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2012 was probably one of the greatest years soccer fans have seen in a long time. From England to Spain to even the United States, there were stories everywhere that could catch the eye of even the most indifferent of followers. It is obvious that the United States has not been a country of soccer fanatics like the majority of countries in the world, but if 2012 did not jump-start something in terms of getting Americans to pay more attention to soccer then I do not know what will. We saw the greatest day of a regular season in its history, the greatest player in the world cement his legacy, and one of the greatest soccer matches in history. All that and much more.
Wild Final Day in the EPL
Remember that final day of the 2011 MLB season? The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays in the American League as well as the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves in the National League were all battling for the final playoff spot in their respective leagues. They may not have been playing each other, but that did not make it any less exciting. Two of those games ended in walk-offs, two ended in extra-innings, and one was a blowout.
Well imagine if that finish, instead of for a playoff spot, was for first place in the league. Imagine if finishing tops in your league during the regular season was as meaningful as winning the World Series. Imagine if the two teams vying for that top spot were two of the biggest rivals in sports. Imagine if one of those rivals watched helplessly as the other snatched away that title at the last minute. Imagine one of the best broadcasters calling that game and making his call live up to the moment. That was the last day of the 2011-2012 English Premier League.
Manchester City and Manchester United took part in the greatest day in English Premier League history. It was the last day of the season and City was one point up on United in the standings, 87 points to 86. Each had one game left, City against QPR and United against Sunderland and they both started at the same time. With Manchester United winning 1-0, City found themselves down 2-1 with only stoppage time left. City scored in the 92nd minute to tie the game at 2s and then things got interesting. If United won, City would have to win to claim the title, a tie would be insufficient. United won and watched eagerly on the stadium’s big screen as their cross town rivals scratched and clawed to try and eek out a win. Finally, in the 94th minute, City worked the ball into the opposing box and Sergio Aguero put away the game/league winning goal that gave City the title of EPL Champs. As for that call by soccer broadcasting great Martin Tyler: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qwoAIqynBc. The greatest single day in EPL history.
Messi Becomes Greatest Scorer
91. That was the total number of goals Lionel Messi scored in 2012. A new record that broke the 40-year-old record for goals in a calendar year formerly held by Gerd Mueller with 85. Messi, scoring for both his club team Barcelona and his Argentina national team, became the most dominant scorer in soccer history by breaking such a long-standing record, a record that seemed to be unbreakable before Messi came around. What makes it even more incredible is how easy Messi made scoring look and how durable he was throughout the entire year. Soccer is a very grueling sport played year round. Playing with a club team, the games seem to never stop when you combine the league play and all the tournaments and exhibition games. Add in the national team games and soccer really becomes a year-round game. If you consider how Messi managed to play in all of these games without getting seriously hurt is pretty astounding. All things considered, this is the greatest player of all time.
David Beckham Ends His MLS Career On Top
The David Beckham experiment began five years ago when the international star went to Los Angeles to play in the MLS for the Galaxy. The experiment began on rocky terms but ended with Beckham helping lead the Galaxy to back-to-back MLS Cup titles. Beckham helped put the MLS on the map for soccer players. It may not be one of the most prestigious leagues in the world, but thanks to Beckham, other international soccer stars are following him to the United States to play. His followers include players like Thierry Henry, Robbie Keane, and Rafael Marquez joined the MLS as well. In order for the MLS to become a soccer power league it needs to bring superstars over. This was a great start. As his contract is now expired, we can say that the Beckham experiment ended perfectly for him and the MLS. Word is that the Galaxy is trying to bring Brazilian star Kaka over to the MLS. If he joins them, we can thank Beckham for helping blaze the trail.
U.S. Women’s Soccer Does It Again
The U.S. Women’s soccer team put themselves of the map thanks to their exciting performance in the 2011 Women’s World Cup. In their encore during the 2012 Olympics they made sure they did not disappoint. Their semifinal game against Canada rivals their 2011 game against Brazil as one of the greatest soccer games in history. The 2011 World Cup put them on the map, the 2012 Olympics made sure they stayed there. The game against Canada went back and forth the entire time. The first six goals of the game went Canada-U.S.-Canada-U.S.-Canada-U.S. Canada’s star Christine Sinclair had a hat trick and the U.S.’s Megan Rapinoe curved in a tremendous corner kick. In addition, the final U.S. goal, the one that tied it up at 3-3, came on a controversial handball penalty kick call. The drama did not end until the waning moments of the game, which went into extra time. In the last minute of extra time, just as the game looked like it was going to go into penalty kicks, soccer darling Alex Morgan scored on a header from a great cross. The highlights of this stupendous game can be seen here: http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/soccer/highlights-u-s-women-edge-canada-in-extra-time-semifinal-thriller.html.
That sent the U.S. Women into the Olympic finals where they avenged their World Cup loss to Japan. But even the excitement of that finals match could not live up to the heart pounding that semifinal game that proceeded.
U.S. Men’s Soccer Gets Road Wins In Tough Places
It is weird that the biggest moments in soccer in 2012 did not really involve the men’s national team, but they did cause excitement in their own right this year. Coming into 2012 the men’s team had never won an international game on Italian or Mexican soil. You can’t say that anymore. The men’s team surprised Italy with a 1-0 victory in March off of a Clint Dempsey goal. In Mexico, at the Estadio Azteca, the U.S. knew how tough playing in that stadium was. Neither team was really playing with their top players because it was just an exhibition, but that does not make the win any less sweet. That elusive first win at one of the toughest stadiums to play in in the world brought hope to the future of U.S. Soccer and anticipation for the upcoming 2014 World Cup in Brazil. In order to be the best you have to be able to beat the best, especially outside of your comfort zone. The U.S. men’s soccer team showed fight and grit in beating both Italy and Mexico away from U.S. soil.
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