Dropping your shorts to distract a goalkeeper during a soccer match. Usually that’s the sort of thing that only works in 80s teen sex comedies, when the girls in the sorority are trying to win some big coed soccer match. But outside of “Revenge of the Nerds” sequels, you can apparently also find it in Italian soccer, because the LOS ANGELES TIMES says that’s exactly the tactic that First Division side Catania used to score a goal in their 3-2 victory over Torino over the weekend.

Catania coach Walter Zenga had several of his players stand in a passive offside position and then not-so-passively drop their pants before running back onside. Giuseppe Mascara followed with a precise free kick, and Catania had themselves a rather “cheeky” goal.

Video of the controversial goal is after the jump. See if you can spot the players serving the goalkeeper the Moons Over My Hammy from Denny’s:

The distraction to the goalkeeper (presumably) wasn’t the sight of the Catania players’ rumps, but that his view of the free kick was blocked by the low-riders. I’m all for this kind of tactic being used in American soccer: especially is it’s the new women’s professional soccer league and Heather Mitts is involved. If it’s the MLS, I’m not as interested. Unless, of course, it’s David Beckham - what a dreamboat.

Needless to say, the Torino side wasn’t thrilled with Catania’s creativity, and neither was the former head of referees for Italian soccer, who called the play a dirty trick. And just as unsurprisingly, Catania’s brass had a different view:

Pietro Lo Monaco, Catania chief executive, disagreed, telling RAI state radio, “A trick? I wouldn’t say so. It’s up to the referee to decide if it should be penalized, otherwise I don’t see where the problem is … Good taste is relative.”

Maybe good taste is relative in Italy, signore, but here in the God-fearing U.S. of A., we know where good taste begins and ends, and if you had pulled that stunt here, you would have had to answer to a very angry Joe Buck. Put that in your canolli and eat it.