Thursday, July 8th, 2010...6:05 am
Comparing great sports moments
I’m a lucky guy. I’m fortunate enough to have witnessed what is arguably a franchise’s most important shot. Time was winding down and fans were nervous. All I can remember clearly was pure elation when the shot hit the net.
Three weeks ago, those words would’ve solely described being a 12-year-old at the Alamodome, watching Spurs forward Sean Elliott hit what became the Memorial Day Miracle. But now, I can apply the previous paragraph to seeing Landon Donovan’s goal for the US Men’s National Soccer team against Algeria at the World Cup.
As someone who used to only go to one or two Spurs games a season, I have very little to compare Donovan’s match-winner to, other than Elliott’s 3-pointer. So we’ll go to the tale of the tape and break this matchup down.
Back story
The Memorial Day Miracle came in Game 2 of the 1999 Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trailblazers. San Antonio had a 1-0 series lead entering the game. The Spurs were down by 15 points early in the third quarter, and Elliott’s three was their first, and only, lead of the game. But San Antonio was gaining momentum leading to the Ninja’s shot by erasing the aforementioned deficit.
Donovan’s goal, on the other hand, came in the final game of group play during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The score was tied 0-0 going into second half stoppage time, and with England leading Slovenia 1-0 in the other group game, the US had to win to advance to the knockout rounds. A draw would’ve meant going home. The match was beginning to feel like a lost cause with time running out and all I could think about was how many chances the US squandered leading up to when Donovan got possession of the ball at midfield.
Advantage: Donovan’s goal
Degree of difficulty
Sean Elliott’s 3-pointer came off a sideline-out-of-bounds play where he was cutting away from the basket, had to catch the pass and turn to face the basket. He was so close to the sideline that he had to take a dribble to correct his balance, while not putting his heels down because they were hovering ever so close to the line.
Then he had to hit the shot over Rasheed Wallace, a guy known for his ridiculously long wingspan. Oh, and both his kidneys were failing at the time. Good luck topping that.
Donovan’s goal was a tap-in. After the Tim Duncan-esque outlet pass from US goalkeeper Tim Howard, Landon Donovan pushed the ball up field and got it on the wing to striker Jozy Altidore. Jozy put a short, low cross into the box for Clint Dempsey, who tried to tap it past the Algeria keeper. The shot was blocked and rolled into the middle of the box where Donovan, who continued his run down field, slotted the Jubalani into the net.
Although, if the Algeria keeper would’ve been able to hold onto the ball after Dempsey’s shot, I wouldn’t be writing this post. In fact, Donovan’s goal days earlier against Slovenia, where he shot from the side of the goal and hit the roof of the net, was much tougher than this one.
Advantage: Memorial Day Miracle
Aftermath
The Memorial Day Miracle gave the Spurs a 2-0 lead over the Blazers in the Western Conference Finals. San Antonio went on to sweep the Blazers and beat the New York Knickerbockers in the Finals for the franchise’s first title. In the long term, Elliott’s 3-pointer has been a forgotten moment outside of Spurs culture.
Maybe because it was during the lockout season, or because Elliott is no superstar, or perhaps because it’s the Spurs. But for whatever reason, the Memorial Day Miracle is rarely mentioned in the conversation of greatest shots in NBA Playoff history, except by me.
When Landon Donovan tapped in that goal in the 91st minute against Algeria, insanity ensued. I’ve never hugged so many dudes in as short a time span as I did after Donovan’s goal. (Note: Guys, don’t go to the World Cup to meet girls. Any girl there came with her husband or long-time boyfriend. Or dad. Especially at the first World Cup in Africa.)
The Algeria goal should go down as the greatest goal in US Soccer history at this point, not that there’s a lot of competition for that honor right now. ESPN.com’s Bill Simmons does a decent job explaining its significance, so I’ll just leave you with this: how excited were you when the goal went in? How invested did you become when the US took on Ghana days later? Then remember that this wasn’t affecting just a small market team in South Texas, but a country.
Advantage: Donovan’s goal
The final verdict
I don’t care what y’all say, I’ll fudge the numbers all I want. Donovan’s goal was the greatest sports moment I’ve witnessed in person, taking the crown from that sunny Memorial Day afternoon in 1999. I consider myself blessed for having been able to experience both events, it’s something I’ll be able to cherish for the rest of my life.
