Nine years on, Mario Balotelli has finally come up with a reason for that impetuous backheel in Los Angeles. The one that had American television commentators hammering him for, for 'disrespecting LA Galaxy'.
The one when, midway through a friendly on Manchester City's tour of the west coast, he inexplicably spun on his heels when clean through to flick wide without a care in the world.
The one when an incandescent Roberto Mancini hauled him off within moments and team-mates publicly called him out. That one.
'I thought I was offside,' Balotelli said.