Diego da Silva Costa

 

 This cute little article is about the legend maker and heartthrob of millions, the great Spanish footballer Diego Costa. For other people with similar names, see Diego Costa (disambiguation). Not to be confused with Diego Costa. In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Da Silva and the second or paternal family name is Costa. The full name of this great and handsome player is Diego da Silva Cost and he was born on October 7, 1988, in Lagarto, Brazil. His height is 6 feet and 2 inches and commonly known as Diego Costa, is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers and the Spain national team.

Diego Costa began his football career in his native Brazil in 2006 at the age of 17 before joining Braga in Portugal. He never played for the club but spent time on loan at Penafiel, and signed with Atlético Madrid the following year. Over the next two seasons, he had loan spells with Braga, Celta Vigo, and Albacete. His form earned him a move to fellow La Liga club Real Valladolid in 2009, where he spent one season, finishing as the top goalscorer, before returning to Atletico Madrid. Costa struggled to hold down a regular starting role with Atlético, and spent more time on loan, this time at Rayo Vallecano, where he finished as the club's top scorer that season.

Diego Costa returned to Atletico in 2011 with a bigger role. He played as a goalscorer and helped his team win the La Liga title, the Copa del Rey title, and the UEFA Super Cup. His performances attracted the attention of several major clubs, and in 2014 Costa was signed by Premier League club Chelsea in a €35 million (£32 million) deal. In London, Costa won three trophies, including two Premier League titles and a League Cup. In 2018, following a falling out with head coach Antonio Conte, Diego Costa returned to Atletico Madrid in an initial club-record transfer of €56 million, where Anho also won the UEFA Europa League title and a second UEFA Super Cup.

Diego Costa is a citizen of both Brazil and Spain. He played twice for Brazil in 2013 before declaring his desire to represent Spain, being granted Spanish citizenship in September of that year. He made his debut for Spain in March 2014 and has since won 24 caps and scored 10 goals, representing them at the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups.

Known for his fiery temper, Costa has also been criticized for numerous clashes with opponents and has been penalized several times.

Diego Costa's Early Career

Diego Costa signed for his first European club in Portugal, Braga, in February 2006. He initially struggled with isolation and the relatively cold climate of northern Portugal. Out of action due to the club's lack of a youth team, he was loaned out that summer to Pinafel in the second division, managed by Portugal's Former international Rui Bento, wishing for a "diamond in the rough".

Through his negotiations with Spain's Atlético Madrid, Mendes in December 2006. Arranged the transfer of Diego Costa for €1.5 million and 50% of the player's rights, but he remained on loan at Braga until the end of the season. Atletico beat off interest from Porto and Recreativo de Huelva for Costa's signature, with director Jesús García Pitarch admitting that paying such a high price for an inexperienced player was a risk. After scoring 5 goals in 13 games for Pinafel, he was recalled to Braga in January 2007. On 23 February, he came on for Zee Carlos in the 71st minute and scored his first goal for the team, a last-minute goal in a 1–0 win at Parma to advance 2–0 on aggregate in the UEFA last 16. reached. Cup-in's season ended after seven games due to a metatarsal injury that sidelined him for six months.

Celta Vigo

Diego Costa and Mario Suarez were loaned to Segunda División side Celta de Vigo for the season later in the month and Costa became a regular in the team, managed by former Ballon d'Or winner Hristo Stoichkov. In his seventh league match, he scored his first goal in Spanish football in a dominant home win over Xerez. After scoring the goal, he showed up, which led to an altercation that resulted in him being sent off.

Midway through Diego Costa's season, he was embroiled in two more controversies: he head-butted Malaga defender Velgton, causing an injury that required stitches, and was sent off. Sevilla dived and disagreed against Atlético, leaving his team to fight for a draw without him. A loyal strike partner of Quincy Owusu-Abe, he was dropped for Cypriot Ioannis Okkas, despite the pair not sharing a language. On 23 March 2008, Costa scored both of Celta's goals in a 2–1 win at Numancia, the latter following a long dribble. But later in the campaign, he was sent off against Tenerife at Ballidos, which Celta won 2-0 before drawing 2-2. The team narrowly avoided relegation, and Costa gained a reputation as a disruptive influence.