It also leads me to wonder if I’m the only person in the world to attend both games, a crazy thing to think about. But if I’m not the only one, it’s got to be a small club, right?
I’m off to design membership cards.
28 Comments
July 8th, 2010 at 6:25 am
I am from Argentina and had the chance of witnessing both Maradona´s goal on England in 1986 and Ginobili´s buzz beater against Yugoslavia in the Olympics…
July 8th, 2010 at 7:07 am
@Pulpo
Also a fantastic portfolio of sporting events.
July 8th, 2010 at 7:19 am
You can’t forget the double overtime game against the Suins in Game 1 of 2008 playoffs. I was at that game. Finley hits a three pointer to send it in to overtime. Duncan hits a 3 to send it to double overtime, and then manu drives in and scores the winning basket at the end of the second overtime. That game along with Horry’s performance against the Pistons in Game 5 2005 rank right up there with the Memorial Day Miracle.
July 8th, 2010 at 7:57 am
From a national standpoint, I agree with you Andrew - just an unbelievable game in every respect. But having not attended either and as a diehard Spurs fan, I’d say the Memorial Day Miracle probably still ranks ahead of the WC in my book. Put it this way, 50 years from now, when I think of the most memorable sporting events, Sean Elliot’s shot will be one of those “I remember where I was when….”. Of course, as it stands now, Donovan’s WC goal is a close second.
The highest quality players in the world, playing on the biggest stage with the biggest prize at stake, with the craziest, most insane fans….the WC is just a great sporting event.
(The craziest subplot in the Algeria game? How does Algeria sit back and not send men forward when they have a chance to advance with a 2-0 win?!? That stands as one of the most perplexing coaching decisions I’ve ever seen in any sport. They were content with a draw and a plane ticket home! Mind-boggling isn’t a strong enough word…)
July 8th, 2010 at 8:14 am
I would have to say as far as BIG picture significance, Memorial Day shot is tops because it propelled Spurs to first championship.
What did the Donovan goal propel the US to…? A loss to Ghana. The goal had the potential to be remembered for so much more, but in the end it was rather anti-climactic.
I would save those ticket stubs Andrew!
July 8th, 2010 at 8:19 am
I was at the Memorial Day miracle (it was my birthday, May 31) and at the John Jay high school state championship game in Austin. I know most people don’t care about high school sports for other teams, but that was my single greatest sporting event to attend. I am not sure if there is a youtube clip of it, but I have the game on tape. Beyond half court, down by two, buzzer goes off with ball in air, double clutch, state championship on line, underdogs, the kids birthday…hollywood ending. Also, another kid on the Jay team who led the team in scoring had promised his sick grandma they would win. You can’t make that up.
July 8th, 2010 at 8:24 am
@VP of Common Sense
I agree with you that the loss to Ghana short-changed Donovan’s goal in the short term. But I’m curious to see how many people will be watching in 2014 because they got hooked in 2010.
@Ken
I remember that Jay game. I played ball at Taft at the same time so I knew a lot of guys on that Jay team. Chris Ross was nominated for an ESPY for that shot too.
July 8th, 2010 at 8:50 am
Your logic is a bit flawed, Andrew.
You invalidate the MDM b/c it’s not revered in BB circles at large, citing the small Spurs market. (Never mind that I have seen it on top 10 lists in the national media for Greatest Playoff Moments… and am awaiting a “Worst Rasheed Moments of All-Time” list, where the MDM ranks right behind a certain Big Shot Rob shot in the Finals. Jokes aside, I can assure you that it is also remembered in Trail Blazer Nation, where though they obviously don’t promote moments like this, they do identify one of the hallmarks of being a Blazer fan as suffering through a seemingly unending parade of disappointments, even more than Spurs’ fans once did.)
But then you neglect to mention, that the US is itself an afterthought in the world of, uh, football. I don’t know that many sports fans around the world, or even in this country, will have much memory of a shot in a game between the US and Algeria. I am sure that in future reporting and conversation in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, where the sport’s fan base reside, that “Donovan’s Goal” will trigger little memory or nostalgia.
