Brazil beat Croatia 3-1 in the opening game of the World Cup, but there was still some moments of angst for the home nation. Croatia struck first thanks to an own goal from Marcelo. The Real Madrid fullback put a cross into his own net and Brazilian fans were understandably irate, if just for a moment.
However, as tends to be the case when that anger spills onto Twitter, those Brazilian fans got the wrong guy.
Instead of tweeting Marcelo, the Brazilian fullback, angry fans sent tweets to Marcello with an extra “l.” Marcello happens to be a European male model. Here’s a sampling:
https://twitter.com/Koqology/status/477187284140556290
https://twitter.com/secret12345/status/477187653625208832
.@Marcello why did u scor own goal.? Ur not soppsed to scor in dat one. defend it goddamit not scor I idiot
— Middlesbrough FC (@MiddIesbroughFC) June 12, 2014
And this is my absolute favorite…
NO WONDER YOU SCORING OWN GOAL IF YOU TWEETING DURING GAME YOU FUKING IDIOT @Marcello !!!
— Beijing Red 4 Lyf (@Beijingcasuals) June 12, 2014
YOU IDIOT MARCELO! OUT THERE ON THE PITCH CHECKING YOUR SMARTPHONE INSTEAD OF DEFENDING WITH PROPER CONCENTRATION!!
This barrage produced another one of the great tweets in the history of Twitter with Marcello trying to steer fans in the direction of the Brazilian soccer star.
To all those hurling abuse at me for scoring an own goal, please re-direct your anger to @12MarceloV. Thank you
— Marcello (@Marcello) June 12, 2014
It’d be one thing to tell fans they had the wrong guy, it’s another to actually give them the handle of the one they are after with flaming pitchforks. At least the model came to his senses and tried to call for some kind of sanity.
All joking aside, it's a football GAME! When is @Twitter going to finally wake up and take action against online trolling?!
— Marcello (@Marcello) June 12, 2014
And to think this is only Day 1 of the World Cup. Just imagine what will happen when people start tweeting angry things to Fred Willard thinking he’s a Brazilian striker.