FOOTBALL -16/11/2009
Greatest matches 20-11
11. Euro '84 semi-final - France 3-2 Portugal (a.e.t)
The Stade Velodrome was treated to one of the greatest periods of extra time in history as the Euro '84 hosts reached the final in dramatic fashion. Les Bleus went in front midway through the first half through a scorching Jean-Francois Domergue free-kick. The defender struck a vicious left-footed shot that deceived goalkeeper Manuel Bento and swerved into the top-left corner. Just over a quarter of an hour from time, slack French marking allowed Rui Jordao a free header to send the game into extra time. Jordao struck again eight minutes in, with a goal that proved a sort of rubbish prototype for Marco van Basten's stunning goal in the Euro '88 final. The Portuguese striker struck a cross on the volley from a tight angle, hit it into the ground and the ball bounced past Joel Bats into the net. Less than six minutes from the end, Domergue struck again, as Michel Platini went down in search of a penalty and the defender removed any need for a spot-kick, smashing in the equaliser. Then, with 119 minutes on the clock, came the winner. Jean Tigana made a surging run from midfield and squared low for Platini, who had the presence of mind to take a touch before swivelling and ramming the ball home.
12. Premier League, April 3, 1996 - Liverpool 4-3 Newcastle United
Newcastle were chasing the title but by this point Manchester United had overhauled their lead and Liverpool, sitting third, also had a chance of winning it. Robbie Fowler got the hosts off to a great start, heading in at the far post two minutes in after great work on the left wing by Stan Collymore. But Les Ferdinand levelled for the visitors with a finish into the roof of the net eight minutes later and David Ginola made it 2-1 just before the quarter-hour mark, racing from just inside the Liverpool half to finish coolly under pressure. The sides were trading punches “like heavyweight boxers”, according to Collymore, and Fowler equalised 10 minutes into the second half with a typical poacher’s finish that he followed head-first into the back of the net. In a madcap game, it was 3-2 to the Magpies two minutes later when maverick Colombian Faustino Asprilla sprung the offside trap. It was Collymore who had the last say though. The club-record signing made it three apiece with a close-range finish on 68 minutes and, two minutes into injury-time, he drove into the back of the net after popping up unmarked on the left to send the Kop wild and Keegan into his tracksuit.
13. International friendly, November 1953 - England 3-6 Hungary
The thrashing at Wembley was significant not just for being the so-called inventors’ of the game’s first home defeat to non-British opposition since 1901, but because it showcased a brand of football hitherto unseen in England. Led by the legendary Ferenc Puskas, the Magnificent Magyars eschewed the traditional front three for a fluid attack with Nandor Hidegkuti dropping deep to support Puskas and Sandor Kocsis, who swapped positions and left England's strict man-markers perplexed. They wore lightweight boots, modern v-necked tops and slim-fitting shorts. They ran rings around England, whose clunky direct style did yield goals from Jackie Sewell, Stan Mortensen and Sir Alf Ramsey, but was overwhelmed by a Hidegkuti hat-trick, two from Puskas and one from Jezsef Bozsik. The local press celebrated a football lesson from the Hungarians, while back in Budapest they hailed the dawn of a dominant era. But alas they were never to fulfill their potential, tactically outclassed by the canny Germans in the World Cup final the following year, and halted in their tracks by a revolution in 1956. England, meanwhile, lost 7-1 in Hungary soon afterwards.
14. FA Cup fourth round replay - Tottenham 3-4 Manchester City
It is hard to know what is a bigger indictment of Tottenham's recent history; that they lost a three-goal lead against 10 men, or that it wasn't particularly surprising. This was classic Spurs. They seized total control of the game thanks to sublime first-half finishes from Ledley King, Robbie Keane and Christian Ziege - the latter with a brilliant free-kick. Just as commentator Martin Tyler announced Tottenham had "almost rendered the second half academic", City had Joey Barton sent off for arguing with referee Rob Styles. Yet somehow Kevin Keegan's side came back. Sylvain Distin headed three minutes after the break when Spurs decided not to bother defending a Michael Tarnat free-kick, before Ziege hit the bar with another free-kick and Gus Poyet somehow failed to convert the rebound. A deflected Paul Bosvelt shot made it 3-2, then a suspiciously offside Shaun Wright-Phillips scampered through and lifted the ball over Kasey Keller to equalise. In the final minute, Jon Macken headed past Keller to complete possibly the greatest FA Cup comeback.
15. 2001 UEFA Cup final - Liverpool 5-4 Alaves
This game was meant to be a clash of styles - Liverpool kept seven clean sheets in 10 matches en route to the final, while free-scoring Alaves found the net 31 times in as many games - but it quickly descended into defensive anarchy and riotous entertainment. Early goals from Markus Babbel and Steven Gerrard appeared to have set Gerard Houllier's side on the way to an easy win, and they went into half-time 3-1 head following an Ivan Alonso strike for the Spaniards and a Gary McAllister penalty. But Alaves came roaring back, with the competition's top scorer Javi Moreno rifling two quick goals within five minutes of the restart. Robbie Fowler put Liverpool 4-3 ahead, but ex-Manchester United man Jordi Cruyff scored with two minutes left to send the game to extra-time. Alaves were reduced to nine men by red cards shown to Magno Mocelin and Antonio Karmona, while both sides had a goal disallowed. With penalties looming, Delfi Geli inadvertently settled it with a Golden Goal, deflecting a McAllister free-kick past Martin Herrera to complete a treble of League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup for Houllier's men.
