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The 23 most epic matches, races or bouts in sport this year

It has been a very good year (for some).

16/12/12 11,417 Views 21 Comments

The 23 most epic matches, races or bouts in sport this year
1 / 23

  • Mile High, January 8: Denver Broncos 29 - 23 PIttsburgh Steelers.

    Remember when "Tebowing" was the meme that wouldn't go away? It all culminated early this year when the Tim Tebow-led Broncos faced the Pittsburgh Steelers in a wildcard playoff game in Denver. The game went into overtime. Tebow, who has a frustratingly inaccurate arm, connected with Demaryius Thomas on a thrilling 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of OT. The Broncos won, and Tebow seemed to be more popular than anyone alive. (AP Photo/Joe Mahoney)

  • The Sportsground, January 20: Connacht 9 - 8 Harlequins.

    As the film The West's Awake shows, last season was close to a never-ending struggle for Connacht. The extra pressure of their first stint in the Heineken Cup made for little respite in league action. Despite taking the field every week and running teams close, they had lost 14 games on the trot... until this final pool game with Quins. The Premiership side had come looking for a win to send them to the quarter-finals, but on an awful night in Galway passion and determination won out. ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

  • Rod Laver Arena, January 29: Novak Djokovic beats Rafael Nadal.

    Djokovic and Nadal had met in the finals of the 2011 Wimbledon and U.S. Open and would play again in the French Open final in June. But they saved by far their best for a brutal, exhausting, and scintillating Australian Open final, won by Djokovic 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5 in 353 gruelling minutes. If you ever wish to feel physically inadequate, watch this match back and wonder: 'How?' (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

  • Lucas Oil Stadium, February 5: New York Giants 21 - 17 New England Patriots.

    The Patriots found themselves in position to avenge the 2008 collapse against the Giants and further augment the legacies of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. Pats led at the beginning og the fourth quarter, but in the dramatic fashion that has come to define this burgeoning rivalry, Giants QB Eli Manning led a game-winning drive that started with a nearly unfathomable 38-yard pass to unheralded receiver Mario Manningham. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

  • Thomond Park, April 4: Munster 16 -22 Ulster.

    An all-Ireland Heineken Cup quarter final that witnessed the underdogs take an improbable 19-0 lead. But Munster never give up and with Thomond Park roaring them on, they kept coming back. Ultimately, an amazing defensive display and a Criag Gilroy wonder-try would prove the difference. ©INPHO/Presseye/Darren Kidd

  • Nou Camp, April 24: Barcelona 2 - 2 Chelsea (Chelsea win 3-2 on aggregate).

    Chelsea brought a 1-0 lead into this Champions League semi-final second leg, but nobody gave them a hope. The Blues then went two goals and a man down as John Terry was red carded for out at Alexis Sanchez. Now it seemed like a matter of 'how many' Barca could score. Yet Chelsea would not roll over, and they took an away goal lead through Ramires before the much-maligned Fernando Torres broke clear in the dying minutes and sealed their passage to the final in Munich. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

  • Stade Chaban Delmas, April 29: Clermont 15 - 19 Leinster.

    As last night's game shows, it's never anything short of Titanic when these sides meet. A stellar display from Rob Kearney turned the tide in favour of the European champions as they chased a second crown. But it almost ended in tears as star French centre Wesley Fofana somehow conspired to drop the ball as he reached to plant it on the try-line. ©INPHO/Billy Stickland

  • RDS, May 27: Leinster 30 - 31 Ospreys.

    A week on from retaining the Heineken Cup, Leinster took on some unfinished business; a third Celtic League final in a row. This time, they vowed, the double would not slip through their hands. In his last game of professional rugby, Shane Williams had other ideas. ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

  • TD Garden, June 7: Boston Celtics 79 - 98 Miami Heat.

    A must win game, not only for the Heat, but for LeBron James. His many critics said he did not have the guts of the true greats, that he was the most gifted role player on the planet. But Game 6 changed him. He dominated the Celtics, scoring 45 points. "I felt like I was aggressive from the opening tip,” he said. “It's a great feeling." The fear that could be sensed in him before was gone. His performance took the Heat to a Game 7. The rest is history. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

  • Waikato Stadium, June 23: New Zealand 60 - 0 Ireland.

