When Melbourne Victory captain Kevin Muscat's fateful penalty kick thudded off the woodwork at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night, Victory's title dream went down the S-bend in one cruel, but magnificently compelling moment.

The penalty shoot out is football's equivalent of a Hollywood western high noon showdown. Clear cut, clinical and laced with drama it distils the essence of the sport in brutal simplicity. And that's what makes it so appealing. You're never so alive than when you're just one spot kick away from the abyss.

And whilst it didn't go Muscat or Melbourne's way Saturday night he joins a rich list of heroes, villains and fools who have stories to tell of being on either side of the longest twelve yards in sport.

Here are a few of my favourites.

Roberto Baggio, Italy V Brazil, 1994 FIFA World Cup Final, Los Angeles
In 1993 Roberto Baggio was at the peak of his powers. Starring for Juventus in Siere A, the man better known as Il Divin Codino (The Divine Ponytail) for his Billy Ray Cyrus rat's tail was named FIFA World Player of The Year.

The World Cup in the USA was set to be his coronation, and for the most part it was. After its typical slow start, Italy got serious in the knockout phase when Baggio went on a scoring rampage scoring five goals in three cut throat matches to book a spot in the final against Brazil.

As is the way of these things, it's what Baggio didn't do that most people remember him for.

One more goal in the final against would have done the trick. It wasn't to be. After 120 minutes the score was deadlocked at 0-0. Taking Italy's the next penalty kick to keep the Azzurri alive after Barresi and Massero had already missed, the Divine one sent his kick into the bright L.A. sunshine and seemingly en-route for Santa Monica beach.

The World Cup went to Rio - again - and barbers the world over were busy lopping off divine pony tails the world over for months to come.

Viduka, Schwarzer & Aloisi, Australia V Uruguay, November 16th 2005
After so many heartbreaks Australia was asked to go through the agony of a shoot out to make it to the first World Cup finals in more than 30 years.

Being there that night was exhilarating and surreal. A shoot out seems to slow time in its tracks as each life and death pantomime of the spot kick ritual played itself out.

Who could forget the exhilaration of Aloisi's clincher and the pigeon chested, victory sprint? No one would have been more relieved than Mark Viduka at that moment. Often criticised for not scoring enough for his country, he stepped up to take Australia's third penalty only to shoot hopelessly wide.

We should also remember Mark Schwarzer's heroics in denying both Dario Rodriquez and Marcelo Zalayeta with some of the best work of his career to book Australia's ticket to Germany 2006.

Dennis Bergkamp & Peter Schmeichel, FA Cup Semi-Final Replay, April 14th 1999
Manchester United's historical treble of 1999 very nearly didn't happen. The final is legendary for Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnnar Solskjaer's injury time goals that snatched the Champions League trophy from Bayern Munich's hands just as the German's were getting ready to an die partei.

That wasn't the only great escape on the road to immortality for The Red Devils. In the semi-final second leg against Juventus, they found themselves two goals in debt after just 11 minutes. Playing away from home, and having conceded an away goal in the first leg, they required three goals to progress. They had to wait until the 84th minute for Andy Cole to add to his name on the scorer's sheet along with Roy Keane and Dwight Yorke to send United through.

The third Houdini act came in a dramatic FA Cup semi-final replay against Arsenal at Villa Park. With the score at 1-1, United's Phil Neville brought Ray Parlour down inside the penalty area. The clock was just ticking past 90 minutes when Dennis Bergkamp stepped up to take the kick.

Looking down the longest 12 yards he could see the shape of the Great Dane, Peter Schmeichel. Bergkamp went for placement not for power; Schmeichel guessed the right way and got a big mitt to the ball. United's dream lived on. Extra time it was.

And then there was something about Ryan Giggs. As a Gooner, I have repressed the memory of that so I can function normally in day to day life without ending up a dribbling mess crawled up in a foetal position under the desk.

If you want to know about what happened next...that's what YouTube is for.