Soccer

A Middle Eastern Soccer Player Might Be Punished For A Flashy Penalty Kick

Given the opportunity to kick a penalty kick in an exhibition match against Lebanon on Sunday, United Arab Emirates winger Theyab Awana opted for a 180-degree spinning mule kick to put his team up 6-2, in a game that the UAE would go on to win 7-2.

And while his flashy goal in a meaningless game against the 177th-ranked team in the world may lead to Awana living on in YouTube infamy, he may ultimately be punished by his own team for an act that UAE manager Esmaeel Rashed called “disrespectful.”

“This should have not happened,” Rashed told the newspaper. “I think what happened is disrespectful. We cannot accept anyone in our team who does not respect the opponent.”

A meeting is set for later today to determine the fate of Awana, who was immediately pulled from the game by UAE coach Srecko Katanec, but until then, you can enjoy the awesome video of the goal here:

[Deadspin]