Rate it!

86 votes

Check out the best matches ever played by following our daily countdown: today we look at Sunderland's finest moment.

91. 1973 FA Cup - Sunderland 1-0 Leeds United

Ahhh - the magic of the Cup! A nation rejoiced on FA Cup final day in 1973 when a Leeds side everyone loved to hate were stunned 1-0 by second division Sunderland in one of the biggest shocks in the competition's history. The famous Leeds side contained the likes of Billy Bremner, Norman Hunter and Peter Lorimer, and of course were managed by Don Revie - but they went behind in the 31st minute when Ian Porterfield smashed home from 12 yards after Leeds failed to deal with a corner. The most memorable moment though came in the second half when Sunderland keeper Jimmy Montgomery made an astonishing double save. First he palmed away Trevor Cherry's close-range header but what came next was one of the greatest saves in living memory as he somehow managed to push Lorimer's follow-up on to the crossbar. Leeds must have known at that stage it was not going to be their day and Sunderland hung on to become the first second tier club in 42 years to win the Cup.

92. 1984 Cup Winners' Cup - Manchester United 3-0 Barcelona

A real nostalgia trip, this one, to a time when Manchester United had the measure of Barcelona and Bryan Robson was more than a synonym for shoddy management. In the clubs' first ever meeting, Barca won 2-0 at Camp Nou, before United turned the quarter-final tie around on a memorable night at Old Trafford. A team featuring seven Spanish internationals, Bernd Schuster and a certain Diego Maradona folded under wave after wave of attacks. Robson got the first with a trademark diving header, then levelled the aggregate score from close range early in the second half after goalkeeper Urruti spilled a Ray Wilkins shot. Two minutes later, Frank Stapleton blasted gleefully home from a Norman Whiteside knockdown and United held on for a momentous 3-2 triumph. Several hundred delirious Mancunians carried Robson off shoulder-high and manager Ron Atkinson, asked by ITV's Elton Welsby for his post-match plans, said with a glint in his eye: "We'll have a cup of tea."

93. 1993 U17 World Cup - Portugal 5-5 Cameroon

FIFA age group competitions normally slip under the radar but not this one from Tampere in Finland. Portugal only needed a point to qualify for the quarter-finals and that looked a formality after a classic Portuguese exhibition of fluid passing and quick movement saw them take a 4-0 lead at half-time. Manuel Curto had scored a hat-trick after Vieira de Freitas had done what Pele almost did in Guadalajara and what David Beckham achieved at Selhurst Park by arrowing a shot from inside his own half over the keeper's head and into the back of the net. It became 5-0 after 52 minutes and that was still the scoreline with 20 minutes remaining. Then the Lion Cubs launched an astonishing comeback with three goals in six minutes before Joel Nguemo made it 4-5 with two minutes left. In stoppage time Etoundi Mbia volleyed the equaliser before in the dying embers of the game, with Cameroon needing one more to qualify at the expense of their opponents, they rattled the bar. The crestfallen Africans threw themselves to the ground at the final whistle only for the Portuguese to help them up.

94. 1993 Division One - Swindon 4-3 Leicester

The comeback that never was! Swindon had already won a Division One play-off final three years before but they were kicked out of the top flight for financial irregularities. Now they had another chance to play in English football's highest division for the first time in their 99 year history. Swindon took the lead just before half-time as player-manager Glenn Hoddle, in what turned out to be his last game for the club, finished off a great move. Craig Maskell and Shaun Taylor then made it 3-0 after the break and the promised land was near. However Brian Little's Leicester, losers at the same stage the previous year, drew level with three goals in 12 minutes. Extra time beckoned before City keeper Kevin Poole sent substitute Steve White crashing and referee David Elleray controversially awarded a penalty seven minutes from time. Up stepped Paul Bodin to send Poole the wrong way and Swindon into the Premiership.

95. 1990 League Cup - Arsenal 2-6 Manchester United

Arsenal headed into this last-16 tie in the Rumbelows Cup not only unbeaten but with a fiercesome defensive record - the fabled back five of Seaman-Dixon-Bould-Adams-Winterburn having yielded just seven goals in 17 matches. Added spice came as the encounter was just a month after the infamous 21-man Old Trafford brawl which saw both sides docked League points. A capacity crowd packed into Highbury and were stunned as Clayton Blackmore drove a free-kick home after just 80 seconds, before Mark Hughes added a second just before half-time, and moments later Lee Sharpe curled a corker into the top-corner. The Gunners hit back after the break with Alan Smith scoring twice to set up a grandstand last quarter, only for Sharpe to head his second before completing the hat-trick. It was Danny Wallace's finest night in a United shirt and he added a sixth late on. The match becomes all the more remarkable when you consider George Graham's Gooners only lost on two other occasions that season and conceded a mere 25 goals in their other 49 matches that campaign.

