IT'S A DISGRACE

 Football On This Day - 25th June 1982

West Germany needed to beat Austria, at the El Molinon stadium in Gijon, Spain, by one or two goals to allow both countries to progress through their World Cup finals group at the expense of Algeria. The Germans took the lead after 10 minutes after which there appeared to be an agreement between the sides not to score any more goals. The match became known as the ‘Disgrace of Gijón’, as suggested in the photo.

The match was the last game of the first-round in Group Two with Algeria and Chile, group nations, having played the day before. With the outcome of that match already decided and known, a win by one or two goals for West Germany at the expense of Austria would result in both West Germany and Austria qualifying instead of Algeria, which had defeated West Germany in the first game. The Germans scored the only goal within the first 10 minutes of the match, which progressively deteriorated towards near standstill in the second half. Spectators of the match accused both teams of fixing the outcome although FIFA ruled that neither team had broken any rules.

As a result of this, and regarding similar events at the previous World Cup in Argentina, FIFA revised the group system for future tournaments, so that the final two games in each group would be played simultaneously. In German, the match is known as Nichtangriffspakt von Gijón (lit. "Non-Aggression pact of Gijón") or Schande von Gijón (lit. "Disgrace of Gijón"), while in Algerian it is called فضيحة خيخون (faḍīḥat Khīkhūn, "Scandal of Gijón"); it is also satirically referred to as the Anschluss (in reference to the annexation of Austria by Germany in 1938).

When Thailand beat Indonesia 3-2, an Indonesian defender deliberately scored an own goal so his team did not have to face the host Vietnam in the semi-finals of the 1998 Tiger Cup.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vxMaEMKzEM

AS Adema beat SO l'Emyrne149-0, where the SO l'Emyrne players deliberately scored 149 own goals in protest of refereeing decisions that had gone against them in the previous match.

On January 27, 1994, the Barbados and Genada played each other as part of the qualification round for the 1994 Caribbean Cup. Due to an unusual scoring rule and the two teams' respective positions in the tournament, it became alternately in the best interest of each team to score an own goal. The result has been described as "one of the strangest matches ever". The organisers of the tournament had imposed a rule requiring all matches to have a winner, and this was enforced with an unusual variant of the golden goal  rule: the first goal scored in extra-time, not only won the match, but was also worth two goals. Barbados started the match needing to win by a margin of at least two goals to qualify for the final tournament, and after Grenada scored late in normal time to bring the scoreline to 2–1, Barbados deliberately scored an own goal to force extra-time, where they could get the two-goal winning margin they needed courtesy of the unconventional golden goal rule. This resulted in an unusual situation: for the last three minutes of the match, Grenada was trying to score in both goals, as either outcome (3–2 or 2–3) would have advanced them to the finals, while Barbados had to defend both goals. Ultimately, Barbados was able to prevent Grenada from scoring, thus forcing extra-time, and scored the golden goal to win the match.

The outcome of the match was criticised by Grenadian manager James Clarkson, who felt that his team had been cheated out of advancing to the finals. However, FIFA chose to not punish Barbados given the unusual tournament rules.Barbados beat Grenada 4-2, after a Barbadian defender deliberately scored an own goal, so his team could win by two goals in extra-time, according to an unconventional golden goal rule.

Spain 12-1 v  Malta, was a game where Spain qualified to Euro 1984 because of a better goal difference than Netherlands. Accusations of match fixing and drugging were made, but not proven. Four days before the game, The Netherlands defeated Malta 5–0 and finished their qualification schedule with 13 points and a goal difference of +16. If Spain won their final qualifier and thus also finished on 13 points, then goal difference would decide which team qualified. With a goal difference of +5, Spain would need to defeat Malta by a margin of 11 or more goals to qualify. The team had only managed to score 12 goals in their previous seven matches, and before the game the Maltese goalkeeper, John Bonello, said: "I wouldn't return to my country if they scored 11 goals."

Coventry 2-2 Bristol City, 19th May, at Highfield Road, was the final match for both sides in the 1977 English First Division. With five minutes remaining, players received news of a Sunderland defeat which meant a draw would save both Coventry and Bristol from relegation. Both sides stopped attempting to score for the final five minutes.