A truly bizarre own goal stole the spotlight during Santa Cruz’s 2-1 away win over Inter de Limeira in the sixth round of the Brazilian Série C championship.
The strange sequence unfolded in the 29th minute of the second half, with the visitors already leading 1-0. Ronald had opened the scoring in the 15th minute after capitalizing on a goalkeeper error. He then started the move for the second goal, driving down the right side. Before entering the box, he played the ball centrally. What followed was completely unexpected: Inter de Limeira defender João Victor attempted to cut out the pass, but his deflection sent the ball backward toward his own goal. The goalkeeper, who had advanced off his line, scrambled back and leaped desperately but failed to reach it. The ball struck the post, bounced off the goalkeeper’s head, and rolled over the line.
Getúlio pulled one back for Inter de Limeira late on, but Santa Cruz held on for a 2-1 victory. The result leaves Inter de Limeira with eight points in 11th place, while Santa Cruz climbs to 13th with seven points.
The incredible own goal quickly went viral on social media, with fans and commentators joking about the defensive mix-up that handed the Pernambuco side all three points.