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'SILLY LITTLE TREND'
Watch worst penalty in history as MLS striker smashes ball over bar following ‘stupid’ jump run up
MLS star Josef Martinez has been slammed by fans for a "stupid" penalty run-up that was blasted over the bar.
Atlanta United's striker, who holds the record for most goals in an MLS season, suffered the embarrassing error in a game against Wayne Rooney's DC United.
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The scores were level when Atlanta were awarded a penalty at their Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
And when Venezuelan international Martinez stepped up to the spot, everyone knew what was coming.
For the hop and jump run-up has become a signature move for the 26-year-old, who has scored a record 13 penalties in the MLS since 2017 with a conversion rate of 87 per cent.
With 16 goals so far this season — the same as Zlatan Ibrahimovic — it has served him well up until now.
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But this time Martinez saw his effort blaze over the crossbar to huge groans from the home crowd.
And on social media there was even less sympathy.
One fan wrote: "Stop with that silly little jump trend. It's not a thing. Scoring. That's a thing."
Another said: "How did he miss that? Specsavers for him haha"
And an Ibra fan wrote: "Horrible. Zlatan is right. MLS is a farmers league."
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Fortunately for Martinez, he made up for the mistake by scoring an injury time goal to secure the points for Atlanta.
Gonzalo Nicolas Martinez had opened the scoring with a minute to go before his namesake atoned for his earlier mistake.
Atlanta moved ahead of Rooney's DC United into second in the Eastern Conference.