An Argentinian goalkeeper had a moment of madness, attempting to play like he was in a video game, with disastrous consequences.
Ignacio "Nacho" Arce, the goalkeeper for Deportivo Riestra, was playing against his former team Instituto in the Argentinian Premier League on Sunday.
With the score at 1-0 in the 61st minute, and Riestra down to ten men, a ball was sent into their penalty area.
After a series of loose touches, the ball reached Arce near his goal line, who collected it.
Then, in a bizarre decision, he ran to the edge of his box, rolled the ball out, and started dribbling upfield.
The 33-year-old advanced almost to the midfield circle when things went wrong.
Arce was pressured by opposing players and tried to pass the ball to his right.
Unfortunately, the referee was in the way, blocking the pass.
Arce then tried to dribble further but was tackled from behind by Instituto player Jeremias Lazaro, who passed the ball to a teammate.
The ball came to Gaston Lodico, who had already scored earlier in the match.
With Arce far from his goal, Lodico, 26, chipped the ball from about 30 yards.
Riestra defenders could not get back in time, and the ball went into the net, making the score 2-0.
Arce walked back to his goal, looking dejected and realizing his mistake.
Fans online were shocked by his actions, with comments like: "He thought he was the main character."
Another person joked: "He made a right mess of that (playing on his name, Arce)."
Someone else commented: "The ref being in the way didn`t help, but this is still unbelievable."
Another comment was: "Arce is playing real-life pro clubs."
And one simply asked: "What is he doing??!"
After the game, Arce defended his actions, claiming it was his brave style of play and partly blaming the referee, Andres Merlos, for the mistake.
He stated: "It’s my style, and mistakes happen. Even the best make mistakes. I’ve had great moments, and today was a learning experience."
"Look at Merlos. When I looked up, I saw a light blue shirt. They had a clear advantage in that situation."
Merlos responded humorously to Arce`s claim: "Is it my fault now? That’s typical Nacho, but I like him.
"He’s a talented player who tried a risky move, and sometimes they don`t work out. That`s football."
