Pissing and Hat TricksArgentina and Paraguay may have both lost today, but their World Cup legacy will live on thanks to more impressive--and downright bizarre--performances in times past. I give you today the stories of the Pissing Keeper and the only goalie to ever score a hat trick.
(A) Argetina's Sergio Goycochea was a world class goal keeper. His iron-willed performances in both the quater and semi final shootouts of the 1990 World Cup won those matches for Argentina. But his pre-shootout ritual was even more impressive.
In the quarter final game, against Yugoslavia, Goycochea had to pee something fierce. However, FIFA rules plainly state that players are not to leave the pitch while the game is going. So, between extra time and the shootout, the Argetine yanked up his shorts and pissed on the pitch.
In the semi final against Italy, the game again went to a penalty shootout. Well, the pissing worked last time, so why not? Once more the keeper wizzed on the pitch, and once more his team won.
(B) Paraguay's José Luis Chilavert was something of an anomaly: a goalie who also happened to be one of the best goal scorers on his team.
Chilavert's left foot was so incredibly powerful and accurate it proved near unblockable on free kicks and penalty kicks, and so he was routinely brought forward from the goal to score in clinch situations. Chilavert scored a total of 8 goals for the national team, and 62 throughout his career.
In the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, Chilavert led his team through the group phase and into the knockout rounds. He is the only goal keeper in the history of recorded football to have scored a hat trick, though alas, it didn't come in a world cup.
Still, not too shabby...
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