Yes, Mario Balotelli Actually Tried to Pull Off a Backheel on a Breakaway
By Jason McIntyre
Mario Balotelli of Manchester City had a breakaway against the LA Galaxy Sunday in a friendly match, and in a classic moment of showboating gone wrong, Balotelli attempted a spin-and-backheel. It’s something you try to pull off in the backyard or during an indoor game, but certainly not in friendly.
His teammate raised his arms in bewilderment. His coach immediately pulled him from the game, and then Balotelli walked to the bench, where he mouthed off as if he somehow wasn’t at fault. The announcer can be heard saying, “are you kidding me?”
A striker with prodigious ability, Balotelli is only 20, and could be the next in a long line of Italian forwards with a penchant for scoring (Del Piero, Baggio, Vieri). Super Mario’s petulance could prove to be a problem, though.
[Hat tip: Jeff Ungrund]