El Nino rounded David De Gea on 83 minutes and with the gaping goal at his mercy the 50 million pound man somehow managed to screw his shot wide.
It is likely to be billed as “the worst miss ever,” so to redress the balance – here are the worst misses of the 2011/2012 season so far.
Fernando Torres is far from the only footballer to miss a sitter, in fact there have been plenty in less than two months of the season so far.
Have your say on where the Torres miss ranks this season so far, or even ever, in the poll below.
1. Jorge Molina (Betis) v Mallorca, September 11, 2011. Betis hit the frame of the goal three times in quick succession with Molina guilty of two misses, including an easy header from the first chance.
2. Goran Pandev (Napoli) v Cesena, September 10, 2011. In his first appearance for Napoli in Serie A, Pandev somehow managed to hit the bar when left with an empty net.
3. Amir Sayoud (Al Ahly) v Kima Aswan, September 6, 2011. Not strictly the same type of miss as Torres or the others on this list, but has been universally acclaimed as the worst penalty miss ever.
4. Rob Earnshaw (Wales) v England, September 6, 2011. When Torres gets criticised by all and sundry, remember how Earnshaw’s miss was labelled the “worst ever.” Incidentally, the Welsh striker scored in his next game.
5. Anton Shynder (Ukraine) v Czech Republic, September 6, 2011. The ball fell perfectly for the Ukranian but he blazed over, despite being a couple of yards out.
6. Israel Kahn (Alianza Atletico) vs Cienciano, August 27, 2011. Simply, one of the worst misses ever.
7. Laurent Courois miss (Chivas) v Portland, August 24, 2011. Came in the dying seconds and not only was it crucial, Courois had no excuse for this shocker with his weaker foot.
8. Sergio Kun Aguero’s Two Shocking Misses, Bolton v Manchester City, August 21, 2011. Even Diego Maradona’s son-in-law, who has been sensational in English football in the early weeks of the campaign, has missed big chances for Manchester City.
9. Atsushi Yanagisawa (Vegalta Sendai) v Nagoya Grampus Eight, August 20, 2011. A Japanese calamity, Yanagisawa was only spared further ridicule as few football watchers keep an eye on the J-League.
10. Lennart Thy (Werder Bremen) v Leverkusen, August 14, 2011. This blooper came in just Thy’s fourth appearance for Bremen, and just four yards out with the goal gaping he is unlikely to have too many excuses.
Via Where does Fernando Torres’ crazy miss v Man United rank in 2011/2012 so far?
