Written by Emerson Lam
“Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”
One of the most iconic lines ever uttered by a sports announcer; this marked the conclusion of a 4-3 upset by the United States Ice Hockey team against the Soviet Union team. To outsiders, this could easily come off as a regular Olympic match, with only a medal on the line. However, the reality involved many more factors that made the match nothing short of an absolute thriller: from the increasing political tensions between the US and USSR, the “underdog” status that the young American team held, to the momentum gained by both teams in the tournament and the national pride on show for the Americans, this match was driven by a background like no other, making its finale all the more impressive.
Beginning with the dynamics of the Soviet and American teams; thanks to the Cold War, the dramatically worsening tensions between the two nations helped elevate the Soviets to a clear ‘villain’ status in the eyes of the average American. Of course, the Soviet Ice Hockey team was nothing to scoff at, with some of the strongest players in the world taking part. Even with Olympic rules stating that only amateur athletes could compete, since Soviet players were technically not taking part in professional leagues (being barred from the NHL), they were allowed in international tournaments. These players were at such a level that, even against teams of NHL All-Stars, which consisted of the best American and Canadian players, they had defeated the team two games to one.
Needless to say, the Americans were at a massive disadvantage even before the tournament, forced to select only their amateur players, of which many were around college level. However, coach Herb Brooks still made the most of the situation, recruiting young players and pushing them to their best. After intensive training and exhibition matches against other teams, they faced the Soviets in one final warm-up game … and got absolutely walloped, losing 3-10.
Were the Americans going to do well in the tournament? At that point, people surely didn’t think so. The only ones who could change the outcome were the players themselves.
Despite low expectations, the Americans slowly but surely began to show their prowess. The team managed to go undefeated, drawing with Sweden and defeating Norway, Romania, and West Germany. The Soviets matched the Americans by handily defeating Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Finland, and Canada. These two teams, coming into the tournament with completely different reputations, were now destined on a collision course with each other.
Then came game time: 8,500 fans, at a sold-out arena in New York, praying for an upset against the Goliath of ice hockey teams. The match started off with an early goal by the Soviets, and even as the US tied the game up not soon after, the Soviets scored yet another goal to lead 2-1. However, with the first period ending, the Americans somehow managed to nudge the puck past the Soviet goalie — who was widely considered as the best goaltender in the sport — and tied the game once again at 2-2. This was undone once again with a Soviet goal in the second quarter, now leading 3-2.
With the Americans behind 3-2, the team managed to shift into the next gear. After some back and forths, with one of the star Soviet players sidelined due to a penalty, the team went all-in and ended up scoring two consecutive goals. Now, leading 4-3 with ten minutes remaining in the match, it was the Americans’ turn to defend the ferocious Soviet offence. Initially, the Soviets attacked with precision and made a few close shots, but with each minute slowly but surely ticking down, the Soviets began to panic and shot the puck wildly. With the Americans gaining control of the puck in the final seconds, there was no hope for the Soviet team anymore, and the American home crowd began to count down to zero.
The following sense of jubilation for the American team undoubtedly can’t be described in words. Overwhelmed with emotion, Coach Brooks went into the locker room and cried, whilst the team ran onto the ice to celebrate the victory, and the crowd cheered on.
This wasn’t the end of the American team’s journey in the 1980 Olympics, however, as the team secured their gold medal with a win over Finland. The round-robin format allowed for the Soviets to nab a silver medal, but the result was still absolutely stunning for a country that had utterly dominated the sport.
What about the legacy of this match? Of course, some players went on to play in the NHL, some even gaining All-Star nods. Coach Herb Brooks managed to convert his success into a career coaching NHL and European teams, though with limited success. In the eyes of the public, this game was nothing short of cinema, being voted as the “greatest sports moment of the 20th century” by Sports Illustrated and turned into both a documentary by ABC and a movie by Disney. Even now, it is cited as one of the top moments in American sports history.
Of course, such poetic endings aren’t always possible. Sports matches often seem host to matchups that seem increasingly predetermined, where teams with star players constantly decimate those with low budgets and little fan support. But then again, I ask:
“Do YOU believe in miracles?”
