Best and Worst Games you have experienced

[Firnen]

In Greece:

Olympiacos-AEK 2-2, 4-4 aet, 15-14 pen, the Cup Final of 2009, considered the best Greek Cup Final ever spectacle-wise. It was also one of the last seasons that Greek clubs could splash money around carelessly and keep the league at a high level.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Gree ... _Cup_final

In other leagues:

Manchester United - Arsenal 8-2, 2011

National Team football:

Greece-Ivory Coast 2-1, 2014

[Oldelpaso]

I already detailed the best (Manchester City 3-2 Queens Park Rangers, 13 May 2012) in this thread https://kassiesa.net/uefa/forum2/viewto ... ro#p427048

The worst was Manchester City 0-1 Bury, February 1998.

Manchester City's 1990s decline, leading to a season in the third tier in 1998-99, had many bleak moments. A defeat to York that placed City in the lowest league position in their history since been mythologised among City fans. Yet to be honest at the time it was one of a long line of embarrassing defeats. We didn't then know that it was the bottom. Instead I have chosen a home defeat from the year before. It was the moment when the penny dropped for many fans, myself included. There could be no doubt that a second relegation was not just a vague possibility, but was in fact highly likely. At the start of the season City had been bookmakers favourites for promotion. Even as form faltered it was regarded as a blip. Surely City were too big to go down. This match dispelled any such notions.

Mismanagement haunted the club at every level. The team was a ragtag bunch of has beens mixed with players who should never have been signed for a club of City's size, who were overawed by playing in front of big crowds, particularly once City fell behind and the crowd made their frustration known. Schalke or Köln fans are probably going through the same just now. The one exception was Georgi Kinkladze. The Georgian maestro was literally the only reason I kept turning up. Somehow we'd clung onto him when any other competent player was sold. The definition of a cult hero, I could go on about him at some length. Instead I'll point people to his Wikipedia article, which I wrote 90% of.

For the Bury match, Kinkladze was injured. Without him to watch, there barely seemed any point. Had I not been a season ticket holder, I wouldn't have bothered going.

Bury, eight miles north of Manchester, were traditionally a lower league club. They had been punching above their weight under Stan Ternent, a disciple of direct, long ball football. It wasn't pretty, but how else was a team like Bury expected to compete in the second tier? Bury's football was basic and devoid of entertainment value, but at least they had a coherent plan. City, deprived of the usual option of pass to Kinkladze and hope he dribbles past the whole opposition team, had no ideas at all. This match was third bottom hosting second bottom, and it showed. There was little goalmouth action. The only goal came a few minutes into the second half. From a corner, Bury centre half and lifelong City fan Paul Butler scored a header. The mood in the stands was once again a mixture of disbelief and disgust. How had it come to this? In the last 10 minutes, as City limply succumbed to another defeat, it was all too much for one supporter. He strode onto the pitch and performatively ripped up his season ticket, throwing it to the turf, receiving by far the biggest cheer of the day. He'd summed up how we all felt.

After the match the local radio station had its regular post-match phone-in. As usual after a City defeat, lines were busy. An incredulous presenter announced that a major City shareholder, David Makin, was on the line. He proceeded to rant about how the club was being run, and declared his intention to move against the chairman, former City player Francis Lee. This sparked a wave of backroom manoeuvres. Manager Frank Clark was gone by the next home fixture. Lee was out after a couple of weeks. It all came too late to prevent relegation, and things got worse before getting better, but the Bury match was a watershed moment.

[offside]

The best was probably a match that I have seen at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium in San Siro: it was an AC Milan - Lazio 2 - 1 in year 1994.

For the worst, I would say, for obvious reasons, South Korea - Italy 2 - 1 AET in 2002 World Cup (this, of course, it is a match that I have seen on TV).

[Sagy]

The best was probably a match that I have seen at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium in San Siro: it was an AC Milan - Lazio 2 - 1 in year 1994.

For the worst, I would say, for obvious reasons, South Korea - Italy 2 - 1 AET in 2002 World Cup (this, of course, it is a match that I have seen on TV).

South Korea-Italy in 2002 was one of the worst officiated games I have ever seen. For sure one sided officiated games. Note, I’m not suggesting conspiracy or undue influence, I’m talking about the calls made.