    If epic battles usually take a long time, then this 80 minutes was slower and more painful than most. This was the nadir of a disappointing 2012 for Irish Rugby as New Zealand steamrolled their way to nine tries in Hamilton. It could only get better from there. ©INPHO/Billy Stickland

  • Wimbledon, June 28: Lukas Rosol beats Rafael Nadal.

    For Rosol, 26, it was a first-ever outing on Centre Court. The Czech was presumed to be routine warm-up fodder for the ever-precise Nadal. But Rosol, who later told reporters he’d been “in a trance,” played the match of his life, eventually winning the five-setter 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. (Credit: YouTube: ESPN)

  • London Aquatics Centre, July 28 to August 4: Michael Phelps' last swim meet.

    The Olympics were ready for Ryan Lochte to come of age. Michael Phelps, we were told, had met his match. As one of they greatest Olympians ever, we were keen to see how he would fare in his last events. And the results were exhilarating because this was a man that, unlike in Beijing, could be beaten. He trailed in fourth in the 400m IM, but he wouldn't stay beat for long. Watching Phelps win four gold medals and two silvers in seven tries was far more satisfying than watching him win eight golds in eight tries. Victory was so much sweeter after a loss. (Credit NBC)

  • London Aquatic Centre, July 31: Chad Le Clos wins 200 m butterfly gold.

    Four years on from winning 200 m butterfly gold by a fraction of a second, Phelps lost it by a similar margin to unheralded South African Chad Le Clos. Cue an utterly joyous father, Bert Le Clos, in the BBC commentary box and a quivering lip on the podium for the 20-year-old. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

  • Olympic Stadium, August 3 and 4: Jessica Ennis takes heptathlon gold.

    It’s difficult to imagine the pressure that Ennis was under as she lined up for the first event of the heptathlon. But she completed all eight competitions in two days at a record-setting pace, winning the gold in the 800 meters for a total of 6.955 points, a huge 306 points ahead of the silver winner. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

  • ExCel Arena, August 4: South Korea 3 - 1 North Korea

    In one sense, the most politically charged event of the London games was a sublime expression of the Olympic ideal. The two Koreas are technically at war and share the world's most heavily-armed border. There was much more than sport in view here.

  • ExCel Arena, August 9: Katie Taylor 10 - 8 Sofya Ochigava.

    The undisputed highight from Irish sport this year, the country's only gold at the Olympic Games and it was delivered by Taylor over her old Russian foe. ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

  • Olympic Stadium, August 31: Jason Smyth runs 100 metres in 10.46 seconds.

    The defending double T13 sprint champion shrugged off talk of pressure as he got on his marks and, in breathtaking fashion, became the fastest Paralympian in history. Days later he would break the 200 m record. ©INPHO/Action Images/Steven Paston.

  • Croke Park, September 2: Dublin 0-16 Mayo 0-19.

    The All Ireland champions were derailed in this semi-final at HQ, despite a dramtic late fight-back. Mayo had romped to a six-point half time lead and extended it in the third quarter to lead 0-17 to 0-8 before the Dubs hit seven in a row and a clear-cut goal chance fell to Bernard Brogan in front of Hill 16. He couldn't take it and Mayo held on. ©INPHO/Cathal Noonan

  • Croke Park, September 9: Kilkenny 0-19 Galway 2-13.

    Having already beaten the Cats once in the Championship, Galway were one of the few sides who truly believed themselves capable of taking the All Ireland title from Kilkenny. They drove out to an early lead which the evergreen Henry Shefflin would slowly chip away at. But Shefflin also had the chance to kill off the game, electing instead to tap a penalty over the bar. This image is of Joe Canning's dramatic last-gasp equaliser - the Portumna man seemingly draped in serenity as the two managers argued furiously behind him. ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

  • Flushing Meadows, September 10: Andy Murray beats Novak Djokovic.

    Great athletes who retire without winning a major title spend their post-playing days answering relentless questions about that single shortcoming. Murray entered the rain-delayed match having lost in his four previous grand slam finals appearances. The Scot flew out of the traps to take a two-set lead thanks to an early tie-break. (7-6, 7-5), yet Djokovic reeled him in and as they went to the fifth set the word "choke" could not have been far from Murray's mind. Against all odds, though, Murray prevailed in the deciding set. This astounding match with its see-sawing momentum and mind-bogglingly long rallies tied the record for longest U.S. Open Final. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

  • Medinah CC, September 30: USA 13 1/2 Europe 14 1/2.

