González miss in Argentina win over Costa Rica steals headlines
Argentine star Nicolás González delivered what has been described as the terrible miss of the century even as Argentina claimed a 3-1 victory over Costa Rica.
The Albiceleste ended up winning 3-1 in Los Angeles after goals from Ángel Di María, Alexis Mac Allister and Lautaro Martínez in the international friendly against Costa Rica.
It was a near surprise as the less imaginative Los Ticos took an early lead thanks to Spartak Moscow striker Manfred Ugarte in the 34th minute and the world champions were unable to respond before the break.
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However, a very strong Argentine team, albeit without talisman Lionel Messi, looked to their stars and managed a 25-minute triple volley to seal the victory.
It was also almost four o’clock when González made a clearance down the left in the 90th minute, before making one of the mistakes of the season at the end.
HE missed the goal at the end of the match and managed to lift the ball over Keylor Navas’ head.
Nicolás Tagliafico played a perfect ball over the head of Costa Rica defender Haxzel Quirós to send González into Keylor Navas’ goal as the clock approached full time.
The Real Madrid legend initially dropped back towards his line before shooting to close the gap on the Fiorentina striker, but was eventually left stranded when the ball went over his head.
Navas, dying, turns and sees González approaching the goal, but for some reason only he will know, the Argentine striker decides not to put the finishing touches on the ball as he crawls towards the line.
Unbeknownst to the Fiorentina star, Quirós had made a fantastic recovery, and with González already drifting towards the corner flag thinking he had sealed the fourth goal, the right-back rounded the outside and fired off the line.
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It was a fantastic and determined defense from Quirós, but he should not have stood a chance with González hugely guilty, and the look on his face after the clearance suggests he is well aware of that fact.
Given the magnitude of the miss (González ran alongside the ball for eight to ten yards without touching the bottom), fans flocked to social media to express their opinions.
One wrote: ‘Nico González with the funniest lady I have ever seen in my life.’
A second believed they were witnessing a piece of history, adding: “It would have been 4-1, but thanks to Nico González for that miss of the century.”
González has five goals so far in his 31 appearances for the world champions, but was ruled out of their 2022 triumph in Qatar with a hamstring injury.