16. 1966 World Cup quarter-final - Portugal 5-3 North Korea
The Democratic People's Republic will be in South Africa next year, their first World Cup since '66, but we can only dream that they will produce a match half as thrilling as this one at Goodison Park. After defeating Italy en route to the knockout stage, another major upset looked on the cards when captain Park Seung-zin fired into the top corner in the first minute. After a terrific opening spell with plenty of chances at either end, Lee Dong-woon capitalised on a mistake by keeper Jose Pereira to tap in before Yang Seung-kook struck soon afterwards to put the Koreans 3-0 up after 25 minutes. However, a team with Eusebio in its ranks can never be discounted, and the much-fancied Portugal hit back just minutes later when the Benfica hitman lashed home Jose Augusto's through ball. He struck again from the penalty spot just before half-time after Jose Seneca Torres was brought down to give the Portuguese real hope. The Koreans persisted with their attacking play after the break, and they paid for their tactical naivety when Eusebio fired in his third to level the match, before winning and converting another spot-kick to seal a fabulous four-goal haul on the hour-mark. The Koreans continued to attack, but Augusto's close-range header took the game out of their reach and saw Portugal through.
17. 1990 FA Cup semi-final - Liverpool 3-4 Crystal Palace
The match might have been played at Villa Park in April, but the true story started some seven months before at Anfield. Palace had come through the play-offs to enter the top tier for the first time in nearly a decade, but their newly-promoted optimism was shattered utterly as Liverpool ran riot in a 9-0 win, a result which remains the Reds' biggest ever victory and Palace's record defeat. Palace lost the return match at Selhurst Park 2-0, and few people outside of the Croydon area gave them any hope of a win - particularly with star striker Ian Wright still out injured. When Ian Rush opened the scoring in the 23rd minute everything seemed to be going to plan for the champions-elect, but Mark Bright levelled things immediately after the break, and the underdogs took hold of the game. They threw everything at Liverpool, and when Gary O'Reilly scored with 20 minutes left it was no surprise. Yet then it all began to unravel, and with eight minutes left Steve McMahon's rocket brought Liverpool level - and straight from the re-start Palace gave away a penalty that was duly converted by John Barnes. Incredibly, Palace weren't done, and after a spell of frenetic action in the Liverpool box Andy Gray nodded home an equaliser. The Eagles nearly pinched it with seconds left of normal time as Andy Thorn's header rattled the crossbar - but the missed opportunity would not turn out to be a problem for Steve Coppell's men. Alan Pardew popped up at the far post to head home Andy Gray's corner in the second period of extra time, and Palace completed one of the most memorable wins in FA Cup history.
18. 2001 World Cup qualifier - Germany 1-5 England
After so many years of harking back to their 1966 World Cup win, and with plenty of heartbreak induced by the Germans in the intervening years, England fans were given a new result to cling desperately on to after this incredible night in Munich. Germany had only lost one World Cup qualifier at home in their history before this game, and that record looked a little safer when Carsten Jancker scored after just six minutes. England's sleepy defence had cost them that goal, but Germany keeper Oliver Kahn repaid the favour soon afterwards when he went walkabout, allowing Michael Owen to guide home Nicky Barmby's cushioned header. Right on the stroke of half-time, Steven Gerrard was given time to chest and volley from 25 yards to score his first England goal at a crucial time. No sooner had the second half begun than Owen netted his second, lashing home Emile Heskey's nod-down. Gerrard then sent Owen scampering through to fire in his hat-trick, meaning by the time Heskey made it five (or, as John Motson put it, "FIVE?!") the party had already started.
19. 1998 Division One play-off final - Charlton Athletic 4-4 Sunderland (Charlton win 7-6 on pens)
The unlikely name of Clive Mendonca joined the select group of players to have scored a hat-trick at Wembley on the day Charlton Athletic reached the Premier League for the first time in thrilling fashion. The boyhood Sunderland fan opened the scoring on 23 minutes with a neat turn and finish. Niall Quinn equalised soon after the break with (yes, you guessed it) a header, before Kevin Phillips put the Black Cats ahead. Mendonca then got his and the Addicks' second, only for Quinn to fire Sunderland back in front just two minutes later. Charlton stalwart Richard Rufus headed in his first goal for the club to force extra time, in which Sunderland again took the lead through Nicky Summerbee. However, Mendonca was not finished, and he took the game to penalties with an acrobatic finish to cap off an excellent hat-trick. The shootout proved to be a real nail-biter, with each of the first 13 spot-kicks all converted. Up stepped Sunderland's Michael Gray, who saw his effort saved by goalkeeper Sasa Ilic - who had spent the previous season at Southern League side St Leonards - and booked Charlton's return to the top flight after an eight-year absence.
20. 1994 World Cup Romania 3-2 Argentina
Argentina headed to the World Cup in the USA having won two of the previous four World Cups and finished as runners-up in one other. And after opening victories against Greece and Nigeria, they immediately found themselves installed as favourites. But talismanic captain Diego Maradona was thrown out of the tournament after testing positive for a banned stimulant, and things started to go wrong. They got thumped by Bulgaria in their final group match, and ended up going from facing one Eastern European surprise package to another: Romania. The Romanians had been a revelation, with Ilie Dumitrescu and, in particular, Gheorghe Hagi stunning the world with their sublime footwork and unnervingly accurate long-range shooting. Dumitrescu scored twice in the opening 20 minutes, one of which - an outrageous free kick from the left touchline into the top-right corner - was one of the goals of the tournament. The Romanians continued to pull the Argentinians apart with a breathtaking display of attacking skill, and though the gritty Argentines stuck with their opponents they were justly beaten. Romania lost to Sweden on penalties in the next round, but Hagi shrugged off the disappointment and became one of the legends of 1990s football - and a five-minute trawl of YouTube will show you exactly why...