Aclbaete

Diego Costa, despite having a bad reputation for his behavior, garnered interest from Salamanca, Gimnàstic de Tarragona, and Málaga after his loan at Celta; Garcia Pitarch rejected any approach from Málaga due to concerns about Costa's behavior on the Costa del Sol. He joined Albacete, a team in the Segunda División, on loan on August 22, 2008, after taking part in Atlético's preseason tour of Mexico. His loan fee would be based on how many games he played. Due to the caliber of his teammates and the absence of a beach in the city, he originally threatened to break his contract with the Castile-La Mancha squad. At the Estadio Carlos Belmonte, he provided the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Sevilla's reserves nine days after his signing. During Costa's loan, The Queso Mecánico experienced financial difficulties, and Costa threatened to go on strike unless their non-playing employees received full payment. Due to an altercation with goalie Jonathan, manager Juan Ignacio Martnez benched him for the team's home game against Real Sociedad on December 13 but he later entered the game as a replacement and scored another late winner. While at Albacete, Costa was well-known for his bad behavior both on and off the field. After being expelled and sent to Tenerife, he insulted the referee's mother and confronted his rivals. He made jokes about both his coworkers and his employers, giving him the nickname "that fucking Brazilian". He nevertheless played a crucial role in helping them avoid the drop, with two assists in a 3-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano on May 2, 2009, despite missing a penalty.

Valladolid

Diego Costa was wanted by Barcelona for their reserve squad in the summer of 2009, but Atlético rejected the offer since they still had plans for him. However, a now obese Diego Costa fought with his management and made an attempt to arrange a transfer to Brazil's Esporte Clube Vitória after being frustrated by his lack of opportunities.

A €1 million buy-back option that Atlético might exercise at the end of the season was included in Costa's transfer to Real Valladolid on July 8, 2009, as part of a deal that also involved goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo. [40] Costa had verbally agreed to return at the end of the current season, and Garcia Pitarch admitted that the transaction had been made to appear permanent to increase Costa's devotion to his new team.

Alberto Bueno and Manucho, two more recent additions who came from Real Madrid and Manchester United, respectively, initially competed with Costa up front; nevertheless, the latter, an Angolan fellow lusophone, later became a buddy. He scored six goals in his first 12 games for Castile and León, but after that, he only managed one goal in the final five and a half months of the season, which ultimately resulted in relegation from La Liga. On March 24, 2010, in a scoreless draw with Espanyol, he was dismissed for a first-half stamp on Ddac Vilà.

Atlético Madrid

2010 - 2013

Atlético also paid an undisclosed price to Braga to obtain all the remaining 30% economic rights; the former also had to pay more than €833,000 in agent's fees to Gestifute. Costa returned to the Colchoneros in June 2010, originally as a backup to Sergio Agüero and Diego Forlán. On August 27, 2010, Atlético won the 2010 UEFA Super Cup, and he was not a substitute.

On September 26, Diego Costa scored the game's lone goal at home against Real Zaragoza while Agüero, who was injured, was on the bench for substitutions. In a 3-2 victory at Osasuna on April 3 of the following year, Costa already served as the team's starting striker after manager Quique Sánchez Flores dropped Forlán from his position.

Atlético's preseason in July 2011 resulted in a significant knee injury for Diego Costa, who missed the majority of the next season. He had already agreed to sign with the Turkish club Beşiktaş, but the injury prevented him from passing a medical there. On January 23, 2012, Costa was loaned to Rayo Vallecano, a league rival, for the remainder of the season. He scored four goals in his first three games there, including two in a 5-3 away victory over Levante, and ended the loan with 10 goals from 16 games.

On September 1, 2012, when Atlético won the UEFA Super Cup, Costa was an inactive substitute for the second time in his career. In two different games that December, Costa got into many on-field fights. The first time was in a 0–2 local derby loss to Real Madrid, where he escaped headbutting an opponent during the next UEFA Europa League encounter at Viktoria Plze. He replied by scoring three goals in two home games against Deportivo de La Corua in the league, but this did not stop coach Diego Simeone from starting him (6–0) and Getafe in the Copa del Rey this season (3–0).