[Oldelpaso]

The best was probably a match that I have seen at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium in San Siro: it was an AC Milan - Lazio 2 - 1 in year 1994.

For the worst, I would say, for obvious reasons, South Korea - Italy 2 - 1 AET in 2002 World Cup (this, of course, it is a match that I have seen on TV).

During the 2002 WC I was a student backpacking around Europe. I arrived in Milan the day after that match. Disbelief and anger about the match was on everyone's lips. There was a big screen in Piazza Il Duomo, where I watched England's exit to Brazil the next morning. I could only begin to imagine what it must have been like to be in the same spot 48 hpurs earlier. 100,000 Italians packing the square, only to witness such a travesty.

[offside]

South Korea-Italy in 2002 was one of the worst officiated games I have ever seen.

Said by a referee, it means a lot. Thanks.

During the 2002 WC I was a student backpacking around Europe.

We are likely part of the same generation then.

Disbelief and anger about the match was on everyone's lips.

Here, during the World Cup, and only during the World Cup, everyone, even people who say that swimming is an healthier sport and that they are disgusted by professional football, literally everyone, gets involved, knows what's going on, and speaks about it with self proclaimed competence.

I suppose that in other countries where the football is the primary sport is the same (likely in England is ), but sometimes I wonder if this is something typically ours.

only to witness such a travesty

Thanks. Also for teaching me a new (appropriate to the context) English word: "travesty".

[Jackson Harrison]

@Sagy is a referee?

[offside]

@Sagy is a referee?

At least he was (unless I misunderstood his sentence): https://kassiesa.net/uefa/forum2/viewto ... 04#p583304

[rpo.castro]

Here, during the World Cup, and only during the World Cup, everyone, even people who say that swimming is an healthier sport and that they are disgusted by professional football, literally everyone, gets involved, knows what's going on, and speaks about it with self proclaimed competence.

I suppose that in other countries where the football is the primary sport is the same (likely in England is ), but sometimes I wonder if this is something typically ours.

Same here in Portugal. Everyone from the kids to oldest grandma knows NT is playing and everyone will watch or be aware of it.

As for 2002 Portugal was eliminated by South Korea and that match was already controversy. Bad calls and in the end João Pinto got a red card (and something like 3 months ban) for hitting the referee. Later in his country Uruguay the ref would be suspended by corruption.

Then we had South Korea against Italy, the travesty match, but also South Korea-Spain that was also an unleveled field.

[Lorric]

Here, during the World Cup, and only during the World Cup, everyone, even people who say that swimming is an healthier sport and that they are disgusted by professional football, literally everyone, gets involved, knows what's going on, and speaks about it with self proclaimed competence.

I suppose that in other countries where the football is the primary sport is the same (likely in England is ), but sometimes I wonder if this is something typically ours.

Same here in Portugal. Everyone from the kids to oldest grandma knows NT is playing and everyone will watch or be aware of it.

As for 2002 Portugal was eliminated by South Korea and that match was already controversy. Bad calls and in the end João Pinto got a red card (and something like 3 months ban) for hitting the referee. Later in his country Uruguay the ref would be suspended by corruption.

Then we had South Korea against Italy, the travesty match, but also South Korea-Spain that was also an unleveled field.

Cars and houses flying the England flag. You can't miss it.

[Sagy]

@Sagy is a referee?

Used to be (at “U-“ levels), not anymore.

[Jackson Harrison]

@Sagy is a referee?

Used to be (at “U-“ levels), not anymore.

You ever officiated any International Tournaments?

[offside]

Cars and houses flying the England flag. You can't miss it.

Well, in the last two editions of the World Cup, we didn't have those: the NT wasn't there, so no national flags flying. However, quite surprisingly, the talks and the involvement about the competition were pretty noticeable no matter that.

[Lorric]

Cars and houses flying the England flag. You can't miss it.

Well, in the last two editions of the World Cup, we didn't have those: the NT wasn't there, so no national flags flying. However, quite surprisingly, the talks and the involvement about the competition were pretty noticeable no matter that.

There was still a lot of interest in Euro 2008 despite our absence.

[Sagy]

@Sagy is a referee?

Used to be (at “U-“ levels), not anymore.

You ever officiated any International Tournaments?

No, not even close, nothing more than regional tournaments. It was never a profession, started as a way to make extra money in my late teens, after that it was just a hobby/something I did to stay part of the game.