Facing Elimination: The Most Dramatic Wins of the Last 10 Years

On Sunday afternoon, American soccer fans and all those excited to tune in were treated to arguably the greatest soccer match in recent memory. 

Thoughts of fighting the odds, mounting last-second comebacks and experiencing the thrill of a dramatic victory are pervasive across all American sports, so one can't help but think of the greatest games in recent memory.

Kansas Defeats Memphis (4/7/08): Becoming the Best of the Best

College Basketball

For college basketball, 2008 was unlikely in the strangest of ways, marking the first time that all four No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four. 

As the dust was settling, the Kansas Jayhawks found themselves matched up against the Memphis Tigers, and despite a halftime lead, the Hawks were down nine points with 2:12 remaining in regulation.

In the remaining time span, the Tigers would miss four of five free throws, and Kansas would hit every shot they took, including a Mario Chalmers three-pointer with 2.1 seconds left that tied the game after the Tigers failed to foul and give themselves possession. 

Having stolen the momentum, the Jayhawks would run away in overtime and win the national title with a 75-68 victory as slight underdogs.

In an extra-dramatic postscript, the Tigers would eventually forfeit their 2008 wins in the wake of recruiting violations.

Diamondbacks Defeat Yankees (11/4/01): Desert Dream Come True

Major League Baseball

In the wake of 9/11, Major League Baseball’s 2001 World Series was pushed back to November and the New York Yankees were riding not only an emotional high, but the momentum of three consecutive World Series titles. 

With a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning, the impenetrable Mariano Rivera appeared prepared to bring the Bronx championship No. 27. 

However, Mark Grace’s leadoff single led to a Rivera throwing error on a sacrifice bunt, and Tony Womack would drive in the tying run with a double to right field. 

With Jay Bell on third and the infield pulled in, Arizona star Luis Gonzalez fought off a Rivera cutter, depositing the ball in shallow center and ending the Yankees’ championship streak. 

In a series that had a reputation for late-game drama, the Diamondbacks took the cake and the trophy by completing an improbable comeback.

Uruguay Defeats Ghana (7/2/10): “Handed” a Victory

Men's Soccer

The 2010 World Cup featured the first soccer championship played on African soil, and the quarterfinals left Ghana as the only African team remaining in the field of play. 

The Black Stars faced a team from Uruguay that had been an unexpected winner of Group A, and the game would be tied heading to extra time. 

Near the end of the additional time, Ghana’s Dominic Adiyiah headed the ball past Uruguayan netminder Fernando Muslera and toward the net, only to see the shot knocked down by the hand of Luis Suarez. 

Suarez was given a red card and Ghana the potential winning penalty kick, but Asamoah Gyan hit the shot off of the crossbar to give the Uruguayans new life. 

The South Americans would win on penalty kicks, making Suarez’s infamous handball the most important penalty in Uruguayan soccer history.

Mavericks Defeat Heat (6/2/11): Dirk Hotter Than Heat

National Basketball Association

After one of the most dramatic offseasons in NBA history and an impressive Game 1 victory, the Miami Heat looked poised to put the Dallas Mavericks in a hole with a 15-point lead with the fourth quarter winding down. 

However, eventual MVP Dirk Nowitzki led a comeback that earned the Mavs an important road victory, culminating with a left-handed layup over Heat star Chris Bosh to give Dallas a lead in the last 3.6 seconds. 

With the series even, the Mavs would go on to win with Nowitzki winning the MVP award.

Giants Defeat Patriots (2/3/08): One Perfect Defeat

National Football League

Few will ever forget the “imperfect” Super Bowl, when the New York Giants defeated the previously unbeaten and unbeatable New England Patriots in the fourth quarter to cap one of football’s most dramatic championship games. 

The Patriots had turned heel not only by establishing themselves as a dynasty in previous years, but by facing accusations of filming opponents’ practice sessions in order to prepare themselves for important games. 

The emotionally charged game appeared over when quarterback Tom Brady marched the Pats downfield and connected with receiver Randy Moss for the go-ahead touchdown with 2:42 remaining on the clock. 

The deciding play came on the following drive, when Giants quarterback Eli Manning appeared to be pressured in the pocket.  Manning somehow dodged a sack and launched the ball to David Tyree, who squeezed the ball to his helmet to make the catch against Rodney Harrison. 

The drive still alive, Manning eventually connected with Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds remaining to give New York a permanent lead and end the Patriots season at an impressive but unrewarding 18-1.

Liverpool Defeats Milan (5/25/05): The Miracle of Istanbul

The 2004-05 UEFA Championship was played in Istanbul, Turkey and got off to the start that a betting man may have expected between the favorites (Milan) and the underdogs (Liverpool).  Milan's Paolo Maldini headed a free kick into the Liverpool net in the first minute to give Milan a lead that they seemed determined not to relinquish. 

Before the half, Milan would add two more goals to stun the Liverpool faithful and build a seemingly insurmountable lead. 

But Liverpool would waste no time changing the face of the match.

In the 54th minute, Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard put a header in the net.  The quickness of the goal gave Liverpool hope of a comeback, which only grew stronger a mere two minutes later when Vladimir Smicer put a shot off of the hands of Milan goalkeeper Dida and brought the team within striking distance.