Diego Costa scored three goals in the Copa del Rey semifinal match against Sevilla to bring his competition goal total to seven in as many games. He converted both of his extra-point attempts in the 2-1 victory in the first leg. In the 2-2 draw of the return leg at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, he assisted Radamel Falcao on one goal and scored one himself while also being involved in incidents that led to the dismissal of two opponents, Gary Medel and Geoffrey Kondogbia.

In the Copa del Rey final matchup against city rivals, Real Madrid on May 17, 2013, Diego Costa scored Atlético's equalizing goal, helping to the 2-1 victory - the first in 25 games in a streak dating back to 1999 - and the ninth win in the competition, completed by Miranda's extra-time header. Costa's ninth goal gave him the tournament's top scorer, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo, with whom he had previously shared the lead.

The 2013–14 year

Diego Costa was strongly rumored to be moving to Liverpool in August 2013, who purportedly offered him three times his salary at Atlético and matched his €25 million release clause. Costa, however, made the decision to remain with the team and extended his contract through 2018 while also seeing his pay double. A few days later, on August 19, in the opening game of the new season, he scored twice in a 3-1 victory at Sevilla.

On September 24, Diego Costa scored both goals in a 2-1 victory over Osasuna at home to keep his club tied with league-leading Barcelona after six matches. Four days later, he scored the game's lone goal in the Madrid derby to give Atletico Madrid their second victory over Real at the Santiago Bernabéu in as few as five months. He was named the first La Liga Player of the Month for September 2013 as a result of his efforts.

He had scored ten goals in eight league games by the time he turned 25 on October 7th, matching his total from the previous campaign. Atlético won each of the games, breaking the previous mark for the best season start.

In a victory over Getafe on November 23, 2013, Costa scored an overhead volley from a cross from Gabi; the goal was nominated for the FIFA Puskás Award.

On October 22, 2013, Costa scored twice against Austria Wien to make his UEFA Champions League debut. The first goal came after a strong individual effort in a 3-0 group-stage victory for Costa's team. He scored the game's lone goal at Milan on February 19, 2014, in the first leg of the first knockout round, seven minutes from time, off a corner kick from Gabi. He added two more goals in the second match, helping Atlético to a 4-1 victory that advanced them into the quarterfinals for the first time in 17 years.

Atlético won 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on April 30, 2014, and for the first time since 1974, the team moved to the Champions League final. Costa won and converted a penalty in the matchup.   The squad won the title for the first time since 1996 thanks to his 27 league goals to complete the season as the third-highest scorer, but he was replaced after 16 minutes of the last game of the season against Barcelona due to a hamstring injury.

He was sent to Belgrade for treatment with a horse placenta by Atlético in an effort to rehabilitate the injury before the impending Champions League final against Real Madrid. He started the pivotal game. He eventually departed the field after eight minutes in a 1-4 defeat; manager Diego Simeone later said it was his fault for starting the player in the championship match despite his recent injury. In the Champions League season, Costa scored eight goals, tying Vavá's record of nine set in 1959 for the most by an Atlético player in a season. Over the course of his career, Diego Costa ranked among the top ten Atlético players in terms of goal average. He was nominated for the league's Best Forward at the LFP Awards for the season but came in last.

CHELSEA 

 

Chelsea revealed on July 1st, 2014 that they had decided to satisfy Diego Costa's £32 million buy-out clause after he passed his physical in June. On July 15, Chelsea announced that the signing of Costa, who agreed to a five-year deal with a weekly salary of £150,000, had been finalized. Diego Costa stated after signing: "I'm overjoyed to join Chelsea. Everyone is aware that it is a large club in a fiercely competitive league, and I cannot wait to begin my English career with a good coach and teammates. I played against Chelsea last season, so I am aware of the elite level of the team I am joining ". Demba Ba, a former Chelsea striker, left the team, and Costa took over wearing the same number as him: 19 the same one he had previously worn at Atlético and the 2014 World Cup for Spain.

The 2014–15 year

On July 27, Diego Costa scored for Chelsea in a 2-1 friendly victory over Slovene club Olimpija by using a pass from Cesc Fàbregas. He played in his debut competitive game for Chelsea against Burnley on August 18 and scored the team's equalizer in a 3-1 win. On August 30, he scored in his third straight game, including the first and final goals of a 6-3 victory over Everton, with the first goal coming after just 35 seconds. For the month of August 2014, Diego Costa received the Premier League Player of the Month honor. In his fourth game of the year against Swansea City, he scored all three goals to help Chelsea maintain their unbeaten start to the campaign with a 4-2 victory. Having seven.

