As a fan of one of the most inconsistent teams in Britain, Charlton Athletic, I'm also privy to judging matches both in their relevance of either being a good match in a good run or as a comeback from a downturn of form for a battered team. This happens allot and so I'll be taking all the above factors into account as I account my top ten favourite football matches of all time. And sorry USA fans, I'm bloody not well calling it 'soccer'.
Number 10: Arsenal 4 - Aston Villa 0 (2015 FA cup final, 30 may 2015)
Image source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32856754
When watching a momentous game of footy, most true football fans will likley remember where they were when watching said match and the atmosphere. I can't really imagine how it was for Villa as they saw their chances of gaining their first FA cup in several years get crushed by a far superior Arsenal side including the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud and Kieran Gibbs. True this team isn't as good as the world-beating side of the legendary 2003-04 season that never lost a game but it was clear from the first goal at 40 minutes in by winger Theo Walcott that Villa were about to recieve an arse-shredding of epic proportions.
In the pub that I was in watching the match with my Arsenal mates I felt the atmosphere turn positivley ecstatic as each succeeding goal from Arsenal went in including the last-second and delirious-reaction-inducing 96th minute goal from Olivier Giroud to hand the Gunners their second FA cup in a row, the first time a team had done so since 2004. I know there'll probably be some Spurs and Villa fans staring in anger at this entry but I have to put it on because even as someone who isn't an Arsenal fan, I have to admit that this one was magical.
Number 9 - Faroe islands 2 - Greece 1 (Euro 2016 qualifier stage, 13 Jun 2015)
Image source: http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jun/14/faroes-humiliate-greece-double-euro-2016-qualifying
Well it kind of goes without saying that this was an unexpected one eh? When the tiny, non-professional team of the equally small archipelago nation of the Faroe islands beat the 2004 Euro cup champions Greece 1-0 in an earlier qualifying stage match for the 2016 Euro cup in November of 2014, not many people least of all myself really expected lightning to strike twice for the plucky nation of the Faroe Islands but it did and the most surprising sports result since David Haye being a boring as-fuck boxer with a bad pussyfooter streak became a regular occurrence.
In some moments during both matches, I did think that the plucky Faroeans got a bit lucky and there's also the convenient point that everyone forgets that the Greek team that won the 2004 Euro competition was boring as fuck as in early-1990s Arsenal or Chelsea during their 'park-the-bus' stage boring. They basically chose the easiest possible tactic with no risk and just went for that. True, Greece in recent years has produced a truly formidable national team that now plays with a far greater degree of flair but I really don't think that we should undermine the magnitude of the Faroe-Islands victory.
Either way, I have to give massive congrats to the Faroeans for their epic victory and wish them luck in summer 2016 and give my considerable condolence to Greece for being humiliated. Wonder how far the Faroeans will go in this one...?
Number 8 - Chelsea 2 - Stoke City 1 (2014-15 Barclays Premier League, 4 Apr 2015)
Image source: http://www.goal.com/en-sg/news/3877/england/2015/04/05/10471022/adam-rooney-beckham-the-premier-leagues-long-range-wonder/charlie-adam-chelsea-2-1-stoke
Ok so as a Charlton fan I really can't say that I like Chelsea all that much. They're kind of the big bully of the playground that is top-tier English football and while I have a few friends who support Chelsea myself I have to say this (with all due respect) in order to contextualise the placement of this match on this list. Realistically, the only reason aside from the decent football from both Stoke and Chelsea to put this game on this list is the absolutely insane goal that Scotland CM Charlie Adams scored for Stoke...yards within his own half...hot fucking damn. Honestly, I don't support either Chelsea or Stoke but when I watched this match in the house of one of my best friends who himself is a Stoke City supporter me and him both went absolutely mental jumping off the sofa we were sitting on when Courtois was humiliated from half a county away.
Now think for a second. Why would I put this up on this list when Adam does these kind of mad longshots in training when Tim Howard or Begovic do them as mad lucky punts and score sick goals from the position of GK? Well the reason for me at least is that Adam showed that despite only being rated 76 overall on the current FIFA game, he has enough skill and insane concentration to pull of a goal from several yards within his own half surrounded by tough-looking Chelsea midfielders against one of the best goalkeepers in the world and arguably the best Belgian keeper of all time. If you can do that then you have got some mad talent. So Charlie Adam, hats of to yourself my man.
Number 7 - Wigan Athletic 1 - Manchester City 0 (2013 FA cup final, 11 May 2013)
Image source: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/football/underdogs-wigan-in-fairytale-fa-cup-win-over-manchester-city/story-fn63e0vj-1226640298398
Some people call the now-iconic victory of then-premier league Wigan Athletic over multi-billion-pounds-worth Manchester City, aka the Apple Inc of English football as the greatest giant killing in the history of the FA cup and while I disagree to a certain extent I can see why people say this. Really though, when you consider that Wigan were relegated the same season that they beat city in this cup final and had a mere fraction of the transfer budget that City had you can more than see why people are hard 'n' ready to erect statues of this now-legendary match.