96. 1950 World Cup - Brazil 1-2 Uruguay

Marketing executives turn away now - there was no World Cup final in 1950. Luckily for the organisers the final match of the four-team final group was a de-facto final, with hosts Brazil needing just a draw against inaugural winners Uruguay. Brazil won their first two matches of the final group with some ease, 7-1 against Sweden and 6-1 against Spain, so an official world record for a sporting event of 173,850 (although many estimate it to be closer to 205,000) turned up at the Maracana expecting a coronation. After a goalless opening period, a minute after the break Frica gave the hosts the lead with a low shot. But little Uruguay, home to just two million people, stunned their neighbours with an equaliser through Juan Alberto Schiaffino as he fired into the roof of the net. Then, 11 minutes from time, the unthinkable happened when Alcides Ghiggia beat Moacyr Barbosa at his near post. Gigghia said many years later: "Only three people have, with just one motion, silenced the Maracana: Frank Sinatra, Pope John Paul II and me."

97. 1978 Bundesliga - Borussia Moenchengladbach 12-0 Borussia Dortmund

The final day of the 1977-78 Bundesliga season started with Cologne virtually assured of the title. They were was level on points with Borussia Moenchengladbach but were 10 goals better off on goal difference than their loval rivals. But in the end it was closer than anybody could have imagined. Jupp Heynckes scored a hat-trick inside 32 minutes and Moenchengladbach led Borussia Dortmund 6-0 at half-time, while Cologne were just 1-0 up on already relegated St Pauli. Die Fohlen were on pace to produce a miracle! Heynckes addded a fourth while Carsten Nielsen and Kalle del Haye completed their braces to make it 9-0 with 25 minutes left while Cologne were only leading 2-0 in the ultimate transistor radio afternoon in footballing history. The difference was just three at that point but it got no closer as both of the title contenders scored three in the final quarter. Nonetheless it was a record Bundesliga victory and it resulted in Dortmund coach Otto Rehhagel being fired while his goalkeeper Peter Endrulat never played in the top-flight again.

98. 2007 Premier League - Portsmouth 7-4 Reading

Well, the highest-scoring game in Premier League history had to go, in didn't it? Benjani (pictured) - only playing because Kanu was injured - bagged two in the opening 37 minutes before Stephen Hunt started the Royals' comeback with a point-blank header just before half-time. Shortly after the break Dave Kitson put Reading on level terms after David James spotted a Nintendo on the touchline and came racing off his line. But Hermann Hreidarsson soon restored the hosts' advantage before havoc ensued. Benjani completed his hat-trick from the spot on 70 minutes and Nico Kranjcar added a fifth soon after before Shane Long pulled one back (are you still following?), only for Ivar Ingimarsson to head through his own net. Four goals in nine minutes and it was 6-3. Sulley Muntari made it a ridiculous 7-3 with an injury time penalty before Nicky Shorey - who earlier missed a penalty that cost this match at least 10 places on the list - scored to complete a farcical second-half.

99. 1982 World Cup - Brazil 2-1 USSR

Yes it was only a group game but this was the first chance for the world to see the footballing equivalent of the Harlem Globetrotters. This was the best Brazil team since 1970 with a midfield of superstars - Zico, Eder, Socrates and Falcao - all of whom thought tackling was not really worth the effort. But the Harlem Globetrotters are good with their hands, unlike journeyman keeper Waldir Peres, who let a speculative long range shot from Andrey Bal slip through his hands. A big upset was on, with Rinat Dasaev a colossus in the Soviet net, before two stunning goals in the last 15 minutes. First the captain Socrates picked up the ball, glided past two defenders - like only a chain smoking doctor can do - and unleashed a rifle off the underside of the crossbar. Then a quite sensational winner, two minutes from time. Paulo Isidoro plays a square ball across the edge of the penalty area, Falcao hears a shout and lets it roll through his legs for the onrushing Eder to flick the ball up with his left foot and then dispatch a volley past the static Dasaev. The dream of a fourth World Cup was on.....well at least for another three weeks.

100. 2004 Champions League: Liverpool 3-1 Olympiakos

After a Rivaldo free kick left Liverpool needing three to reach the next stage of the Champions League. The great comeback was only on once ace hot-shot Florent Sinama-Pongolle came on at half-time and knocked one in two minutes later. The chunky Shearer play-a-like Neil Mellor then came on and bagged on 81 before Steven Gerrard's famous 'what a hit son, what a hit' strike sent the Reds into the knock-out stages. We think the Merseysiders won the Champions League that season, but you'll have to check that! The greatest European night at Anfield? Stick around over the next few weeks to find out.

Eurosport