On November 8, Costa's eleventh goal of the league season gave Chelsea a 2-1 victory away to Liverpool, maintaining their unbeaten start to the year.  The FA charged Costa in January and handed him a three-match suspension after he allegedly stamped on Emre Can during Chelsea's victory over Liverpool in the League Cup semifinals.  On March 1, Chelsea defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 to win the League Cup at Wembley Stadium, and Costa scored the game's second goal. This was Costa's first trophy triumph with Chelsea.

On April 26, Costa and Harry Kane of Tottenham were selected as two of the season's forwards for the PFA Team of the Year. Also included in the roster were five of Costa's Chelsea teammates. He was expected to miss the remainder of Chelsea's league-winning season, which ended on May 3 with a 1-0 home victory over Crystal Palace. He did, however, play in their final game of the year on October 24, coming on for the injured Didier Drogba after 30 minutes against Sunderland. He struck his 20th league goal seven minutes later, an equalizing penalty that helped his team win 3-1 at home.

Diego Costa confirmed on June 2, 2015, following Chelsea's postseason tour, that he had no desire to leave London, in response to reports that he wanted to leave Chelsea. Costa said, "First-season adaptation is always more challenging, but I have no reason to leave this place because I love it, the fans love me, and I want to stay. It's fantastic to join Chelsea in your first season and take home the Premier League and League Cup championships. I'll be prepared to return the following year and, maybe, bring home a few more prizes.

The 2015–16 year

Injury prevented Diego Costa from participating in the 2015 FA Community Shield, which Chelsea lost to rivals Arsenal 1-0. He opened the scoring for Chelsea in a 2-3 victory over West Bromwich Albion on August 23. Pedro, a member of the international team, had set up the goal. On September 16, he scored the team's first Champions League goal, volleying a Cesc Fàbregas pass in a 4-0 victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Three days later, in a 2-0 victory over Arsenal at home, Costa was involved in controversy when he repeatedly slapped Laurent Koscielny and chest-bumped him to the ground. He then confronted Gabriel, who was then allegedly seen attempting to kick Costa, though later video from ESPN Brazil revealed that there was little to no actual contact. At the time, he was not punished in any way. Kurt Zouma, a teammate, initially reacted by saying, "Diego likes to cheat a lot," but subsequently clarified that he meant, "Diego is a player who puts pressure on his opponents," when visiting manager Arsène Wenger branded his behavior "disgusting."

As a result, the FA charged him with aggressive conduct on September 21. The next day, he received a three-match suspension. Despite receiving a one-match suspension and a £10,000 fine for inappropriate conduct after refusing to leave the field right away, Gabriel's red card was also overturned. Following this event, Costa was "designated as [the] Premier League's dirtiest player," according to the Daily Express.

A steward at the Britannia Stadium lodged an assault claim against Costa during a 1-0 loss to Stoke City on November 7; the allegation was dismissed without further action. Costa engaged in another altercation with Martin  Kartel of Liverpool during that same month, seeming to put his boot into the Slovak defender's chest, yet escaping FA repercussions. When Ruben Loftus-Cheek was sent on in place of Costa on November 29 in a game against Tottenham, Costa tossed his bib on the ground. Mourinho stated to the press, "His actions seem normal to me. A star player on the sidelines won't be pleased."

Chelsea fans singled up Costa, Oscar, and Cesc Fàbregas as the players whose subpar performance resulted in the firing of beloved manager José Mourinho in December 2015. In the first game as Guus Hiddink's temporary replacement, Costa scored twice in a 2-2 home tie with Watford. The Dutchman helped Costa, who scored seven goals in his first eight games while playing with a protective mask after fracturing his nose in training.

