own goal

American  

[ohn gohl] / ˈoʊn ˌgoʊl /

noun

1. Soccer, Ice Hockey. an unintentional goal scored to the offense when the ball struck by a defensive player goes into the defensive team’s net: o.g.

   The goalkeeper's own goal was a stunningly bad moment.

2. an unintentional harm or disadvantage to oneself or one’s associates, brought about by one’s own action, often when the intention was to harm or disadvantage someone else.

   The prosecution’s relentless badgering proved to be an own goal, and a much-relieved defendant went free.

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own goal British  

noun

1.  o.g.  soccer a goal scored by a player accidentally playing the ball into his own team's net

2. informal any action that results in disadvantage to the person who took it or to a party, group, etc with which that person is associated

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Etymology

Origin of own goal

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Needing two own goals to beat Wolves, one of the worst Premier League teams of all time, says a lot about where they are at the moment.

From BBC

The deal may boost the company’s market share there, but it represents a strategic own goal for the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal

Woltemade was clearly determined to find redemption after his own goal condemned the Magpies to a 1-0 defeat at bitter rivals Sunderland last weekend.

From Barron's

Nick Woltemade's own goal was enough to give Sunderland a memorable win over their rivals in the first Premier League Tyne-Wear derby since 2016 - and the hosts celebrated at full-time by recreating Newcastle's snap shot.

From BBC

The uneasy truth that Liam Scales' own goal was the earliest concession in a European game at Celtic in more than a decade.

From BBC