own goal

• own-goal

• IPA^(key): /ˈoʊn.ɡoʊl/

own goal (plural own goals)

1. (sports) A goal that results from a player putting the ball or puck into the goal of their own team; the resulting goal being scored for the opposition.
   • 2014 July 2, Jeremy Wilson, “Andrés Escobar murder: Colombia prepare for biggest ever World Cup match on 20th anniversary of death”, in The Daily Telegraph:

     It is 20 years to the day since Escobar was shot dead after scoring the own goal that effectively sealed Colombia’s elimination from USA ’94.

2. (figuratively) A blunder that damages one’s own prospects.
   • 2008, Henry McDonald, Gunsmoke and mirrors: how Sinn Féin dressed up defeat as victory:

     In its penultimate year, for example, starting from when the Provos blew up Canary Wharf in February 1996, the IRA suffered its last 'own goal' when Wexford-born Ed O'Brien blew himself up on a London bus whilst transporting a bomb.

   • 2011 June 22, Fionola Meredith, “Belfast riots are an own goal”, in The Guardian:

     No doubt the buzz of army helicopters will sound again in the skies over Belfast tonight, as loyalists continue to score this series of bloody own goals.

   • 2017 June 9, Sotirios Zartaloudis, “Theresa May wins election, but ends up the biggest loser”, in The Globe and Mail:

     These elections mark a personal humiliation for incumbent Ms. May, who ran a very personalized campaign as a “strong and stable” leader asking British voters to give her a clear mandate to negotiate Brexit. Ms. May scored an unforced own goal by reducing her party’s parliamentary seats and absolute majority.

• self goal
• autogoal

• dig one's own grave
• self-inflicted
• self-own
• shoot oneself in the foot