1) This week’s best World Cup qualifier moment was doubtless the punditry meltdown in Norway when San Marino scored; it can join the ranks of these recent classics from the box: Chris Kamara misses a sending off; Denise Lewis and Colin Jackson don’t miss Mo Farah, and again; from the radio: Gareth Bale puts Wales close to qualifying for Euro 2016; Portugal then win the tournament to entertaining effect; and of course that man from Iceland calmly reporting from France; Italy again as Carlo Zampa’s voice finds a new pitch and is then reduced to tears by Francesco Totti, with whom he has previous form; Dennis Bergkamp provokes Dutch screaming. Of course, England shipped one to San Marino as well, a low point in their failure to qualify for the USA World Cup in 1994. A nadir that can only really be followed by the grandaddy of them all – from Norway again – your boys took a hell of a beating.
2) Fencing explained with glorious visuals, pleasing soundtrack and most importantly, in Japanese.
3) LA Clippers star Blake Griffin finds himself next to his team-mate’s shoe and a persistent opponent, so decides to improvise.
4) Christian Benteke scored the fastest goal in a (technically) competitive international, breaking the deadlock after 8.1 seconds for Belgium against Gibraltar. The striker also ripped a particularly embarrassing page for England out of the record books – this was the previous record-holder. The fastest ever international goal is believed to be this quickfire effort from Lukas Podolski, against Ecuador in a 2013 friendly.
5) If you prefer your football-related fun at a slower pace, here’s Jürgen Klopp … playing crown green bowls and remembering “two weeks in Luton”.
6) Still fresh on the shelves and already Fifa 17 has amassed a pleasing collection of comedy glitches; football gaming has come on a long way however, as this lovely film collating titles since 1978 illustrates beautifully.
Highlights from last week’s blog
1) An Australian amateur rugby league player avoids a tackle in spectacular style:
2) After conceding a late equaliser to Cameroon in the U17 women’s World Cup, Venezuela barely had time to kick off – but they made it count. Staying with unconvential goals, here’s a handball goalkeeper going rogue.
3) Dog saves goal! Although, as the embarrassed goalkeeper has repeatedly argued since, it may have been going wide …
4) Way back in 1970, Cleveland’s Tony Horton stepped up to the plate only to be fooled not once, but twice, by ‘folly floaters’ from pitcher Steve Hamilton.
5) And finally … a rabona in Verona.
Spotters’ badges: TheCedarRoom, chestnut52, Xanthe95, ID8252991
