The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Five of the greatest upsets in sport

26th April, 2011
Advertisement
Roar Pro
26th April, 2011
22
1853 Reads

Upsets are what make sports truly great. They give sports it’s romance, it heightens the excitement and allows all fans the chance to dream.

Even the smallest and most unlikely of underdogs, they always have a chance of pulling off a miracle. And lets face it, we all love cheering for the underdog.

With the Memphis Grizzles on the verge of an historic upset in the NBA Playoffs, here’s what I consider to be the five biggest upsets in sporting history.

5. Socceroos beat England 3-1

On the 14th of February 2003, the Socceroos shocked England, and recorded perhaps the biggest upset in soccer history.

A shocked crowd watched on at Upton Park, as the Socceroos stormed to a much-deserved 2-0 lead, thanks to goals from Harry Kewell and Tony Popovich.

Little known English-man Francis Jeffers pulled a goal back for England in the 69th minute, before a late goal from Brett Emerton put the match beyond all doubt, just six minutes from time.

Not only was the match significant for the Socceroos, but it also marked the dawn of the Wayne Rooney era for England, as he became the youngest ever player to represent the Three Lions, at just 17 years of age.

Advertisement

4. The Golden State Warriors dispatch the Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks entered the 2007 NBA Playoffs, on the back of one of the most successful seasons, in recent NBA history.

They dominated the league, amassing an astonishing 67 wins over the 82 game season, and were the number one seed in the NBA Playoffs.

Their match-up with the eighth seed Golden State Warriors was expected to be a walkover for the Mavericks.

Six games later, the Golden State Warriors had made history, becoming the first ever number eight seed to eliminate their much-heralded opponent.

The frenzied home crowd – at the Oracle Arena – fuelled Golden State to a sensational win, which to this day remains the only time in history in which the number one seed has been eliminated in the first-round of the playoffs.

3. James “Buster” Douglas KOs “Iron” Mike Tyson

Advertisement

Mike Tyson went into his World Heavyweight Title defense – in February 1990 – undefeated and it didn’t look like anyone would change that anytime soon.

The self-proclaimed “Baddest Man on the Planet” was expected to punish and brutalize his unheralded opponent, with “Buster” Douglas entering the fight a 42-1 underdog.

In fact, many pundits even viewed the fight as a “tune-up”, with a showdown between Evander Holyfield looming on the horizon for “Iron Mike.”

Yet, in the tenth round, Douglas shocked the world, flooring Tyson with a vicious right hand, which was also the first time Tyson had been knocked down in his career.

With that, “Buster” Douglas became the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion.

2. The USA defeats the USSR

The 1980 Winter Olympics took place right in the middle of the Cold War, between the worlds two superpowers, the USA and the Soviet Union.

Advertisement

The two sides were set to face in the semi-finals of the Ice Hockey tournament, with the Soviets heavily-favoured.

The US team was made up of college and amateur players and seemed no match for the might of the Soviet squad, who had claimed eight of the last nine gold medals in the sport.

Yet on this day, the US team somehow managed to pull off what many consider to be the greatest upsets in sporting history, in a match that is now known as “The Miracle on Ice.”

Adding to the upset, was the fact that the two sides met in an exhibition match, earlier in 1980, and the Soviet’s crushed the young US side 10-3.

It’s been said that by many that if this match was played 100 times, the Soviet Union would win 99 times, but the encounter on the 22nd of February, 1980, was that one time when the US somehow found a way to win.

Sport Illustrated declared the win the greatest sporting moment of the 20th century, and the result has inspired a Hollywood movie about the 1980 team.

American commentator Al Michaels’ famous call of “Do you believe in miracles” has become engrained in American Sporting legend, as the result was not only seen as a victory on the ice, but a victory for American society against the Soviet threat.

Advertisement

1. Upset upsets Man ‘O War

Champion thoroughbred Man ‘O War is considered to be one of the greatest racehorses of all time. His career record stand at 20 wins and only 1 defeat, with the only defeat coming in an upset loss in the 1919 Stanford Memorial.

Man ‘O War’s conqueror not only inflicted the only defeat on an illustrious career, but it is also believed by many to have coined the very term “upset.”

The 100-1 underdog Upset entered the 1919 Stanford Memorial, given no chance at all to win the prestigious race. However, as we now know, the thoroughbred raced to a historic victory.

Man ‘O War continued his amazing career after the race, which led to the champion being named the best racehorse of the 20th century.

Yet, in that race at the Stanford Memorial, Upset won the day, and successfully pulled off one the very best upsets in sporting history.

close