Keeper takes in-game water break, concedes embarrassing goal with back turned (Video)

German goalkeepers have been flirting with embarrassment this season. Let us all, for just a second, recall Mainz keeper Robin Zentner, who scanned the field for teammates, and swung his foot in an attempt to pass to one of them only to realize the ball was five feet behind him. Zentner was spared, though. He scrambled back to clear before an onrushing opponent could punish him.

On Saturday, however, Duisburg’s Mark Flekken had no such luck.

The second-division shot-stopper, for who knows what reason, decided the 17th minute, mid-play in a game against Ingolstadt, was a good time for a water break. Turns out … uh, it wasn’t:

What is going on here!?!

There is so much time for a goalkeeper during any given match to go take a sip from the water bottle in or behind his goal. There are set pieces, throw ins, and so on. But when a long ball is floating toward your team’s back line? That doesn’t qualify as a water break opportunity!

The weirdest part is that Flekken seems to only be turning his back on the play as the ball enters the penalty area. Very bizarre.

And then he looks like he’s been the victim of a video game glitch, frozen in a position about five yards from where he should be:

A perfect image to some up a very, very weird mistake.

Fortunately for Flekken, he was spared by the final score. Duisburg won 2-1.

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Henry Bushnell covers global soccer, and occasionally other ball games, for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Question? Comment? Email him at henrydbushnell@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @HenryBushnell.