I should start out by saying this list is 100% personal. I'm not trying to tell you what the 10 most dramatic games of all time are. This is about the 10 games I have witnessed as a fan that I found most dramatic. This means that there is a clear bias towards the teams I cheer for. This also is only going to be "Happy" Dramatic moments. That is to say the team I wanted to win won. This is likely to become a series of posts and the sad times may be documented later.
10.) Queens Park Rangers @ Manchester City, English Premier League, May 13th, 2012: In terms of soccer drama, it is hard to get better than this; at least when you aren't really a supporter of either team. This game had implications on the top of the table as well as the relegation zone on the last Sunday of the season. With nine other games going on simultaneous to this one and the results of two of the other game having a direct impact on how the table will end up in regards to these two teams, it was very dramatic. The results from the other games changed the attitudes of the supporters of both clubs, which added to the fantastic nature of this game. It really looked like Manchester City were going to suffer another heart break, but two stoppage time goals gave them the title in the must unbelievable of fashions.
9.) Wisconsin @ Ohio State, NCAA Football, October 29th, 2011: This is the only regular season Ohio State football game that will make the list. There have been many great ones, but I think this one was the most emotionally turbulent one for me. I felt like Ohio State had the game pretty well in hand when the Buckeyes took the lead 26-14 with just 4:39 left in the game. However, the Ohio State defense that had played so well had a meltdown in the final 5:00 and two quick Wisconsin scores later it was 29-26 to the Badgers with 1:18. I had basically conceded defeat at that point. The ineffective nature of the Buckeyes' passing game made me think even field goal range was unlikely. However, Ohio State managed to score on a late deep pass as Wisconsin broke down in coverage as Braxton Miller scrambled. Ohio State won 33-29. This was the highlight in what was otherwise a very disappointing season last year and given the way that team struggled it made this victory all the better.
8.) LSU @ Ohio State, NCAA Basketball, December 31st, 2005: This is the only one on the list that I actually attended. A New Year's Eve match-up between two surprising team early in the 2005/2006 college basketball season. It was looking pretty hopeless for the Buckeyes'. LSU was absolutely dominating the paint and Tyrus Thomas was seeming blocking every shot Ohio State put up. Things began to turn when LSU's Point Guard commuted an intentional foul with about 5 minutes left and the Tigers up 15. The Buckeye's were down 10 with about two and a half minutes to play. However, LSU had scored what would end up being their last basket with around 3:30 to go and the Buckeye's made a frantic run ending with a Matt Sylvester (more on him later in the countdaow) to put the Buckeyes up 78-76 with 12 seconds left to play and that would be the final score.
7.) Texas vs. USC, 2005 BCS Championship Game/2006 Rose Bowl, January 4th, 2006: This was a heavy-weight match-up, between the two giants of that College Football season. It was a game that saw Texas have a strong first half, but USC came roaring back in the second half. The Trojans were up 38-26 deep in the forth quarter, but a scoring drive led by Texas QB Vince Young narrowed the gap to five points. USC took a gamble on 4th and 1 with around two minutes left to go expecting to get a first down against a Texas defense that had struggled against the run. Texas made the stop and that led to the dramatic Touchdown scramble by Young into the corner of the Endzone to give the Longhorns their victory 41-38.
6.) Algeria vs. The United States, 2010 World Cup, June 23rd, 2010: This was a crucial game for the United States Men's National Team. A win guaranteed advancement in to the knock-out stages of the World Cup and first place in their group (which is an exceedingly rare thing for the USMNT.) An early goal by Clint Dempsey was disallowed an a phantom offside call, which brought to mind the terrible blown call that disallowed an American goal by Maurice Edu in the previous game against Slovenia. Algeria was playing a terribly negative. They packed it in, fouled to make the game choopy and despite there being a possibility for them advance seemed quite content to just spoil the U.S. World Cup hopes. It was a bit overwhelming as a U.S. fan as the game approached the 90th; one felt that his or her team had been fucked by the referees and the universe and how unfair it would be to knocked out like this. However, in stoppage time after an Algeria cross and header, GK Tim Howard threw a quick, but deep outlet pass to Landon Donovan and the break was on. A few passes and a Goalie deflection later, Donovan drove the ball into the back of the net to get the United States a place in the Round of 16 with the 1-nil victory.
Thanks for reading and part two with the top 5 will be out tomorrow
-Michael
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