Nice try, though. Nice try to promote your moment of elation to an otherwise indifferent crowd. Not trying to rain on your parade. Just sayin’.
July 8th, 2010 at 8:58 am
@td4life
I see your side, but I disagree that people in the US won’t remember Donovan’s shot against Algeria. 19.4 million Americans tuned in to watch the US loss to Ghana. It won’t get year-to-year coverage that the MMD would get, because the NBA is every year and - though the US is gaining soccer fans - the World Cup is every 4 years (and few people watching all the qualifying matches). Many people became fans of US Soccer this year, and they’ll tune in to the WC in 4 years with fond memories of Donovan’s shot.
July 8th, 2010 at 9:56 am
My only problem with only remembering the Donovan goal is the fear that USA soccer fans will become UK soccer fans, or fans thinking the team is actually better than they are, or are more deserving of something.
That goal was a microcosm of the USA’s performance: resilience, never quitting, hard-working, etc. And from talking to newer soccer fans, no one really wants to remember the first 45 minutes or the defensive lapses the US team has had that required a miracle goal in the first place.
Is it really a desired memory when the drama was all self-created by a team that underperformed until that moment. Then afterwards, still under-performs until their backs are against the wall?
And once USA advanced into the knock-offs, I believed the team could have advanced to semis, given the competition and given how resilient they were. But of course, they lost, and that loss to Ghana pretty much sums up the team’s performance as much as the miracle goal.
July 8th, 2010 at 10:00 am
Great read. I’m biased, but I’ll take Elliott’s shot, just because I’ve followed his career since he played high school basketball in Tucson. By the way, Elliott just won our Bear Down Leader competition at wildaboutazcats.com.
July 8th, 2010 at 10:38 am
I will go with MDM as well due to the NBA’s popularity. I seem to recall a snaking 40+ foot putt that dropped for Justin Leonard in the Ryder Cup in ’99. That capped an enormous come from behind victory for the US that gained a ton of popularity and was talked about for weeks. Then, just like soccer, it disappeared from American’s minds. Golf is Tiger Woods in America. Soccer is a european sport in America. Point is, Americans forget, and forget quickly. Baseball fans were back in droves after the strike season of 1994 within 4 years. Propelled by a home run race? Probably, but the strike season was over and fans were back. Casual fans, the ones needed to make a sport truly popular, will be no more interested in 4 years than they were at the beginning of this World Cup. And… getting rid of the vuvuzela will help!
July 8th, 2010 at 10:52 am
@Tyler, Algeria did not know when at gametime that they’d need a 2-0 win to advance. The most likely outcome of England-Slovenia was a tie or a England loss, in which case a 1-0 win over us would have advanced Algeria. They played to win, not draw. It just happens that the best way to win against a better team is to play conservative and hope to capitalize on an opponent’s mistake. Almost worked, too, but their guy hit the crossbar on that open shot 4 minutes in.
When they finally pressed forward late in the game they started giving up lots of scoring opportunities, which we finally converted in the last minute.
July 8th, 2010 at 11:14 am
@Andrew H
Don’t knock the vuvuzela. It is a fantastic tool for drinking beer quickly.
July 8th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
@doggydogworld
It’s hard for me to believe the Algerians didn’t have an up-to-the-minute update of the England-Slovenia game (No one on the bench had a cellphone w/ internet access?!? Really?). The US clearly did (hence why they pushed so hard for the clinching goal). Once Algeria saw that England was up 1-0, they should have pushed guys forward (as the US did), but they did not, willing to settle for a tie at best and a trip home. Even the commentators were killing Algeria for it. Algeria didn’t play to advance to the knockout stage.
July 8th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
Not sure how Donovan wins aftermath considering his shot lead to one win followed by a loss and no championship. It’s biggest impact is that it helped gain more (fair-weather) fans. Elliot’s shot lead to a win followed by a championship. And one could reasonably say that had SA not won that championship they’d still never have won one, as Duncan would’ve probably been more likely to leave as a free agent.
Championship(s) > Having lots of fans.
July 8th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
The Champions’ League Final.
2005.
Istanbul.
Liverpool vs. AC Milan.
Greatest sporting moment of my life. Just… Wow.
July 8th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
Elliott wins because Basketball > Soccer.
