1) Tennis showboaters just love the “tweener” – the between-the-legs, back-to-net point-saver shot also known as the Gran Willy after pioneer Guillermo Vilas. It was on show again at the Davis Cup final – Juan Martín del Potro raising a cheer by humiliating Marin Cilic. Here’s more to enjoy: ten tweener lobs, ten tweener passing-shots, and, a twist, the altogether more arrogant frontal tweener remix.
2) In the same spirit, here’s rabona of the week: Roma’s Diego Perotti chipping one in against Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League. Then he went and ruined it: “The truth is, I tried to cross this. But it’s good that it went in, for the team, and for me.” He’ll now take his place in the next set of “world’s best rabona” montages – but no-one has ever mastered the art as well as this nipper.
3) Here’s football embracing the post-truth age: Toulouse manager Pascal Dupraz reacting to a paper dart brushing his head. Brutal. He said later: “There was a kind of impact on my head. I think I’m a nice guy, but apparently there’s someone who has seen fit to throw something at my face.” Other great dugout performances: Duisburg coach Norbert Meier tries a mini-Pards-headbutt in 2005 then goes down flailing; Alemannia Haibach’s manager gets on the wrong end of a vulcan nerve pinch; and LVG makes his point. See also the essential LVG shapeshifting remix.
4) England’s Elliot Daly didn’t last long against Argentina – sent off after five minutes for taking out Leonardo Senatore in mid-air. But it was still a long day’s work by some standards: back in 2003 Adrian Morley managed 12 seconds of Great Britain’s rugby league defeat to Australia before making his long walk.
5) Meanwhile, confirming the old adage that backs have no idea what the forwards do in rugby union, here’s Jonny May admirably, but awfully, getting stuck in at scrum-time against Argentina.
6) And finally, a classic well-worked, well-drilled free-kick routine. Puszcza Niepolomice’s Polish Cup opponents knew something special was coming – they just didn’t expect it to be this special. Some other classic set-pieces: another slick multi-player set-up; Cheltenham’s series of mind-blowing dummies; more classic deception; and a scuff with bad repercussions.
Highlights from last week’s blog
1) If you are in any doubt as to whether Sacramento’s Matt Barnes meant this three-pointer, just look at his face afterwards.
2) How to secure yourself a move to Anfield, as demonstrated by Graeme Souness.
3) One for the goalkeepers’ union … it’s saves of the season. What’s not to like?
4) The worst/best thing about this is that Kerem Bulut isn’t actually offside.
5) Diego Maradona really wasn’t a fan of knocking it sideways, was he?
6) Almost.
Spotters’ badges: TheCedarRoom, StuartRG, whobroughtoranges, Kapitza, BostonLager
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