AFTER 43 minutes at the Nou Camp it seemed all over. Iniesta had slid a second Barcelona goal past Cech, and Barcelona seemed to be cruising into the final. Chelsea’s task seemed impossible: a man down and a goal down on aggregate against the best club side in the world. I even stated on Twitter, “Game over, bye-bye Chelsea’s Champions League hopes. More millions are needed Abramovich”. How wrong I was.
The odds were stacked against the London club, yet they never lost belief. Ramires’ beautiful lob restored hope, and 43 minutes of outstanding defending led to an unforgettable victory. Fernando Torres’ injury time goal rounded off the night; it really was the success of the underdog, but football isn’t the only sport with remarkable shock stories. Here is the top five countdown of sport’s biggest shocks:
5) Foinavon: 1967 Grand National
With odds of 100/1 Foinavon was the rank outsider to win the Grand National. But rode by John Buckingham, it did, even though three other jockeys turned down the opportunity to ride him. In what seemed an ordinary National, the Irish horse was at the back of the race in the approach to the 23rd fence. Then chaos arose. A loose horse, Popham Down, felled almost the whole field at the 23rd, causing carnage. Foinavon avoided the drama and managed to streak into an unassailable 30 length lead. The no-hoper was winning, and despite the desperate efforts of the chasers, sailed to an heroic victory. The 23rd fence was later renamed after Foinavon, in 1983.
4) Goran Ivanisevic: Wimbledon 2001
The 30- year- old and three time runner -up at Wimbledon only competed in the 2001 competition by virtue of being a wildcard. Renowned for his powerful serve, Ivanisevic was then ranked a lowly 125th. However, he defeated Pat Rafter in five sets in the final to claim the prestigious Wimbledon title. His journey to the final had been challenging, as he was called upon to beat former and what were to become future number ones. Victory over Tim Henman in a rain-affected semi-final secured his passage through to the final, and the rest, as they say, is history. Goran won the final set against Rafter 9-7 to claim the title. Wimbledon proved to be Ivanisevic’s last title, and it was attained against all the odds. Nobody tipped him for victory, and he became the first wildcard entry, and lowest ranked player, to ever win Wimbledon.
3) James “Buster” Douglas v Mike Tyson; 1990 championship
In Tokyo, on 11th February 1990, James Douglas stunned the boxing world by knocking out Mike Tyson, who was two years unbeaten. Everybody assumed the result would be a foregone conclusion, with Douglas given odds of 42/1. Underestimating Buster turned out to be Tyson’s downfall, as the Ohio born boxer gave the fight of his life. Douglas dominated, landing counter-punches and inflicting serious punishment on Tyson, who somehow managed to survive a brutal ninth round. Tyson’s corner had no counter plan, and in the 10th round, Douglas delivered the final blow, leading to the biggest shock in boxing history. Douglas became WBC and WBA Champion, before being knocked out in his first title defence by Evander Holyfield, eight months later.
2) Newport RFC v All Blacks 1963
In 1963, the All Blacks toured Britain playing 37 games, and losing only once. This New Zealand team was one of their best, but against humble Newport they came unstuck at Rodney Parade on the 30th October 1963. There were over 25,000 spectators, who watched the action unfold on a sodden pitch, which hampered the accustomed playing style of the visitors. The game was by no means a classic; with the boot dominating, and a single drop goal by John Uzzell giving the Welsh side a memorable 3-0 victory. The scoreline didn’t do Newport justice, as they dominated the game, missing other attempts, whilst nullifying any attacking threat from the All Blacks. It truly was an outstanding performance, as Newport fly half David Watkins recalls; “It was a momentous day, to defeat the best rugby nation in the world.”
1) ‘The Miracle on Ice’, 1980
At the New York Winter Olympics, the American ice hockey team pulled out the greatest shock of sporting history, defeating the dominant Soviet side in the semi-finals before going on to win gold. The Americans, a team of amateurs and collegiate players, went into the Olympics as complete underdogs. Reaching the semi finals was a success and there they faced the Soviets, a side of professionals. They had dominated the sport since 1950, winning nearly every tournament. A close first two periods resulted in the Soviets leading 3-2; even then victory for the USA seemed highly improbable. But in the final period the unthinkable happened, as the Americans overturned the deficit to record a stunning 4-3 victory. The success was labelled ‘The Miracle on Ice’, and Sports Illustrated named it the top sporting moment of the 20th century.