    This was either "a historic win" or "a historic collapse" depending on your accent. The Americans stormed out to an early lead at the Ryder Cup and expanded their advantage over their European opponents on the second-to-last day. But as the final day wore on, the U.S. came up short again and again and again on the closing holes. Four Americans—Webb Simpson, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, and Steve Stricker—arrived at the 17th hole of their match tied or 1-up. All four lost, and the Europeans jubilantly celebrated a stunning upset and a re-affirmation of their overall superiority in match-play golf. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

  • Aviva Stadium, November 4: St Patricks Athletic 2 - 3 Derry City AET.

    The 51-year wait for St Pat's to reclaim the FAI Cup looked set to end as Liam Buckley brought his free-flowiing side to meet Derry on Lansdowne Road. But the Candystripes greater cup pedigree prevailed as they forced Pat's into errors and eventually won out thanks to Rory Patterson's extra-time goal. ©INPHO/Donall Farmer

  • MGM Grand, December 8: Juan Manuel Marquez KOs Manny Pacquiao.

    Marquez and Pacquiao were in their fourth fight against each other: Pacquiao had won two of the previous bouts and they had boxed to a draw in the other one. Each match had been very close and very controversial, but the fourth would turn out to be the best fight of their rivalry and of the year. It ended with a sledgehammer right from Marquez that left the Filipino cold, face down. The brutality of the sport in plain view for all (including Pacquiao's distraught wife) to see.
  • Remember when
  • As the film The West's Awake shows, last season was close to a never-ending struggle for Connacht. The extra pressure of their first stint in the Heineken Cup made for little respite in league action. Despite taking the field every week and running teams close, they had lost 14 games on the trot... until this final pool game with Quins. The Premiership side had come looking for a win to send them to the quarter-finals, but on an awful night in Galway passion and determination won out. ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
  • Djokovic and Nadal had met in the finals of the 2011 Wimbledon and U.S. Open and would play again in the French Open final in June. But they saved by far their best for a brutal, exhausting, and scintillating Australian Open final, won by Djokovic 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5 in 353 gruelling minutes. If you ever wish to feel physically inadequate, watch this match back and wonder: 'How?' (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
  • The Patriots found themselves in position to avenge the 2008 collapse against the Giants and further augment the legacies of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. Pats led at the beginning og the fourth quarter, but in the dramatic fashion that has come to define this burgeoning rivalry, Giants QB Eli Manning led a game-winning drive that started with a nearly unfathomable 38-yard pass to unheralded receiver Mario Manningham. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
  • An all-Ireland Heineken Cup quarter final that witnessed the underdogs take an improbable 19-0 lead. But Munster never give up and with Thomond Park roaring them on, they kept coming back. Ultimately, an amazing defensive display and a Criag Gilroy wonder-try would prove the difference. ©INPHO/Presseye/Darren Kidd
  • Chelsea brought a 1-0 lead into this Champions League semi-final second leg, but nobody gave them a hope. The Blues then went two goals and a man down as John Terry was red carded for out at Alexis Sanchez. Now it seemed like a matter of 'how many' Barca could score. Yet Chelsea would not roll over, and they took an away goal lead through Ramires before the much-maligned Fernando Torres broke clear in the dying minutes and sealed their passage to the final in Munich. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
  • As last night's game shows, it's never anything short of Titanic when these sides meet. A stellar display from Rob Kearney turned the tide in favour of the European champions as they chased a second crown. But it almost ended in tears as star French centre Wesley Fofana somehow conspired to drop the ball as he reached to plant it on the try-line. ©INPHO/Billy Stickland
  • A week on from retaining the Heineken Cup, Leinster took on some unfinished business; a third Celtic League final in a row. This time, they vowed, the double would not slip through their hands. In his last game of professional rugby, Shane Williams had other ideas. ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
  • A must win game, not only for the Heat, but for LeBron James. His many critics said he did not have the guts of the true greats, that he was the most gifted role player on the planet. But Game 6 changed him. He dominated the Celtics, scoring 45 points.
