So here's how to actually do it,
Liverpool: Jose Mourinho's masterpiece, Manchester City's miracle and
Ryan Giggs's hairy escapades - it's the greatest post-red card displays
Long after the debate about
Sadio Mane’s sending off has subsided, one fact will remain: on
Saturday, Liverpool produced an object (or should that be abject?)
lesson in how not to play when reduced to 10 men. These magnificent
seven fared rather better...
Spain 0-1 Northern Ireland (1982)
It’s fair to say that host nation Spain employed some rudimentary
tactics in this World Cup group game, scything down player after player
without punishment, while every time a Northern Irish player looked at a
Spaniard they'd find themselves booked.
In spite of the perceived
injustice, the 48th minute produced the most famous goal in Northern
Ireland’s history: a quick breakaway in which Billy Hamilton, a
particular victim of Spain’s cynicism, put the afterburners on down the
right wing. His cross was parried by Luis Arconada but only as far as
Gerry Armstrong, who gleefully drilled the ball through Arconada’s legs
to give Northern Ireland an improbable lead.
Mal Donaghy shoved Jose Camacho on the hour mark, though,
and Paraguayan referee Hector Ortiz saw his opportunity to become a
Spanish hero by sending Donaghy off. But Northern Ireland defended
resolutely for half an hour to give Billy Bingham’s men victory.
Manchester United 2-1 Arsenal (1999)
When Roy Keane picked up a second booking for a cynical and
frankly nonsensical 74th-minute lunge at Marc Overmars, it appeared
likely that there would only be one winner in this FA Cup semi-final
replay – delicately poised at 1-1.
Especially when Ray Parlour won Arsenal a penalty in
stoppage time. But Peter Schmeichel saved Dennis Bergkamp’s spot-kick,
so the game went to extra time. Arsenal pressed for a winner, but
Schmeichel was having one of those games where it appeared United were
illegally fielding four goalkeepers.
You know what happened next: in the 109th minute, a tired
pass from Patrick Vieira gifted possession to United substitute Ryan
Giggs, who jinked past 3,719 challenges before smashing the ball into
the roof of the net and wheeling off in celebration to reveal a chest
deemed ‘a bit too hairy for me’ by Richard Keys.
Barcelona 1-0 Inter (2010)
Jose Mourinho’s Inter side took a 3-1 lead to the Camp Nou
for their Champions League semi-final second leg. Stopping a peak
Pep-managed, Messi-inspired Barcelona scoring twice was a tough task
anyway, but it was rendered even harder by the dismissal of Thiago Motta
for a slap on Sergio Busquets in the 28th minute – a decision which
drew sarcastic applause from Mourinho, who would of course never
countenance such shithousery.
Regardless, for the next 70 minutes Inter produced a
defensive masterclass, repelling everything that an increasingly
desperate Barcelona could throw at them. An 84th-minute effort from
Gerard Pique made for a tense final few minutes, but Mourinho’s men held
firm.
Tottenham 3-4 Manchester City (2004)
Even for a club with a longstanding tradition of shooting
itself in the foot, Spurs looked comfortable at half time in their
fourth-round FA Cup tie against Manchester City. Goals from Ledley King,
Robbie Keane and Christian Ziege had given them a seemingly
unassailable lead.
Something altogether weird happened in the second half: the 10 men of City rallied
Then Joey Barton talked himself into trouble (shocking, we
know) as he walked off at the break, receiving a second yellow card.
And, let’s face it: Spurs were up against the only club that had even
more of a tradition for self-sabotage.
However, something altogether weird happened in the second
half: the 10 men of City rallied. Sylvain Distin glanced a header home
in the 48th minute; then Paul Bosvelt's wayward shot took a deflection
off Anthony Gardner and nestled in the Tottenham net. In the 80th
minute, Shaun Wright-Phillips coolly lifted the ball over Kasey Keller
for a scarcely believable equaliser which gave the 10 men a chance at
extra time.
Except it didn’t. Because in the final minute, John Macken powered a header past Keller to seal an unforgettable turnaround.
England 1-2 Brazil (2002)
England took a surprise lead against the tournament
favourites in this World Cup quarter-final via a neat first-half finish
by Michael Owen. They had several opportunities to stretch their lead
too, before Rivaldo equalised following a fleet-footed run from
Ronaldinho. Then came that free-kick. Did Ronaldinho mean it, or was it a
mishit cross? He meant it. It was Ronaldinho. Come on, now.
But then the buck-toothed Brazilian was harshly sent off in
the 58th minute for an innocuous challenge on Danny Mills, who
absolutely did not make a meal of it because he’s English and that’s not
what English people (incessantly tell themselves that they don’t) do.
Yet Brazil coped comfortably as the English threat wilted
in the stifling Japanese conditions, and saw the game out with ease.
Brazil went on to win the tournament, while the English public were left
trying to concoct another socially acceptable reason to meet in the pub
at 7am.
Chelsea 2-2 PSG (2015)
Three years on from the above, Chelsea were confident of
progressing to the Champions League quarter-finals following a
creditable 1-1 draw in Paris. Their chances increased when Zlatan
Ibrahimovic was shown a red card in the 31st minute for a high challenge
on Oscar.
What followed was an end-to-end affair, with the 10 men of
PSG knowing they had to score. Yet it was Chelsea that took the lead
though through Gary Cahill’s half-volley.
PSG continued to create chances, however, and Chelsea old
boy David Luiz shocked his former team-mates with an 86th-minute bullet
header to send the game to extra time.
The Parisians were being forced to play 90 minutes with 10
men, but tiredness didn't hold them back. It looked like they'd finally
caved when Eden Hazard scored a penalty in the 96th minute, but the tie
was settled with six minutes remaining when PSG captain Thiago Silva
sealed an away goals triumph with a looping header.(fm/dn)
Labels:
FEATURES,
FEATURES SPORTS,
FOOTBALL INTERNATIONALE,
WORLD CUP
Thanks for reading FIVE OF FOOTBALL'S MOST HEROIC MATCH HISTORY. Please share...!
0 Comment for "FIVE OF FOOTBALL'S MOST HEROIC MATCH HISTORY"