I’m a sucker for a perfect slide tackle. Especially when it’s last ditch and in the penalty area, because the stakes are so high that it takes a special type of tightrope walker to attempt it. Which is why I love French defender Raphael Varane’s slide on compatriot Antoine Griezmann during Wednesday’s Real Madrid v. Atletico Madrid Copa del Rey first leg.
It’s especially great because it was Varane’s mistake with the ball that set Griezmann free, so Varane is mopping up his own mess here. If he’s off by one millimeter or mistimes by one millisecond, we could be looking at two Varane mistakes in a row and an Ateltico Madrid penalty kick.
Atletico actually won the game, 2-0, but Varane is still a winner in my book, and will be an actual winner when FIFA does the right thing and introduces that automatic three-goal bonus for perfect slide tackles that I keep emailing them about.