GiveMeSport
·22 October 2021
GiveMeSport
·22 October 2021
Diego Forlan's two-year stint at Manchester United was a bit of a disaster.
The Uruguayan was signed from Independiente in the summer of 2002 and he arrived at Old Trafford with a glowing reputation.
Sadly, Forlan never came close to finding his feet at Sir Alex Ferguson's United, the striker netting just 17 goals in 97 appearances across all competitions.
There were a few notable highlights, including a match-winning brace against Liverpool at Anfield, but the negatives from his spell in the north of England certainly outweighed the positives.
And while he was on the Red Devils' books, the 42-year-old was guilty of possibly the worst miss in the history of professional football.
Back in 2003, United played Juventus in a high-profile pre-season friendly at the Giants Stadium in New Jersey - which has since been demolished.
The English side won the game 4-1 thanks to goals from Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (x2).
Forlan was the man who assisted United's fourth goal, but a few moments after doing so, he inexplicably hit the side netting when faced with an open goal.
A fumble from the Juventus goalkeeper presented him with the easiest scoring opportunity imaginable and somehow, the striker didn't take advantage.
Honestly, the footage below almost looks fake...
How is that actually possible?!
The phrase 'it looked easier to score' is thrown around a bit too much for our liking, but when it comes to Forlan's gaffe versus Juventus, it's the perfect way to describe the moment.
As we all know, the man nicknamed 'Cachavacha' went on to have a hugely successful career in European football after leaving United.
Forlan excelled at both Atletico Madrid and Villarreal, the forward winning the coveted European Golden Shoe award in 2004/05 and 2008/09.
He was also the main man behind Uruguay's unexpected third-place finish at the 2010 World Cup, which saw him named the best player at the tournament.
Forlan really was world-class for a prolonged period of time and it's a shame for United fans that they never got to see the best of him at Old Trafford.
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