6 September 2006 - Just When You Think It Couldn't Get Any Worse

On 6 September 2006, Germany handed a record loss to a team used to losing, beating San Marino 0-13 in a European Championship qualification match. 

The third-smallest nation in Europe (behind the Vatican and Monaco), San Marino is a republic wholly contained within Italy. Their national team played their first unofficial match in 1986 and their first official one in 1990. They lost both matches. In fact, throughout their history, San Marino have lost almost every match they've played--out of 107 official matches, they have drawn three and won one (a 1-0 victory over Liechtenstein in 2004). 

Before the match against Germany, San Marino's worst defeat had been a 10-0 loss at the hands of Norway in 1992. But playing at San Marino's Stadio Olimpico, the Germans were closing in on hat number by the break, beating keeper Aldo Simoncini six times goals from Lukas Podolski (11', 43'), Bastian Schweinsteiger (28'), Miroslav Klose (30', 45'), and Michael Ballack (35'). 

The second half continued the pattern of the first, with more goals from Schweinsteiger (47') and Podolski (64', 72'), as well as strikes from Thomas Hitzlsperger (66', 72') and Manuel Friedrich (87'). Then, in the 90th minute, with Germany leading 0-12, the referee awarded them a penalty kick, which Bernd Schneider converted for the final tally of 13. 

Although the scoreline set a new record for San Marino, it wasn't Germany's greatest win. That came in the 1912 Summer Olympics with a 16-0 victory over Russia.

10 November 2012 - A Rebuttal To The "Draws Are Boring" Crowd

On 10 November 2012, a missed Arsenal penalty in stoppage time helped Fulham preserve a dramatic 3-3 draw at the Emirates.

The teams opened the day occupying the seventh and eighth spots in the table. They were level on points, with Arsenal taking the higher position by virtue of a better goal differential. Playing in front of a crowd of just over 60,000, the Gunners staked an early claim to what looked to be an easy three points after first-half goals from new signings Olivier Giroud (11') and Lukas Podolski (23') gave them a 2-0 lead. But Dimitar Berbatov, playing in his first season for the Cottagers, closed the gap with a 29th-minute goal, then provided the assist for Alex Kacaniklic's equalizer in the 40th minute.

In the 67th minute, Berbatov put Fulham ahead with a penalty kick after Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta fouled Bryan Ruiz in the box, but Giroud headed home two minutes later to restore the balance.

Level at 3-3 in stoppage time, Arteta had an opportunity to atone for his earlier mistake. In the fourth minute of added time, the referee awarded a penalty to Arsenal for a handball by Sascha Riether. Arteta stepped up to take the shot, but was denied by Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, who stretched low to his left to knock the ball away.

30 June 2006 - Try To Calculate That Cards-Per-Minute Ratio

On 30 June 2006, Argentina left back Leandro Cufré achieved the dubious distinction of receiving a red card after a match in which he hadn't even played.

The match in question was a World Cup quarter-final, which Argentina lost to Germany on penalties, 1-1 (4-2). It had been a tense affair, with referee Ľuboš Micheľ issuing a total of seven yellow cards, four to Argentina and three to Germany. The first one--to German striker Lukas Podolski--came in just the third minute, while Micheľ showed four of them after the 88-minute mark.

After goalkeeper Jens Lehmann ended the shootout by saving the attempt from midfielder Esteban Cambiasso, the two sides clashed near the touchline. According to a BBC report, "[p]unches and kicks were thrown between both sides," but the only player to receive a card was Cufré, an unused Argentina substitute for the match. He kicked German defender Per Mertesacker in the knee to become the first player to receive a  post-match red card in World Cup history.

Afterward, FIFA fined Cufré 10,000 Swiss francs and suspended him for four matches.

6 September 2006 - Just When You Think It Couldn't Get Any Worse

On 6 September 2006, Germany handed a record loss to a team used to losing, beating San Marino 0-13 in a European Championship qualification match.

The third-smallest nation in Europe (behind the Vatican and Monaco), San Marino is a republic wholly contained within Italy. Their national team played their first unofficial match in 1986 and their first official one in 1990. They lost both matches. In fact, throughout their history, San Marino have lost almost every match they've played--out of 107 official matches, they have drawn three and won one (a 1-0 victory over Liechtenstein in 2004).

Before the match against Germany, San Marino's worst defeat had been a 10-0 loss at the hands of Norway in 1992. But playing at San Marino's Stadio Olimpico, the Germans were closing in on hat number by the break, beating keeper Aldo Simoncini six times goals from Lukas Podolski (11', 43'), Bastian Schweinsteiger (28'), Miroslav Klose (30', 45'), and Michael Ballack (35').

The second half continued the pattern of the first, with more goals from Schweinsteiger (47') and Podolski (64', 72'), as well as strikes from Thomas Hitzlsperger (66', 72') and Manuel Friedrich (87'). Then, in the 90th minute, with Germany leading 0-12, the referee awarded them a penalty kick, which Bernd Schneider converted for the final tally of 13.

Although the scoreline set a new record for San Marino, it wasn't Germany's greatest win. That came in the 1912 Summer Olympics with a 16-0 victory over Russia.