The ultimate underdog story

[Sinned]

Biggest underdog story ever:

2007. April 29.

In the dutch league PSV Eindhoven had a dreadful ending of the season; they were miles ahead but (due to some disappointing results) before the last game they were 3rd.
AZ was first and a win at Excelsior (who had nothing to win as they couldn't escape relegation playoffs) was enough to secure the title. Heck, a fan got a tattoo: AZ Champions 2007.
Ajax was second. If AZ would lose they had a good chance of winning the title; they were facing lowly placed Willem II
PSV was third, playing Vitesse at home.

And then........something happened even the likes of Hitchcock and Dahl couldn't think of.....


The short version:
AZ were soon down to 10 men as their keeper got sent off and they conceded a penalty. They lost the match, also because a player of them who was on loan at Excelsior played superb.
PSV had to win AND needed to win with 2 goals more than Ajax.
Ajax was 2-0 up, PSV 4-1....so they needed to score 1 more.
They did.
In the dying seconds Ajax tried, but they failed.

So, PSV's 20th title was a memorable one.

And the AZ fan was stuck with a crap tattoo.

Another great underdog story:
In 1987 PSV sold Ruud Gullit to AC Milan. They lost their best player and no-one would have thought that despite this loss the next season would be their best ever.

Beating Rapid Vienna, Galatasaray, Bordeaux and Real Madrid they faced Benfica in the European Cup final (now its called Champions League).
On May 25 1988 (exact 11 years after Star Wars (my other big passion)) was released they won the cup.

[tasoe]

When was this posted? I don't know why I missed this.

Great story about the champioship, I feel like I'm familiar with it. It was back in my premier manager days when I was keeping an eye on other countries leagues.

...And the AZ fan was stuck with a crap tattoo...

Now you've got to love a story that includes pure cretinism

[roomandu]

That is an awe inspiring story there Tasoe. Would have been an absolute CRACKA to watch either match, but going back to back, a truly brilliant feat by the team.
Unfortunately I don't follow international leagues that much these days. Used to keep an eye on Norwich when it was in the premier league but not a lot other than that.
I do however remember the longest winning streak in history being broken by Australia 11 in 1983. Hehe was also able to watch most of the final race too. At the end of race 4 out of a 7 race series the score was Liberty 3 wins, Australia 11 1 win. The Americans only needed one more win to defend the Americas' Cup, but Australia 11 won the last 3 races breaking a winning streak of over 130 years.

[sajungzak]

I do not watch sports anymore. Basketball and baseball are boring. I used to watch football (NFL), but after watching the superbowl (XL i believe), I've lost all respect for the game.
Talk about an underdog. The first time Seattle goes to the superbowl and this is what they get.
The game was fixed. The referee's involved admitted to ruling in favor of the Steelers on "questionable" plays because they felt bad about some bad calls they made in the previous Steelers game, which they won anyways. There were multiple game changing calls made against the Seahawks. I watched the game on a 6 inch black and white tv with piss poor reception my boss brought to work. I could see plain as day the refs were wrong. The replays proved it!

Four years later (right after his former boss, VP of Officiating Mike Pereira, resigned) head official Bill Leavy, in Seattle to go through the annual rules changes production on behalf of the NFL, started his presentation by addressing what he called "the elephant in the living room."
"It was a tough thing for me. I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game and as an official you never want to do that. It left me with a lot of sleepless nights and I think about it constantly. I'll go to my grave wishing that I'd been better. I know that I did my best at that time, but it wasn't good enough. When we make mistakes, you've got to step up and own them. It's something that all officials have to deal with, but unfortunately when you have to deal with it in the Super Bowl, it's difficult."

Every Steelers fan I saw that day felt like crap. There was no honor in winning that day. I burned my Seahawks Starter jacket that I had had since middle school after that.
So I say to the NFL, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice... can't get fooled again."
NEVER AGAIN

Anyone else remember that day? What did you take from it?

[ampersand]

i think we all a sucker for an underdog.
as much as i despise liverpool. ill never forget them coming back from 3-0 down in the champions league final against ac milan. pulled it back to 3-3 then won on penalties....that was some feat!
always like seeing the lesser favoured win..which being english...is purely a compensation for our awful international team haha