Diego Costa was issued his first red card while wearing a Chelsea jersey on March 12, 2016, toward the end of their 2-0 FA Cup quarterfinal loss to Everton for tussling with the other player. Costa and Barry got into a fight, and the video looked to show Costa biting Barry during the struggle. Costa seemed to spit in the referee's direction earlier in the game after receiving a yellow card for a collision with Barry. Costa and Barry then disputed that the biting actually happened. Costa was given a £20,000 fine and had his two-match suspension increased to three. Costa was gouged in the eyes by Mousa Dembélé during a major fight on May 2 as Chelsea tied 2-2 with Tottenham to deny them the title; the Belgian was given a retroactive six-match suspension

The 2016–17year

In Chelsea's 2-1 season-opening victory over West Ham United on August 15, 2016, Diego Costa scored a late winner. Adrián, the opposing goalie, said he was lucky not to have been gravely injured after the game when he was caught by him with a late challenge while already on a yellow card. Adrián did not receive a second yellow and continued to score the game's winning goal. On October 15, he scored in a 3-0 victory over Premier League winners Leicester City, and on November 20, when he scored the sole goal in a match against Middlesbrough, Costa became the first player to achieve ten league goals for the season. He was named Premier League's top scorer with two goals and two assists for league leaders Chelsea.

Diego Costa and Conte had a falling out in January 2017, and when the Chinese Super League expressed interest, Costa was fired from the team. The league's restriction on the number of foreign players permitted on each team prevented a prospective transfer to Tianjin Quanjian F.C. On January 22, he was reinserted into Chelsea's starting lineup and scored his 52nd goal on his 100th appearance to help Chelsea defeat Hull City 2-0. With 20 goals, Costa led Chelsea in scoring as they reclaimed the Premier League championship. He scored the equalizer against Arsenal in the 2017 FA Cup Final on May 27, a 2-1 loss.

Diego Costa received a text message from Conte in June 2017 letting him know that he was not included in his plans for the upcoming season and that he was free to join another team. Costa said he would only be open to returning to Atlético Madrid, even though he has been linked to possible moves to clubs like Milan, Monaco, and Everton. Through his attorney, Diego Costa tried to find a legal way to force a return to Madrid and claimed Chelsea was treating him like a "criminal" by demanding a large transfer fee. He was not allowed to train with the first team but was selected for the Premier League squad and the Champions League.

To Atlético Madrid once more 

 

 

On September 21, 2017, Chelsea declared that Diego Costa would rejoin Atlético at the beginning of the next January 2018 transfer window.

It was revealed on September 26, 2017, that Costa had joined Atlético after clearing his medical exams. Due to an Atlético transfer ban, he was registered and became eligible to play after January 1, 2018.

Just five minutes after being replaced by Angel Correa in the 64th minute of the Copa del Rey round of 16 matches on January 3, 2018, he scored in his comeback match against Lleida Esportiu. Three days later, he started and scored the second goal in his first league match back, a 2-0 victory over Getafe at the Wanda Metropolitano. He was ejected for charging into the stands to celebrate his goal, despite having already received a caution for a careless elbow on Djene Dakonam. Griezmann has taken up a roaming No. 10 role, with the freedom to go where he feels best. ESPN FC credited Costa as being a key component in Griezmann's return to form, opining that Costa's "physical presence at center-forward has understandably distracted opposition defenders quite a lot." Atlético manager Diego Simeone singled out three Atlético players in particular—Costa, Koke, and Filipe Lus—who had helped Griezmann perform.

Atlético won 1-0 at home against Arsenal in the second leg of the Europa League semi-finals, advancing them 2-1 overall and into the 2018 UEFA Europa League Final. Costa scored the only goal of the match. He participated in the 3-0 victory over Olympique de Marseille in the Lyon final.

He received an 8-match suspension in April 2019 for insulting a referee. Costa made his 200th club appearance for Los Colchoneros on June 18, 2020, when he began in a decisive 5-0 away victory over Osasuna.  In order to guarantee his club a top-four finish and qualification for the Champions League the next season, Costa scored his fifth goal of the year in a 1-0 home victory against Real Betis. Costa and Atlético decided to end their contract on December 29, 2020, leaving Costa a free agent.

Mineiro Atlético

Diego Costa signed a contract with Brazilian team Atlético Mineiro that was valid until December 2022 on August 14, 2021. On August 29, after coming off the bench in the second half, he scored on his debut to break a 1-1 league tie against Red Bull Bragantino.  Diego Costa ended his contract on January 16, 2022, following only 19 appearances and 5 goals. He, therefore, became a free agent.

