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Thread: Greatest Games

  1. #1
    Senior Member Jimmy Floyd's Avatar
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    Greatest Games

    This thread isn't too specific but I just want to see some great football matches (or other sports, even) from down memory lane. Videos/your match notes and memories all welcome. All levels and eras wanted.

    I was inspired by suddenly remembering this beauty, and watching the extended highlights. There were so many mental occurrences that even in eight years had slipped my mind as the game tends to be remembered in the Torres/Gary Neville orgasm moment rather than the preceding 90 minutes which were absolutely insane, and somehow brought into a new light for me by this Zapruder tape with Peter Drury commentary which I hadn't seen before:



    - Seeing the Barcelona lineup I had forgotten just how fucking good and indeed terrifying to play against they were. It wasn't like playing against any team that exists today, it was another level of fear. I have no idea how we had won the first leg but then you go to the Nou Camp and see Xavi, Iniesta, Messi all at the absolute apex of their powers, not to mention the handy support act and Pep himself on the sidelines (in hindsight, did this match begin his slide into mentalism?)

    - In contrast, our John Obi Mikel / Raul Meireles midfield pivot seems a little underwhelming.

    - The game starts and Barcelona are basically fucking us with more than a dildo - their movement and pace of passing is incredible and Messi, as always, is a bad joke with the ball at his feet. Our only response in the first 35 minutes seems to be Drogba trying to murder Valdes/Pique.

    - Barcelona inevitably score and then John Terry gets sent off for kneeing Alexis Sanchez in the back (I'd forgotten that it was Alexis Sanchez and just how ridiculous it was - Terry's worst moment in football and there were a few). Then they score again and it's basically a complete rim job in the offing... for about two minutes.

    - At this point you remember the sheer absurdity that the mighty Pep was up against the management dream team of Roberto Di Matteo and Eddie Newton - in every single shot of Di Matteo, he looks completely bewildered about what's going on to the point where it's hard to believe he was doing any managing at all. Newton behind him looks far more switched on.

    - We then score what is surely one of the most underrated goals in CL history - two separate Ramires runs, one with the ball and one without, sandwiching the most glorious pass from Lampard to complete one of the greatest counter-attacking goals ever scored, having been bumfucked for the full 45. We go up on aggregate here and never trail again. Even now Di Matteo looks in a haze, like he has been pulled in off the street.

    - The second half is possibly even more mental than the first. I had completely forgotten that Didier Drogba (playing at left back) needlessly trips Fabregas and gives away a penalty, which Messi then moos into the crossbar. Like, what? Drury seems to have a heart attack at this point and never recovers. Messi also hit the post and they had two goals disallowed for very tight (but correct) offside calls - VAR would have ruined those.

    - Drogba soon switches to right back, recovers the ball from Cuenca in his own corner (remember him?) and strolls past Puyol to have a shot from fully 75 yards out which is on target and the keeper has to dive to save. Was everyone on drugs or something? The high-as-a-kite Didier is then replaced by Torres, who is fully into his not-very-butch lesbian years by this point and the crack coaching team deploy him as the second left back. Prior to the famous one he has two or three good chances to launch a similar break into the empty half, and completely butchers all of them.

    - I remember being completely emotionally drained after this match, and having to go out for some fresh air - reflecting now, it seems as much a statement on just how great the Barcelona team were that we were playing against that it felt like (and was) the heist of all heists to have come through the tie.

    - Finally, the shot of Di Matteo and Newton running down the touchline at the end, hugging each other... my poor heart

    Anyway, I'd like to see your greatest games.

  2. #2
    ram it up your shitpipe Giggles's Avatar
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    Is that the Drogba winner game? The video isn’t available here.

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    Isn't he banned? Baz's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Giggles View Post
    Is that the Drogba winner game? The video isn’t available here.
    If only he'd described in minute detail what happens in the match.
    I'm a twit

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    The Artist Formerly Known as Taz
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    Is that the game involving that club from England and Spain with the round thing?

    Classic Giggs

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    I used to be funny.
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    If we're talking emotionally exhausting, nothing's come closer than our win against Feyenoord for me.



    3 defeats in the Champions League followed by 3 wins and it boiled down to Bellamy hoping the keeper wouldn't hold his shot.

    In terms of Earth-shattering weirdness, I still can't wrap my head around Brazil 1-7 Germany. The first half hour was like watching the Twin Towers come down.


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    Administrator Kikó's Avatar
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    Similarly to Jimmy's then for pure outright draining emotion, was that 1-0 v Barcelona before we beat Chelsea in the final. A nervy 0-0 in Barcelona with an early missed penalty (C.Ronaldo missing early) and then completely outplayed, it was time for another nervy 90 minutes (or more) v the best team in the world.

