News

This World Cup Miss Will Make You Laugh

by L. Turner

In a hilarious moment in an otherwise tense World Cup quarterfinal game on Saturday between the Netherlands and Costa Rica, the Netherlands' Memphis Depay tried to kick a ball, whiffed, and ended up landing on his butt. Cue worldwide laughter. Depay was near the Costa Rica Ticos' penalty box in the game's first half on Saturday when he excitedly tried to kick a ball into home. A goal would've advanced his team to the semifinals. Instead, he missed the ball and landed unremarkably on his butt.

The spectacular whiff ended up delighting a lot of World Cup watchers, many of whom are still laughing thanks to a Vine of the moment that's circulating the Internet. The game in Salvador went to a shootout after neither team managed to score, but the Netherlands ultimately advanced over Costa Rica in a painfully close 4-3 result.

The 2014 World Cup has been absolute pandemonium for tiny Costa Rica. When the team advanced to the Round of 16, the country's president, Luis Guillermo Solís, gave pretty much everybody — in the country — time off work to watch. When the team won, according to Vanity Fair, Solís ran around a fountain in a Costa Rica jersey with a bunch of revelers.

And that was just to get to the Round of 16, where the country acquitted itself yet again against Greece. The game tied 1-1 and the Ticos won a shootout 5-3.

An all-the-more exciting environment in which to watch an opponent whiff, I guess. Fortunately, Depay's amazing moment in the sun was captured on Vine, because this is the World Cup and everyone is watching.

Some even said it was the most exciting moment of the game's first half, which makes you feel a little bad for Depay. But not too bad, given that his team ultimately won.

Commenters ultimately blamed Costa Rica's heartbreaking loss on the Netherlands' substitute goalie, Tim Krul, who hadn't even played in the World Cup — or Saturday's game — until the penalty kicks begun. Also his last name is "Krul," which made him a great target for Tweeps.

Still, Costa Rica far outran anybody's expectations, and meanwhile, everybody gets to watch a Netherlands team member fall on his butt over and over again on a six-second loop for eternity. I think we know who ultimately came out on top here.