Wanderers of Wolverhampton

Diego Costa joined Wolverhampton Wanderers of the Premier League on September 12, 2022, and remained there until the 2022–23 campaign. Costa made his league debut for the team on October 1, 2022, substituting in the 58th minute of a 2-0 loss against West Ham United at the London Stadium.

International Career

Brazil

Luiz Felipe Scolari, the head coach of Brazil, called up Diego Costa to the national squad on March 5 in preparation for friendlies against Italy in Geneva and Russia in London that would both take place before the end of the month. He made his debut on March 21 in the opening game, coming on to replace Fred midway through the 2-2 tie. He replaced Kaká for the final 12 minutes of a 1-1 draw with Russia four days later at Stamford Bridge.

Requesting a team switch

The Royal Spanish Football Federation formally requested FIFA's approval to call up Costa for the Spain national team in September 2013. In July, he received Spanish nationality. Since Costa had only ever played for his first country in friendlies, FIFA regulations currently allow players with dual citizenship to represent a second nation.

Costa wrote a letter to the Brazilian Football Confederation on October 29, 2013, stating his desire to play for Spain at the international level (CBF). After hearing the news, Scolari said, "A Brazilian player who declines to compete in a World Cup in your nation while sporting the jersey of the Brazilian national team is automatically withdrawn. He is rejecting the chance to play for our nation's five-time champion national team in the World Cup in Brazil, a desire that millions of people have."

Carlos Eugênio Lopes, the CBF's director of justice, said: "It's apparent that he made that decision for financial reasons. The CBF chairman, José Maria Marin, gave me permission to file a lawsuit at the Justice Ministry asking that he be stripped of his Brazilian citizenship. which Diego Costa declined to use... The chairman informed me that Diego Costa has demonstrated he is unfit to be a member of the Scolari family and that his commitment to Spain rather than Brazil will taint the family.

He disregarded his Brazilian nationality. Marin has asked me to conduct a thorough investigation in order to prevent him from ever representing Spain. He informed me that due to the incident, Costa is now "persona non grata" at the national team and the players themselves won't welcome him.

 

Spain

 

Diego da Silva CostaDiego Costa was a member of the Spain team that Vicente del Bosque selected for a friendly match against Italy on February 28, 2014. On March 5, he eventually made his debut, playing the entire 90 minutes as the hosts triumphed 1-0 at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, the home team's stadium.

Costa was included in both the 30-man preliminary roster for Spain's World Cup team as well as the final roster, which was announced on May 31. He made his comeback from the injury that had interrupted his club season by starting against El Salvador in a friendly, winning a penalty in a 2-0 win. He again won a penalty against the Netherlands in the tournament's opening game,

Stefan de Vrij was booed by Brazilian spectators throughout the game after conceding a goal that Xabi Alonso scored and converted for a 1-0 lead but ultimately resulted in a 1-5 loss. When Fernando Torres was replaced for the second straight game, Spain was eliminated. Costa then began in a 0-2 loss to Chile and had no effect. He didn't play in the team's third game against Australia, which ended in a 3-0 loss.

On October 12, 2014, Costa got his first goal for Spain in a 4-0 victory over Luxembourg in a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match. He didn't play for Spain again until Slovakia goalkeeper Mat Kozaik fouled him on September 5, 2015, earning Spain a penalty that Andrés Iniesta scored for a 2-0 qualifying victory at the Estadio Carlos Tartiere in Oviedo. When he replaced Paco Alcácer later in the game, he received jeers from the crowd. [Reference needed] Del Bosque defended Costa from the accusations, noting that the Slovak defense was no match for him. He was left off of the tournament's final roster, nevertheless.

In an 8-0 victory over Liechtenstein on September 5, 2016, at the Estadio Reino de León for Spain's opening match of 2018 World Cup qualification, Costa scored his first goal for his country in almost two years. The first goal was a header from a free-kick by his old Atlético teammate Koke. Costa was added to the Spain team in May 2018 in preparation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He contributed to Spain's 3-3 draw with Portugal in their World Cup opener on June 15 in Sochi by scoring both of his team's goals. He scored the game-winning goal against Iran five days later.