Not so sure that's accurate, big as that was: How about USA 1- England 0 at the world cup? The Hitless Wonders sweep the 07 Cubs. The Bears beat the Redskins 73-0 as underdogs. Milan HS wins the Indiana state basketball tournament. And in individual sports: Billy Mills Emil Zatopek Abebe Bikila And my personal favorite--Employers Casualty and Life sets five world records in the course of winning the 1932 US AAU Track and Field Team Championship. The "team" consists of the company's youngest secretary in her second formal meet ever-- an unknown named Babe Didrikson. (To be fair 1 of those events is no longer contested-- the baseball throw-- and another, the 80 m hurdles was being contested for the first time, so the record was probably pretty vulnerable.) Japan's win was very big-- but it was Jets- Colts big, not world-turned-upside-down big .
Hasn't mattered in the past, and really shouldn't have mattered for that particular game either. Eh, I understand your argument now, but I just disagree. I consider any result at any time to be an upset if it's unexpected enough - whether it be regular season, group stage, "second chance possible", or knockout. Now, if it was the USA's B team (which, considering Pia almost always has the same girls play, we don't even know who that would be) then I might agree with you - but the USA A team shouldn't have lost to Mexico, wherever, whenever. Thus I see it as the biggest upset in terms of the game by itself. Add context, and yes the implication of Germany's loss are more. But I think the MEX 2-1 USA result, by itself, is a bigger upset.
I think the Russians defeating the US to win Olympic Men's Basketball title was a much bigger upset than the Miracle on Ice. After all, the US invented basketball and the Russians/soviets back then didn't even have any pro sports.
I had that one pencilled in on my list but didn't choose it because the USSR was clearly the number 2 team, and the ending has been a subject of controversy ever since... I'm sure there are lots of others-- mine is a pretty Americacentric batch...
If we're going sports and upsets I have to go with the US Softball team losing (them dominating everyonoe was the whole reason the sport got bounced from the Olympics, none of the other sport upsets had that factor as well as their winning streaks and out scoring opponents 58-2 is pretty impressive). The reason the Miracle on Ice is so memorable is large part due to everything that was going on outside of the actual game (i.e. Soviet Union as well as on the ice the US had beaten the Soviets 20 years prior). But that is not what this thread is about its about the upsets in the WWC (again US losing to Mexico doesn't quite fall into that category it would fall into upset in women's international soccer which I think it would be pretty high just based on the histories of each of the countries with US being a powerhouse and Mexico basically being a minnow in women's soccer). So on the upsets in WWC I think that Germany losing to Japan is a massive upset due to them being favorites to win along with having one the last 2 WWC and then adding in being on home ground. Yes Japan is ranked 4th but it's not just the win but more that just based on each team's strengths I would say that Germany was expected to win this quite easily with their size, strength, and experience but Japan out possessed them out thought them. Japan didn't get tired chasing the ball when they lost it like the Germans did not because the Germans can't possess (we know that they can keep the ball and are good at it) but rather it was because the Japanesse team defended quite intelligently by always having someone in a seam and asking their forwards to help defend from behind and to do it smartly and to anticipate rather then to do it with power and strength. That's why I think it was the biggest upset not just that they won but how they won
Women's World Cup Winner Odds: Germany @ 1.75 Brazil @ 5.25 USA @ 6.50 Sweden @ 19.0 France @ 21.0 England @ 23.0 Norway @ 26.0 Japan @ 34.0 North Korea @ 34.0 Canada @ 34.0 Australia @ 101.0 Colombia @ 201.0 New Zealand @ 201.0 Mexico @ 201.0 Nigeria @ 251.0 Equatorial Guinea @ 501.0
If the odds on Australia are still 100-1, going into the 2015 WWC, then I will place $30 on that, to try to win $3,000 if they somehow win it all. Putting $30 on France (if the odds are 21-1), is intriguing, because that's over $600 if they win it all, and it's realistic that France could win it in 2015. So the price of beer money could win you a little extra holiday spending cash for your loved ones.