July 8th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
Of course we just witnessed the greatest sporting moment of all time — Lebron choosing Miami. Actually I didn’t witness it, but I heard about it and it sounded thrilling. Perhaps even more exciting than American Idol.
July 8th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
I’ve been to 3 Spurs playoff games. I saw Barkley shoot over a jumper over Robinson to close out the Hemisfair Arena, I went to a Utah playoff loss in the Alamodome where the Spurs did not make a single field goal in the second quarter, and this year, I saw the Spurs give up in a winnable Game One in Phoenix. Should I just stay away from now on?
July 8th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
doggydogworld
July 8th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
HAHAHA, awesome. seriously though… awesome.
Andrew A. McNeill
July 8th, 2010 at 8:24 am
“I agree with you that the loss to Ghana short-changed Donovan’s goal in the short term. But I’m curious to see how many people will be watching in 2014 because they got hooked in 2010.”
honestly? i think probably a smidge more than watched the ’98 cup after we hosted it in ’94. we are a nation that only values winners, and until we win it all, or at least get to the semifinals, i don’t see it catching on permanently in the u.s.
my greatest sports moments are pretty lame. i got dunked on by shaun rogers, t.j. ford, vince young, and lamarcus aldridge, and saw tim duncan shooting in the wake forest gym.
July 8th, 2010 at 7:47 pm
@andy
I agree that the country values winners more than anything, and I don’t expect a ton die-hard US Soccer fans anytime soon. But I expect more people to catch the so-called “World Cup fever” next time around.
July 8th, 2010 at 8:52 pm
@andrew
i’d like to think so, but of all things, my skepticism of soccer’s popularity in the states is highest. my high school’s only good team was our soccer one (2-20 football, 8-50[ish]) basketball over my last two years), we had pretty great boosters and family support, and even mia hamm played there early in high school. even in that small city, though, we couldn’t muster up the fervid enthusiasm for the world cup in ’94 that you see from other nations like argentina, england, etc. it would make me happy to see americans get pumped for the next world cup (which i plan on being at; brazil?! that’s a party and a half), but i just don’t see it.
July 9th, 2010 at 12:12 am
“Franchises most important shot” - Come on…it was an incredible buzzer beating shot in the playoffs, but people seem to forget that we SWEPT that series against Portland…so how exactly is that the franchises most important shot?
July 9th, 2010 at 2:24 am
Every World Cup, people say it’s building an American fan base for next time.
There’s always next time.
We just aren’t gonna be a soccer nation.
You guys are a niche, and that niche might grow bit by bit, but so is cycling. Some people watch the WNBA. But track and field, gymnastics, and swimming will always be bigger in general.
Once upon a time, Americans were following the NHL. And then things returned to normal.
July 9th, 2010 at 5:01 am
@ Bito
Sure, the Spurs ended up sweeping. But if Elliott misses that 3-pointer and the Spurs head back to Portland for Game 3 with the series tied at 1-1, it’s completely different and anything can happen.
July 11th, 2010 at 11:13 pm
I was also at the algeria game for the donovan goal. Being there was by far the most amazing sporting experience of my life, and I’ve been through a lot of the huge Spurs games growing up in SA (both highs and lows)…Game 6 vs. Nets, Game 7 vs. Pistons, .4, Marbury buzzer beater
July 12th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
Andrew, the most important goal in U.S. Soccer has become a highly debatable topic, and that’s a good thing. In my opinion, it was one of Donovan’s goals, but it was the insurance goal against Mexico that advanced us out of the round of 16 in the 2002 WC in South Korea. The only time we’ve advanced to the quarter finals in the modern era. It also cemented to the world our place as the plucky nation that was fast becoming a good side.
I believe if the National team had a better coach, the weight of the Algeria goal might be more prominent, because we should have advanced and could have even wound up in the third place match.
In the larger scope, Elliot’s shot was more important to the Spurs. But with all apologies to the NBA, you can’t beat the atmosphere of an important goal scored during a WC.
Yes, the nation may not watch some of the “fringe” sports as often, but somebody compare any NBA playoff game to the “Miracle on Ice.” You can’t. That’s the power of a true World sport. It’s the pride of a Nation, not just a segment of fans.
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