Top 10 penalties that went into orbit! Ramos, Adam, Beckham, Drogba and more
After Sergio Ramos struck the International Space Station on Wednesday night, talkSPORT thought it was only fair to remind the Spaniard of the illustrious company he shares. From Charlie Adam to David Beckham, we've been unfortunate enough to witness some truly horrific penalties. Here's a reminder of some of the worst.
10) Henrik Larsson: Germany 2–0 Sweden (2006 World Cup)
Even the most reliable of players is prone to the odd error and Henrik Larsson - who had a shot like a rocket - sent this effort into outer space. Sweden were sent packing soon after.
9) Landon Donovan: Real Salt Lake 1-1 Los Angeles Galaxy (2009 MLS Cup)
Americans insist on calling football 'soccer', while calling gridiron 'football' US player Landon Donovan appears to be attempting a field goal conversion with this effort. Donovan's technique is rarely questioned, but this penalty proved costly, with Galaxy losing out in the shootout. The shot was last seen making its way through Canada.
8) Chris Waddle: England 1-1 West Germany (1990 World Cup)
When England beat West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final, Geoff Hurst leathered the ball into the back of the net to seal a 4-2 victory. Chris Waddle also attempted to take burst the net, but sadly his penalty was high and horrible, sending England home and the Germans through. “Would you wanna be Chris Waddle now?” the commentator asked, while ducking to avoid his shot.
7) Brian McClair: Arsenal 2-1 Manchester United (1988 FA Cup)
Brian McClair sent Manchester United out of the 1988 FA Cup with this balloon shot and Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn couldn't wait to let him know. McClair would get his revenge two years later with a thumping tackle, though in hindsight that might have been a bad idea too, because a mass brawl soon followed and both teams were deducted points.
6) Charlie Adam: Cardiff City 2-2 Liverpool (2012 Carling Cup)
Liverpool finally got their hands on some silverware this season, though not before a scare thanks to Charlie Adam. A player so reliable from the spot at Blackpool, Adam seems to have lost his touch judging by this effort. Now he's out injured and will miss the FA Cup final. Did he hit the ball too hard and injure himself attempting to put this shot into orbit?
5) Sergio Ramos: Real Madrid 3-3 Bayern Munich (2011-12 UEFA Champions League)
The miss that inspired this top 10. If Sergio Ramos spent half as much time practising from the spot as he does drying his hair then perhaps Real Madrid would be on their way to Munich. This horrible effort has already inspired a flood of parodies: Ramos as an All Black kicker, courtesy of the Spanish press, is a highlight so far.
4) Roberto Baggio: Brazil 0-0 Italy (1994 World Cup final)
Roberto Baggio claims he was carrying an injury in the 1994 World Cup final, but if he was capable of running around for 120 minutes, he could surely have mustered a decent shot. It wasn't to be, the ball went high and wide, and Brazil lifted the cup.
3) David Beckham: England 2-2 Portugal (Euro 2004)
Poor David Beckham, three penalties at Euro 2004, three misses. After falling over during the first, then seeing the second one saved, Beckham completed a hat-trick of misses by sending it into the stands. Goalkeeper Ricardo made sure he scored his...
2) Didier Drogba: Zambia 0-0 Ivory Coast (Africa Cup of Nations 2012)<
Chelsea may want to encourage Didier Drogba to practise his penalties before they head off to Munich. This brutal effort helped Zambia to defeat the Ivory Coast in the Cup of Nations final. It's the Zambia keeper's reaction that makes it truly special.
1) Martin Parlermo: Argentina 0-3 Colombia (1999 Copa America)
Move over David Beckham, when it comes to truly horrific penalty misses, Martin Palermo is the king. The Argentina striker managed to miss three penalties in one game against Colombia, setting a new Guinness World Record in the process. After hitting the crossbar with his first, you'd think Palermo would opt for less power with the second. No chance, instead he put his foot through the ball, then watched it sail out of the stadium soon after. Incredible.