History

Soccer is one of the very few sports that boasts competitions where small, local sides are able to face off against the best teams in the country. These matchups capture the imagination while providing a sense of hope and magic to a small group of supporters.

Domestic cups have long provided smaller clubs with the opportunity to prove their mettle by facing nationally recognized sides, and while major upsets are rare, just the slightest hope of an improbable win is enough to cause local pandemonium and stir significant interest among neutral supporters.

For a memorable few months in 2008, Russia was the talk of the soccer world. 

Zenit St. Petersburg captured the Europa League title, defeating Rangers in the final after dismantling Bayern Munich 5-1 on aggregate in the semis.

Just a month later, the national team also achieved unprecedented success, reaching the semifinals of Euro 2008 before bowing out to eventual champion Spain.

Occasionally sport coughs up the sort of matchup that you cannot tear your eyes from — not so much a David vs. Goliath battle as it is a 50-car pileup on the highway. We’re talking “how the hell did they find themselves here?” sort of situations. 

These were the games that stayed with you, the games that meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. 

The Best Underdog Stories In Sports History 

The Korea women’s ice hockey team at the 2018 Winter Olympics

Every generation has a handful of goals that seem to captivate every fan and live on in footballing lore for years to come. Goals that define an era.