  • If epic battles usually take a long time, then this 80 minutes was slower and more painful than most. This was the nadir of a disappointing 2012 for Irish Rugby as New Zealand steamrolled their way to nine tries in Hamilton. It could only get better from there. ©INPHO/Billy Stickland
  • For Rosol, 26, it was a first-ever outing on Centre Court. The Czech was presumed to be routine warm-up fodder for the ever-precise Nadal. But Rosol, who later told reporters he’d been “in a trance,” played the match of his life, eventually winning the five-setter 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. (Credit: YouTube: ESPN)
  • The Olympics were ready for Ryan Lochte to come of age. Michael Phelps, we were told, had met his match. As one of they greatest Olympians ever, we were keen to see how he would fare in his last events. And the results were exhilarating because this was a man that, unlike in Beijing, could be beaten. He trailed in fourth in the 400m IM, but he wouldn't stay beat for long. Watching Phelps win four gold medals and two silvers in seven tries was far more satisfying than watching him win eight golds in eight tries. Victory was so much sweeter after a loss. (Credit NBC)
  • Four years on from winning 200 m butterfly gold by a fraction of a second, Phelps lost it by a similar margin to unheralded South African Chad Le Clos. Cue an utterly joyous father, Bert Le Clos, in the BBC commentary box and a quivering lip on the podium for the 20-year-old. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  • It’s difficult to imagine the pressure that Ennis was under as she lined up for the first event of the heptathlon. But she completed all eight competitions in two days at a record-setting pace, winning the gold in the 800 meters for a total of 6.955 points, a huge 306 points ahead of the silver winner. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
  • In one sense, the most politically charged event of the London games was a sublime expression of the Olympic ideal. The two Koreas are technically at war and share the world's most heavily-armed border. There was much more than sport in view here.
  • The undisputed highight from Irish sport this year, the country's only gold at the Olympic Games and it was delivered by Taylor over her old Russian foe. ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
  • The defending double T13 sprint champion shrugged off talk of pressure as he got on his marks and, in breathtaking fashion, became the fastest Paralympian in history. Days later he would break the 200 m record. ©INPHO/Action Images/Steven Paston.
  • The All Ireland champions were derailed in this semi-final at HQ, despite a dramtic late fight-back. Mayo had romped to a six-point half time lead and extended it in the third quarter to lead 0-17 to 0-8 before the Dubs hit seven in a row and a clear-cut goal chance fell to Bernard Brogan in front of Hill 16. He couldn't take it and Mayo held on. ©INPHO/Cathal Noonan
  • Having already beaten the Cats once in the Championship, Galway were one of the few sides who truly believed themselves capable of taking the All Ireland title from Kilkenny. They drove out to an early lead which the evergreen Henry Shefflin would slowly chip away at. But Shefflin also had the chance to kill off the game, electing instead to tap a penalty over the bar. This image is of Joe Canning's dramatic last-gasp equaliser - the Portumna man seemingly draped in serenity as the two managers argued furiously behind him. ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
  • Great athletes who retire without winning a major title spend their post-playing days answering relentless questions about that single shortcoming. Murray entered the rain-delayed match having lost in his four previous grand slam finals appearances. The Scot flew out of the traps to take a two-set lead thanks to an early tie-break. (7-6, 7-5), yet Djokovic reeled him in and as they went to the fifth set the word
  • This was either
  • The 51-year wait for St Pat's to reclaim the FAI Cup looked set to end as Liam Buckley brought his free-flowiing side to meet Derry on Lansdowne Road. But the Candystripes greater cup pedigree prevailed as they forced Pat's into errors and eventually won out thanks to Rory Patterson's extra-time goal. ©INPHO/Donall Farmer
  • Marquez and Pacquiao were in their fourth fight against each other: Pacquiao had won two of the previous bouts and they had boxed to a draw in the other one. Each match had been very close and very controversial, but the fourth would turn out to be the best fight of their rivalry and of the year. It ended with a sledgehammer right from Marquez that left the Filipino cold, face down. The brutality of the sport in plain view for all (including Pacquiao's distraught wife) to see.

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