COLOMBIA’S ANDRES ESCOBAR

in Soccer News Take Me Back Tuesday by Itai — March 16, 2010 at 9:30 pm | 5 comments

During the 1994 World Cup, Colombia’s Adres Escobar Saldarriaga (13 March 1967 – 2 July 1994) netted an own-goal that would help USA advance and send his own team packing.

This own goal occurred on June 22, 1994, in the second match of Group A, which resulted in a 2-1 victory for the Americans and an exit for the Colombians.

On July 2, 1994, Escobar was shot and killed in Medellin outside “El Indio” bar, located in a Medellin suburb.  It’s believed by many that he was killed due to his own-goal in the ’94 World Cup, which resulted in gambling losses to several powerful dug lords.  It has also been reported that after Escobar was shot, the killer yelled “Goal!” after each of the 12 bullets fired, just like an announcer would during a soccer match.

Escobar’s funeral was attended by more than 120,000 people and a statue was built in his honor.

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