely despite being gifted with a golden chance just a few feet out from a completely vacant net.

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Having come on as a 74th-minute substitute, Vázquez was presented with the perfect opportunity to tap home his first goal of the season when Derby goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström parried a low shot from Ethan Laird directly into his path.

However, with almost the entire goal to aim for, the 25-year-old calmly side-footed his effort clear over the crossbar, thus defying xG in the most spectacular way possible.

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There can be no doubt that Vazquez’s miscue is a stinker in its own right, but how does it rank once compared to some of the very worst open-goal blunders that have gained entry into the horror miss hall of shame in recent(ish) years?

5. Nwanwko Kanu vs Middlesbrough, 2004

The Premier League has witnessed some incredible misses over the years (‘s Fernando Torres vs. Manchester United at Old Trafford in 2011 springs instantly to mind) but we have to trawl back a little further to reach what must surely go down as the nadir.

The year was 2004 and ex- striker Kanu was given the relatively simple job of tapping home a low cross at the back post to equalize for West Brom against Middlesbrough from almost directly beneath the Boro crossbar — and yet, he didn’t.

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4. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting vs Strasbourg, 2019

Having already opened the scoring for Paris Saint-Germain, Choupo-Moting managed to single-handedly prevent his side going further ahead against Strasbourg when he attempted to shepherd a shot over the line, only to accidentally block his teammate’s goal-bound effort.

The game finished 2-2 and such was the fervent social media reaction to his blunder, Choupo-Moting felt obliged to apologize for the extraordinary miss after the final whistle, saying: “I cannot change what happened, but for sure I will try to do better!”

3. Dennis van Duinen vs Capelle, 2017

The Dutch fourth-tier clash between Harkemase Boys and Capelle would have probably faded into obscurity were it not for the divine handiwork of Van Duinen, who graced the tie with one of the greatest, most nonchalant open-goal blunders of all time.

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Having done really well to charge from the halfway line, carve through the opposition defense and wriggle past the oncoming goalkeeper, all the Harkemase forward had left to do was steady himself, square up in front of an open goal and slot the ball home.

Having taken a moment to compose himself, he duly sent his effort gently sailing over the bar and into the terraces.

2. Aster Vranckx vs KV Oostende, 2020

Aged just 17 at the time, Mechelen forward Vranckx suffered the misfortune of finding himself on the wrong end of a cruel miss during a Belgian league tie against Oostende in September 2020.

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The young striker looked perfectly positioned to capitalize after a looping shot came back off the Oostende crossbar to rest at his feet just a yard or so out from an entirely unguarded net.

Having demonstrated composure by bringing the bobbling ball down with his chest, Vranckx saw it quickly capitulate when he accidentally stood on it, sending himself tumbling to the ground as the ball squirmed awkwardly away toward the corner flag.

The worst part? Mechelen went on to lose the game by a single goal.

1. William Akio vs HFX Wanderers, 2022

You’d be hard pressed to find a miss worse than that of Valour FC striker William Akio against HFX Wanderers in the back in 2022.

With the scoreline locked at 0-0, a brief goalmouth scramble presented Akio with a ball that was actually in the process of slowly trundling across the line. Indeed, the ball was already about 75% of the way across the line and all Akio needed to do was prod it home.

After footage of his gaffe went viral in the aftermath, Akio too was compelled to issue a post-match statement though he did stop short of apologizing.

“I really just missed a wide open net. It’s simple as that,” the Valour forward said. “Everyone makes mistakes on the job, it’s part of life. I will bounce back as I always have in life and football.”

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Tags: #Arsenal #Canadian premier league #Championship #Chelsea #Christopher nkunku #Fifa #Has #Ligue 1

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