Liverpool's impossible climb had become possible, and the team would level the playing field in the 60th minute following a penalty kick.  Dida saved Xabi Alonso's initial shot, but the Liverpool midfielder found the rebound before Milan could and tied the game. 

In extra time, Liverpool goalie Jerzy Dudek stopped a shot from Andriy Shevchenko but booted the rebound back to the Milan striker.  Shevchenko appeared to have an easy point-blank opportunity but Dudek somehow got a hand on the second shot and deflected the ball over the net, in a sequence of events that defies description.

The championship would go to penalty kicks, and after Milan missed its first two shots, Liverpool had the advantage.  A Dida save on the third kick would bring the game close again, but Dudek made the decisive save on Shevchenko again, knocking the shot down with his left hand as he fell away, making the halftime deficit seem like a distant, distant memory.

Flyers Defeat Bruins (5/14/10): Comeback Kids, Double or Nothing

National Hockey League

The Philadelphia Flyers’ season seemed dramatic enough after a shootout win to punch a playoff ticket and a second-round comeback after losing the first three games of the conference semifinals to the Boston Bruins. 

However, Game 7 would prove to be a comeback within a comeback, as Boston scored three first period goals at home to put themselves in the driver’s seat for the deciding game. 

A fluke goal by youngster James van Riemsdyk in the late first period and gritty efforts by Scott Hartnell and Danny Briere tied the game in the second and a late power play tally by Simon Gagne made the Flyers the third team in American sports history to erase a 3-0 deficit and established the Orange and Black as the only team to do it in such dramatic fashion.

USA Defeats Brazil (7/10/11): Short on Players, Not on Hope

Women's Soccer

Still fresh in our minds, the USA women’s soccer team met with rival Brazil in the quarterfinals in the Women’s World Cup. 

Clinging to an early 1-0 lead, defender Rachel Buehler took a red card in the 65th minute, allowing Brazil to take a potential tying penalty kick. 

USA goaltender Hope Solo stopped the initial shot to seemingly steal back momentum for the Americans, but the officiating staff controversially called the USA for encroaching before the kick was taken and Brazilian star Marta tied the game on the re-kick. 

Marta would connect again in extra time on an uncalled offsides, seemingly putting the Brazilians in the lead permanently. 

With the USA down a player, any sort of offensive pressure was difficult to mount, but Megan Rapinoe sent a cross into the box that connected with Abby Wambach to tie the game in injury time. 

Solo would make an incredible save in the PK session, and Ali Krieger would score the fifth and final PK goal to send the Americans to the semifinals. 

The game would be the most watched in the USA since the team won the World Cup in 1999.

Boise State Defeats Oklahoma (1/1/07): One Big Bag of Tricks

College Football

Despite being heavy underdogs, the Boise State Broncos had a 25-point lead in regulation and looked to have the 2007 Fiesta Bowl in the bag before the Oklahoma Sooners staged a dramatic comeback. 

The favorites tied the game on a two-point conversion with 1:26 to play, bringing the score to 28-28.  Madness ensued. 

On the next play from scrimmage, the Sooners would intercept a Boise State pass and return the ball for a touchdown, giving Oklahoma its first lead of the game.  Boise would again try to drive down the field, only to find themselves facing 4th-and-18 with 18 seconds remaining. 

Quarterback Jared Zabransky threw a relatively short pass to receiver Drisan James, who lateraled to Jerard Rabb in stride on a pre-determined hook-and-ladder play that broke Rabb free for the tying touchdown.

In overtime, Oklahoma would score on the first play to take a 42-35 lead, forcing Boise State to go for a touchdown to tie.  Facing 4th-and-2 on the five yard line, receiver Vinny Perretta took a direct snap and tossed the ball to Derek Schouman for what seemed to be the tying touchdown, and “when you’re Cinderella, at a certain point you don’t keep sluggin’ with the big guy.” 

The Broncos elected to go all-in on a two-point conversion and performed one final magic act with the as-seen-in-your-backyard Statue of Liberty play, allowing Ian Johnson to run into the left side of the end zone and clinch Cinderella’s Fiesta Bowl victory. 

Isner Defeats Mahut (6/22/10 and 6/23/10 and 6/24/10): F&#%ing Ridiculous

Tennis

In the most ridiculous match that any sport has ever seen, American John Isner defeated Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (9-7), 7-6 (7-3), 70-68 (that’s not a typo) in the early stages of Wimbledon in 2010. 

In a matchup of then-unknowns, Isner and Mahut fought hard to get the match to its fifth set, seemingly unaware of the fact that Wimbledon does not allow tiebreaking serves in the fifth set. 

The competitors traded games in the fifth set, and it wasn’t long before they had surpassed the previous year’s dramatic final between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick that went 30 games in the final set.

Thirty games vs. 168.

While Isner vs. Mahut was not a championship match, nor even close to one (the winner, Isner, would unsurprisingly be eliminated by a more vital Thiemo de Bakker), the sheer ridiculousness of the match will not ever be surpassed. 

Any spectator, no matter how casual, who happened to observe the action of the course of the three days it took to complete was treated to one of the most competitive and dramatic moments in the history of sports. 

And while Isner and Mahut aren’t exactly favorites to win a Grand Slam, these tennis players made themselves household names by proving themselves more than anyone else on the court ever has.