Laura Bassett cut a disconsolate figure on Wednesday in Edmonton as her own goal in the dying seconds of the Women’s World Cup semi-final led to England losing 2-1 to Japan. Here is a look at five other own goals scored by footballers that proved costly.
Tom Boyd
Scotland had gone into their opening Fifa World Cup 1998 match against defending champions Brazil as major underdogs, but with 15 minutes remaining they were on target for an unlikely point with a 1-1 scoreline. Then Jim Leighton saved Cafu’s close range effort, but the ball rebounded into Boyd and the ball bounced back into the empty net to give Brazil the win.
Des Walker
Brian Clough is regarded as one of the greatest English managers in the history of the game, winning two European Cups with Nottingham Forest and the Division 1 title with both them and Derby County. The FA Cup was the one major title he had never won, but in 1991 Forest had reached the FA Cup final and had gone to extra-time with Tottenham Hotspur with the score at 1-1. However, Clough’s dreams of lifting the trophy were wrecked when Forest’s Walker headed into his own net from a corner to give Tottenham the victory.
Steven Caulker
Queens Park Rangers had twice come from behind to get back on level terms with Liverpool in their Premier League match at Loftus Road last October. With only 30 seconds remaining and having possession through a free-kick, QPR looked to have earned a draw. Yet they gave away the ball from the free-kick, Liverpool hit them on the counter-attack and Caulker could only divert Raheem Sterling’s cross into his own net to put Liverpool 3-2 up and sum up a season that would end in relegation.
Gary Neville
When Steve McClaren, now the manager of Newcastle United, thinks back on his short stint as England coach between 2006-2007, his side’s 2-0 euro 2008 qualifying loss in Zagreb against Croatia must always make him shudder. The first defeat of his reign was highlighted by a calamitous own goal by Gary Neville, whose harmless looking backpass was completely missed by goalkeeper Paul Robinson as he attempted to kick it, with the ball rolling into the net, much to the chagrin of McClaren.
Jonathan Woodgate
The good news was Real Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao 3-1 in their Primera Liga match in September 2005. It had nothing to do with Woodgate, however, who was making his debut for Madrid after a 13-month wait due to injury after signing from Newcastle United, had put them behind after heading a cross into his own net past Iker Casillas in the Madrid goal. To sum up a miserable day for the Englishman, he was later sent off for two bookable offences.
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