For most of the match looking back, it seems like both teams were more toe-to-toe with one another than I originally remember but it does seem like the more that Wigan crack down City's defence tiny bit by bit that the skill on show from Wigan becomes more and more apparent. I wouldn't say its like City completely collapsed in this match but the coup de grace of Ben Watson's 90th-minute header goal is easily one of my favourite goals of all time. Not only did it win Wigan's first bit of major silverware in 81 years or absolutely humiliate one of the 5 biggest clubs in England (the other four being Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea) but the sheer 'this is the end' cataclysm-esque moment of Watson's insane injury-time header is the stuff of dreams for any football fan really.
And while I do sympathise with the City fans who had to go and see their team get crushed by another one they should've beaten with the amount of money it had pumped in, I can't deny I feel more than a little bit of mutual pride for the bright-eyed Wigan fans who went home that day singing to high heaven. Pity that Charlton beat Wigan 3-0 near the end of the next season lolololololololololololololololololololol.
6 - Barcelona 5 - Rayo Vallecano 2 (2015-16 La Liga BBVA, 17 Oct 2015)
Image source: http://www.lagranepoca.com/deportes/22459-cronica-del-fc-barcelona-rayo-vallecano-5-2.html
I don't get the option much to watch foreign league football all that much as I usually watch live football with my mates on their Sky accounts or catch something in a pub while having a few pints and perhaps a bit of scotch or vodka with the lads. However, when I went to Catalonia in late 2015 to see my infant Catalonian cousin for the first time as he had turned 2, I was treated to another great experience (although meeting my youthful cousin was a far more wonderful experience than watching a Barca game, please don't hit me Barca fans) when one night, after walking out with the family, we returned to the restaurant in our hotel and on the projector they were playing the La Liga game between Rayo Vallencano and La Liga titans Barcelona. It was the first time I saw a La Liga game in its entirety and I'm fucking glad I did.
I didn't support either team but with Vallencano sporting a pretty snazzy kit and Barca of course fielding one of my favourite players of all time (i.e. Lionel Messi), I was hooked the moment a goal was scored. It didn't matter which team scored which goal or when, the football and the athleticism and elegance contained within it was something to behold as I saw Neymar personally execute Rayo Vallencano by putting 4 of Barca's 5 goals in this match past the very unfortunate opposing keeper. And while this helped cement Barca's place at the top of the league table, Rayo also were able to put on a cracking performance themselves hinting at a comeback a couple of times by putting two sleek goals past Barca goalkeeper Bravo. This was the first time I'd seen a foreign league match in full but I certainly hope it isn't my last.
Number 5 - Charlton Athletic 4 - Arsenal 2 (2001-02 Barclays Premier League, 4 Nov 2001)
Image source: http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/features/on-this-day-4-nov-2001-arsenal-2-charlton-4.html
Ok so I'm definitely not trying to piss of all my Arsenal mates but I probably will unintentionally by putting this match that probably pisses off allot of Arsenal fans off while warming the hearts of their Charlton counterparts. And I really think that this is one of the most warm and fondly remembered moments for Charlton fans as it was one of the last times that Charlton drew or won against the mighty North-London club that once based itself just down the road from SE 7.
Much like the previous entry, despite whoever won, the football from both sides was fantastic with Arsenal putting on a great show of attacking football with Charlton looking for any opportunity to smash an opening in the Gunners midfield and counterattack. After Arsenal taking the lead 1-0 early on, Charlton steadily overran the Gunners backline and proceeded to put 4 goals past the North Londoners including my favourite goal of Charlton's second run in the premier league when Claus Jensen chipped a ball all the way from the corner flag on the left of the Arsenal goal up over two Gunner defenders and their goalkeeper into the back of the Arsenal net. And what makes this all the more sweeter for me? The fact that this was an away match for Charlton at Arsenal's old ground of Highbury & Islington. As my OG Charlton supporter of a dad would say 'that's fucking blinding mate'.
Number 4 - Liverpool 5 - Norwich City 4 (2015-16 Barclays Premier League, 23 Jan 2016)
Image source: http://sportbild.bild.de/fussball/premier-league/fussball/liverpool-wahnsinn-klopp-team-siegt-in-norwich-44271646.sport.html
And here we have the most recent match on the list. Again, brilliant football on display here but what makes me place this very recent BPL match so high on this list between two teams I don't support is just how close it was. Watching extended clips and highlights of the match made me realise that not only on the basis of the scoreline and chances created were Norwich and Liverpool very close here but they were both very close in terms of the skill on display. In his first few months as Liverpool gaffer, the enigmatic Jurgen Klopp failed to get really dramatic victories in excluding of course his smashing 6-1 victory over Southampton in the Capital One Cup.
