Suspend your disbelief for a moment.
Imagine it’s the final of the football World Cup 2014, Germany have not scored a late extra-time winner against Argentina. Instead, the match goes to penalties, tied at 0-0.
Each side scores in turn from the spot until Lionel Messi hits the bar with Argentina’s fifth effort. It leaves Thomas Müller with the chance to win the cup for Germany, with his team’s fifth penalty.
As the centre forward begins the long walk from the centre circle to the penalty area, the goalkeepers for each team appear to be conferring. Suddenly, they swap shirts and, as the ball is placed on the penalty spot, it’s not Argentina’s Sergio Romero in goal but instead his German counterpart, Manuel Neuer.
Of course, Neuer was shortlisted for the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2014. Though he came third, behind Messi and the winner, Cristiano Ronaldo, presumably, his argument was that Argentina would be better off with the “best” keeper in the world in goal for the crucial penalty.
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