    But really, this was one of the great United teams. the criminally underrated Brown with Ferdinand, VdS behind, potty Paddy at cb then the brilliant Scholes with Carrick, the enigmatic Nani and workhorse Park with two more greats in Ronaldo and Tevez up top. We of course score early through that screamer from Scholes and then hold on. Nerves from start to finish but it wasn't to be, this United team would match the 99 team and they would make history.

    (I could post United - Juve as well but not tonight)

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    Won the Old Board Lewis's Avatar
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    United would have won the title in 2003/04 if Wes Brown had come back six weeks earlier. Thierry Henry got one kick out of him in that black kit 1-1, which, admittedly, he rammed past whichever idiot was in nets from thirty yards; but he was absolutely immense when his body worked.

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    ram it up your shitpipe Giggles's Avatar
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    In a predictable move I’m picking a GAA game. And yes I know, begorrah, etc etc. Anyway, these two had some epic battles over the late 2010’s and this was the best of them.


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    Senior Member niko_cee's Avatar
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    Aside from the very obvious in the round ball realm, Manly 40-0 Melbourne in to 2008 NRL Grand Final.

    Womp-ratting the deathstar in the final just doesn't normally happen. Glorious.

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    Senior Member Queenslander's Avatar
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    Easily the best Australian club team to go around.


    Last edited by Queenslander; 23-10-2020 at 08:57 AM.

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    Webly Ian's Avatar
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    I'll add one of my own to this later but that Barcelona / Chelsea game is possibly the most I've ever been emotionally invested in a game involving a team I don't support (Japan / Saffers at the Rugby World Cup is up there too.) Spain had already gone from being an exciting team with the ability to move the ball around at silly speeds to a possession-for-it's-own-sake mob and Guardiola was trying to do the same with Barcelona, and this must have been around the time I started to get really sick of managers crying about teams defending a lot against them so I was aboard the Chelsea bus for this one. Great game.

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    Senior Member Offshore Toon's Avatar
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    It's got to be Dublin v Kerry in the 2011 SFC final. Wasn’t the greatest game ever seen but mainly for the comeback and Dublin ending a drought since 1995. Mad looking back and seeing the joy at them winning one when it became so routine in later years (won the first ever 5 in a row from 2015-2019). Atmosphere was amazing at it.


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    I used to be funny.
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    In terms of games I've been in person for, Newcastle 3-3 Crystal Palace in 2014. Warnock's first game, Gayle puts us behind in the first minute. Janmaat levels, Puncheon retakes the lead for Palace. Rolando Aarons (this might be his only senior goal for us) squares it up and then Mike Williamson taps in a rebound for an unlikely lead.

    I remember thinking, "We don't deserve this but I'll take it."

    Zaha levels in the 95th minute with a deflected shot. I punched the wall next to me and left.

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    ram it up your shitpipe Giggles's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Offshore Toon View Post
    It's got to be Dublin v Kerry in the 2011 SFC final. Wasn’t the greatest game ever seen but mainly for the comeback and Dublin ending a drought since 1995. Mad looking back and seeing the joy at them winning one when it became so routine in later years (won the first ever 5 in a row from 2015-2019). Atmosphere was amazing at it.
    Dafuq? I think I remember typing that in a previous one of these (and it was very nearly what I posted above too).

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    Sunderland 1-0 Manchester City. Ji Dong-Won. Say no more.

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    Senior Member Spikey M's Avatar
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    Southend 1 - 0 Man Utd. Bonus points for Kiko going to the shittest chipshop in town after the Game.

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    Administrator Kikó's Avatar
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    Haha - it was absolutely fucking dreadful. A great freekick from Eastwood but just abject.

    Re the All Ireland final, I was reading in the latest United fanzine about Kevin Moran. A brilliant gaelic player before being picked up by United at 18 years old. I wonder how many players you can point to being very successful in two separate sports.

  18. #18
    ram it up your shitpipe Giggles's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kikó View Post
    Haha - it was absolutely fucking dreadful. A great freekick from Eastwood but just abject.

    Re the All Ireland final, I was reading in the latest United fanzine about Kevin Moran. A brilliant gaelic player before being picked up by United at 18 years old. I wonder how many players you can point to being very successful in two separate sports.
    Moran is probably the top export from our games, if going by success here. Niall Quinn and Shane Long were extremely talented hurlers and would have had success but left after U18 level.

  19. #19
    Webly Ian's Avatar
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    I'd totally forgotten the South / United game. I'd also forgotten about Freddy Eastwood existing and he's now retired.

    Man Utd: Kuszczak, O'Shea (Lee 75), Brown, Silvestre, Heinze, Ronaldo, David Jones (Shawcross 90), Fletcher, Richardson, Smith (Evra 60), Rooney.
    Subs Not Used: Heaton, Rose.


  20. #20
    Senior Member Jimmy Floyd's Avatar
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    The (Shawcross 90) there is performance art.

