There can’t be a single English viewer of the Women’s World Cup semi-final last night, who didn’t feel a twinge of sympathy for Laura Bassett.
The England player, who normally plays for Notts County, scored a horrible own goal in stoppage time, handing Japan a 2-1 victory. She was in floods of tears after the final whistle and had to be comforted by manager Mark Sampson as she walked off the field.
Predictably, the social media trolls came out to post messages calling her 'useless'.
But they were quickly shot-down. Indeed, in the hours following the match, Bassett, 31, received an outpouring of support.
Twitter was alight with encouraging messages, heart emoji and *hugs*. There are even hashtag #IWillStandWithBass and #ProudofBassett.
Rather than anger or recrimination, tributes flooded in for the Lionesses and Bassett in particular from former players, celebrities and supporters.
What a dreadful way to lose! Poor, poor Laura Bassett.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) July 2, 2015
@laurabassett6 you have been immense. A true rock and put in performances you can be so proud of.#Holdyourheadup Your a true pro & we ?? you
— Faye White (@faye_white) July 2, 2015
@laurabassett6 Hold your head up high girl. You have lead by example and been IMMENSE all tournament. We ?? you.
— Kelly Smith (@kelly_smith10) July 2, 2015
Dear @laurabassett6 You've been amazing. UR fight&determination are your true character.I know the pain of an own goal but it won't define U
— Brandi Chastain (@brandichastain) July 2, 2015
Possibly the cruelest own goal ever seen. Absolutely gutted for @england #Lionesses So undeserved. @laurabassett6 you're a hero, gave it all
— Ben Royston (@bbroyston)
July 2, 2015
.@Mark_Sampson: “Laura should be remembered as an absolute hero. People will remember the Laura Bassett who headed, blocked and tackled"
— England (@england)
July 2, 2015
EVERYONE HUG LAURA BASSETT RIGHT NOW
— Kayla Knapp (@KaylaKnappFOX)
July 2, 2015
Sampson said: "When she goes home she will be a hero".
"The way Laura Bassett has played in this tournament, she has epitomised all the values that England football fans want to see in that white jersey," added Sampson.
"She is hurting now but she will wake up, she will have 22 team-mates, a group of staff who will give her a hug, tell her how proud we are of her and we will do the same to the whole group."
• Women's World Cup: England lose to Japan in semi-final, in pictures
It’s absolutely the right sentiment.
Yes, Bassett’s own goal was a careless mistake and a deeply unfair ending to England women’s campaign to reach the World Cup final. It belies the passion and talent we’ve seen them display over the past weeks. But it was also heartbreaking.
Yet - I can’t help thinking that a man wouldn’t have had the same reaction.
Think about it. When Gareth Southgate missed a penalty during England’s semi-final match against Germany in Euro 96 he was vilified. There were practically calls for him to be put in the stocks and publicly pelted with rotten tomatoes. The entire failure of England’s bid for glory was placed at his unfortunate feet.
There was even an unflattering song written about it.
The England defender only managed to partially redeem himself after later appearing in a Pizza Hut advert to mock his own misfortune. But he will always be a failure to many England supporters.
Gutted for England Women's World Cup team. I guess the women's game will be on a par with the men's when poor Laura Bassett gets a pizza ad.
— David Schneider (@davidschneider)
July 2, 2015
And who can forget David Beckham’s red card during England’s second-round World Cup match against Argentina in 1998?
National hero he was not.
Even raking over these national-scale disappointments has left me feeling pretty cross, more than a decade later.
Male players do cry on the pitch, of course – Gazza sobbed his way into our hearts after being show a yellow card during Italia 90.
But generally-speaking our reaction to their perceived on-pitch failures is so much harsher.
Paul Gasgoine at the 1990 World Cup Semi Final (Alamy)
Elsewhere, reactions can be even more extreme. Colombia captain Andrés Escobar scored an own goal in the 1994 World Cup and saw his side eliminated in a match against the USA.
A month later, while the World Cup was still being played, he was shot six times in the back and died in an attack that was widely accepted as revenge at the time (but has since been linked to organised crime).
It’s a universal truth that we tend to only remember the bad times – the sporting misses and injustices. We can’t go about changing our cultural identity now.
But if we really want men and women’s football to be on a level playing field – as has been the rallying cry throughout the Women’s World Cup - then we need to treat all players in the same way.
Anything else is sexism.
It's the same deeply ingrained attitude to gender that makes us instinctively want to encourage young women who run away to be Jihadi brides to come home - but dismiss the men who leave Britain to join Isil.
Personally, I agree with the empathy shown to Bassett and would like to see it injected into the men’s game.
I’d also argue that the Lionesses should be given an open bus parade on their return home to celebrate their best result in a World Cup (England men had one after reaching the last four in 1990 - their second best result).
Thousands of people lined the streets to cheer their success. If anything is going to console Laura Bassett, surely it would be that.