Paraguayan football may now have a claim to the worst clearance in the game’s history after one of the most comical goals was scored in the early hours of Monday morning.
During Rubio Nu’s home clash against Olimpia in Ciudad del Este, the visitors were awarded a penalty on their way to winning 2-0, although it was far from a routine spot-kick.
Rubio Nu goalkeeper Franco Farrageda guessed the right way to parry Sebastian Ferreira’s penalty back into play and must have breathed a sigh of relief as the ball fell into the path of team-mate Chaba Martinez.
The defender, tasked with a simple clearance, thrashed the ball directly into Ferreira’s face and immediately collapsed to the floor as it cannoned off the striker and into the back of the net.
Ferreira, who knew little of the bizarre goal he had scored, looked embarrassed to celebrate as his team-mates rushed to huddle around him.
Admitting the incident left him in considerable pain, the forward saw the funny side and said after the match: ‘The pain was so severe that I couldn’t open my eyes at first, but it seems my face decided to help out this time.
A defender in the Paraguayan league made one of the most catastrophic clearances in history
‘My face was tough today, thankfully, as this was the second penalty I’ve missed this season, so I need to improve my finishing.
‘A striker lives for goals but contributing to the team’s success comes from every position, whether it’s with your foot or your face.’
With the 2-0 victory, Olimpia kept a grip of top spot in the Paraguayan top flight, establishing a six-point lead over Cerro Porteno in second.
Meanwhile, Rubio Nu remained fourth-from-bottom with a ninth defeat of the season.