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    Webly Ian's Avatar
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    Yeah I spotted that. Bringing on a stodgy centre-half in place of a central midfielder when chasing the game. Beautiful stuff.

    In fact Evra as well, for a striker. Though no attackers on the bench so maybe Evra was playing as a winger.

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    Administrator Kikó's Avatar
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    I would say that's the worst game I've been to but I think this was worse - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...up/4139315.stm

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    Senior Member Spikey M's Avatar
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    Djemba-Djemba

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    Because I was there, Liverpool in Istanbul was pretty special, as was the Fenerbache street party a few days before after they clinched the title.



    Apart from that, England beating Argentina in '98 with little Mickey Owen arriving on the big screen sticks in the mind, as does Liverpool walloping Man Utd 4-1, with Torres running wild in '09.


  25. #25
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    Er, we didn't beat Argentina in 98.

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    Senior Member Jimmy Floyd's Avatar
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    We did. Sol Campbell headed home the winner and then we lost 5-0 to the Dutch in the quarter-finals.

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    Webly Ian's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kikó View Post
    I would say that's the worst game I've been to but I think this was worse - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...up/4139315.stm
    Is that a David Bellion / Kieran Richardson frontline?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Yevrah View Post
    Er, we didn't beat Argentina in 98.
    Don't ruin my memory.

  29. #29
    Webly Ian's Avatar
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    Firstly in the interests of laziness I'm going to link my thread on this from before for the Coventry one as when I was thinking about this it's probably the one that leaps to mind still because I was there.

    I'd want to watch extended highlights like Jim did for one of the old England games because if there's one thing that Euro 96 taught me it's how much my memory is skewed of games I thought I remembered really well. Through a combination of how the media have affected the collective memory of it and just my way more subjective views of football when I was a yoof. Like Simeone was 100% the villain to 12 year old me in that Argentina game. Probably followed closely by that dirty referee so shamelessly doing us out of a goal just because Shearer's elbows were everywhere.

  30. #30
    Administrator Kikó's Avatar
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    Another one but from a personal perspective than for it being the best game ever, was this one:



    Me and the missus were preparing for our wedding later in July and meanwhile Portugal was continuing to progress through the Euros. Around the semi's I asked the wife if she fancied going *if* they got there considering everything and the answer was a yes but don't jynx it. Obviously, then it happened and I managed to buy 3 tickets off a Welsh guy who had been hoping to go to the final but now wasn't interested. Ended up selling them for about €175 a ticket (face was €350). Jumped on the Eurostar, stayed in a dive hotel and then met Spooney. Obviously when that goal happened and it was pretty epic celebrations including being tear gassed by the Champs Elysee and drinking some fizzy plonk at some bar at 4am.

    Probably better than the wedding (For her).

    Toggle Spoiler

  31. #31
    Senior Member niko_cee's Avatar
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    Virtually in the Milan end there John Arne.

    On the upside I guess you got to see all the action down there.

  32. #32
    Isn't he banned? Baz's Avatar
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    Wide To West, for sure.

    I remember watching the match live on sky sports and thinking it was just okay, but then it happened and has been in my memories ever since.

    Rugby highlights didn’t exist in 2000 but have a fifteen minute video about it:



    Turns out it’s nearly 20 years to the day.

    Similar to Istanbul 2005, I suppose it wasn’t that good of a game overall but because of something that happened (try after the final buzzer, coming back from 0-3 to win the champions league) it was made better, but truth be told he repeat fixture in the 2002 Grand Final was probably a better game, but even that was glorified by the ref clearly cheating to let Saints win. Or “the game were rugby league won” in 07 when we scrapped with Leeds and it gave Klopp the idea for gegenpressing, but I can’t get behind that cos Leon Dickhead Pryce was awesome in it and I hate his guts, and I’d dropped off the bandwagon a bit by then.
    I'm a twit

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    Senior Member wullie's Avatar
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    This is one of my favourite games ever, I think of Euro 2004 as a bit of a golden age which may not stand up to scrutiny but this still does. I can rarely be arsed with football if I've got no stake in the game now but I remember this game hooking me in completely

  34. #34
    Webly Ian's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wullie View Post


    This is one of my favourite games ever, I think of Euro 2004 as a bit of a golden age which may not stand up to scrutiny but this still does. I can rarely be arsed with football if I've got no stake in the game now but I remember this game hooking me in completely
    I've looked for a full version of that before because in my mind it's my favourite game ever but I can't now remember much about it.

  35. #35
    ram it up your shitpipe Giggles's Avatar
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    Seeing as it’s better than (our) football in general, I really should have put the best game of the small ball up that I’ve ever seen, even though the former is a bigger thing. So I will.

    I sobbed like a baby at the end of this in 2018. 45 years.

    Last edited by Giggles; 23-10-2020 at 08:09 PM.

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    Editing of that Netherlands vs Czech Rep is fucking dreadful - not something you see all that often.

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