However, this easily cements him as the right man, as of this post, for the position of Liverpool boss because by the devil do Liverpool need some central stability right now. They also need Sturridge to not be constantly injured, a new world-beater striker to succeed Suarez and a new and experienced CDM to succeed Gerrard but this closely-fought match between the Anfield-based club and yon canaries.
Number 3 - Bradford City 4 - Chelsea 2 (2015 FA cup 4th round, 24 Jan 2015)
Image source: http://depor.pe/futbol-internacional/chelsea-vs-bradford-copa-fa-fecha-hora-y-posibles-alineaciones-1033811
Now THIS was the true FA cup giant-killing I was mentioning earlier. I don't care if Bradford didn't win this cup campaign. I know this may cheese off some of my Chelsea supporter mates but the fact that not only Bradford came back from 2-0 down to win against one of the biggest clubs in the world, or that Chelsea have an immeasurably larger number of international players, or that Chelsea fielded titan-like players like Eden Hazard, Diego Costa or Courtois but the fact that at the time, Bradford were 2 leagues below Chelsea.
I used to think that Wigan beating Man City was the greatest FA cup giant-killing of all time but once my dad made me aware of the magnitude of this giant-slaying by Bradford I realised how wrong I was. Not to diss Wigan fans of course but when there's such a gap between Chelsea and little old Bradford and yet the underdog wins, I have to give the golden title of top-grade giant-killer in FA cup folklore to Bradford. I've seen Charlton and other teams that I like such as Brighton, Arsenal or Leicester beat Chelsea in the league before but for it to be done on a stage such as the FA cup and by such an underdog as Bradford? Truly the stuff of dreams that any football fan would want to see in person.
Number 2 - Charlton Atheltic 4 - Sunderland 4 [7-6 on penalties to Charlton] (1998 First Division play-off final, 25 May 1998)
Image source: http://talksport.com/magazine/top-ten/2011-05-27/charlton-v-sunderland-man-city-v-gillingham-and-bolton-v-reading-top-10-play-finals
I have no doubt in my mind that this is easily the greatest Charlton Athletic game of all time. Forget beating Arsenal at Highbury & Islington in 2001 or beating Chelsea in their first match against Chelsea after being promoted in the 1999-2000 season. This is the real shit, this game cements not only Clive Mendonca and Richard Rufus as two of my favourite Charlton players of all time or Alan Curbishley as my favourite manager that Charlton has ever had but the fact that for the first time since the formation of the league system in English football in favour over the old divisions system, Charlton was propelled into the top flight by what many have come to regard as the best play-off game in England of the 1990s.
And don't give me that 'oh Ted you're only saying that because you're A Charlton fan blech blech blech!'. Even if I wasn't A Charlton fan, I would still say that this is one of the best domestic matches of the 1990s and supremely entertaining as a play-off final including 8 goals leading to full-extra-time then a 13-goal penalty shootout including a hatrick by one of the best talents to come out of Wales in years.
This was another match where both sides came dangerously close to beating one another thanks to some great midfield work by Sunderland and some quality forwards put on by Charlton as well as good football all-round on both sides. However, I would be lying if any other moment from the highlights of this great game made my heart, as a Charlton fan, soar more than when the Charlton keeper blocks the final penalty from Sunderland player Michael Gray and made the Charlton end of Wembley stadium explode in joyous celebration. Truly a moment that any Charlton fan there or watching the telly on the day will remember forever.
Number 1 - Germany 7 - Brazil 1 (2014 World Cup semi-final, 8 Jul 2014)
Image source: http://quoteimg.com/brazil-vs-germany-7-1/
I might have some funny looks from other England fans by putting up arguably one of if not the greatest victory that Germany of all teams have ever had at the world cup but I just had to. I know Brazil have a long-storied history of brilliance and glamorous players winning stunning matches throughout the history of the world cup but they were fucking awful during this match and lukewarm before it in the 2014 competition. Hell, this wasn't even the only match in world cup history where a nation has won by 6 goals or where Brazil have unexpectedly lost or was even the most important match of the 2014 world cup itself but I can't deny that this was easily the most iconic match of 2014.
I know there will be some of you disputing this and I understand but hear me out. When you have a game that makes up Brazil's worst world cup defeat ever, sees Germany 5-0 up before 30 minutes are over, makes Klose the record world cup scorer and marks Brazil's first competitive home defeat in 39 years and sees two of the most decorated teams in world cup history absolutely crushed by an inexorable juggernaut of Germanic efficiency.
This is my favourite international game, my favourite giant v giant match, my favourite world cup game and easily my favourite football game of all time...bar none...no substitutes.
It's all cool beans and barbecue sauce though, I still love the 1966 world cup final too.
No comments:
Post a Comment