Which match from the past 40 years?

[Achilles McCool]

Serious question: I have a few “non-football” friends that hate the sport or are at the least, not interested.
My question is this: which match from the past 40 years would you choose to show a “football-hater” in order to try to win them over/convert them to the sport, or at least create some respect from them for the sport.
A few of my friends are hopeless, but I feel that I might be able to convert a few.

My 3 choices would be (in no particular order):
France v W. Germany in the 1982 WC, Battle of Seville

United v Arsenal’s FA Cup semi final in 1999
Everyone knows the details

Liverpool v Norwich in the Norwich Cup (nah, just fecking with ya)

And my last choice would be:
Manchester United v Roma...7-1. Need I say more?

Anyways, fellow Caftards, what day you? I’m sure many of you have a match in mind that trumps the 3 above. Give me reasons why your choice would help the uneducated become (at least) casual fans.
If I get some decent responses, I will post the results of my experiment with my mates.

BTW, most of my friends seem to at least be open-minded, so there’s hope!

 

[Denis79]

Uruguay Ghana 2010 WC. I'm not invested in any of the teams but it had everything.

 

[RooneyLegend]

United 4 Madrid 3, 2003

 

[SteveJ]

Liverpool 3 United 3 (1994)
Except for the Liverpool-scoring bits.

 

[Achilles McCool]

Uruguay Ghana 2010 WC. I'm not invested in any of the teams but it had everything.

Excellent choice! Although explaining the Suarez incident might be a bit difficult for the uneducated

 

[Achilles McCool]

Liverpool 3 United 3 (1994)
Except for the Liverpool-scoring bits.

Was that the game where Ian Rush scored a brace? Damn, that man was ugly but could score some absolute beauties!

 

[Achilles McCool]

United 4 Madrid 3, 2003

Another great choice! Beckham and Ronaldo at their best

 

[SteveJ]

Was that the game where Ian Rush scored a brace? Damn, that man was ugly but could score some absolute beauties!

This one:

 

[Achilles McCool]

This one:

Ah yeah! 3-0 up at Anfield before the bottom fell out. Some incredible goals in that one Steve J!!
Those blacks kits were

 

[ayushreddevil9]

United 2-1 Bayern, 1999

 

[SteveJ]

I'm still trying to forget their comeback, mate.

 

[Achilles McCool]

United 2-1 Bayern, 1999

Can I just show them the last 5 minutes?

 

[DOTA]

I'd show them that champions league final between Milan and Juve so they could be free of any desire to watch this fecking sport again.

 

[Achilles McCool]

I'd show them that champions league final between Milan and Juve so they could be free of any desire to watch this fecking sport again.

Yeah, never thought about saving them some heartache!

 

[Denis79]

Excellent choice! Although explaining the Suarez incident might be a bit difficult for the uneducated

Every good story has a bad guy.

 

[Achilles McCool]

Every good story has a bad guy.

But in this story, the bad guy wins!

 

[Denis79]

But in this story, the bad guy wins!

So it resembles reality a bit, nothing is perfect .

 

[Achilles McCool]

So it resembles reality a bite, nothing is perfect .

Fixed, although Suarez did keep his chompers clean in this match!

 

[Denis79]

Fixed, although Suarez did keep his chompers clean in this match!

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

The Manchester derby with Owen's winner is a great shout.

 

[njred]

European Cup/CL - 2005 Istanbul Lfc 3/ Milan 3
The League - 1996 LFC 4/Newcastle 3
The FA Cup - 2006 LFC 3 West Ham 3 Fa Cup Final
The Uefa/Europa Cup - 2001 LFC 5 Alaves 4
Show them back to back to back to back.

 

[Achilles McCool]

The Manchester derby with Owen's winner is a great shout.

Great choice! I hadn’t thought about that match much, but it did have that excitement needed for the conversion therapy! Football conversion before anyone decides to break my balls

 

[Achilles McCool]

European Cup/CL - 2005 Istanbul Lfc 3/ Milan 3
The League - 1996 LFC 4/Newcastle 3
The FA Cup - 2006 LFC 3 West Ham 3 Fa Cup Final
The Uefa/Europa Cup - 2001 LFC 5 Alaves 4
Show them back to back to back to back.

If I’m to convert a nonbeliever, I sure as hell don’t want to create a Liverpool friend!

 

[Denis79]

Can't remember the year but we were losing to Spurs 3-0 at half-time and won 3-5.

 

[Achilles McCool]

Can't remember the year but we were losing to Spurs 3-0 at half-time and won 3-5.

Another great choice, Denis! Can you imagine if this current United squad had the fight/drive to come back in that fashion?!?! The ‘90s for me were so special for me partly because of that never-say-die attitude! Surely we have some saved from that era down in the Old Trafford basement that we can dust off and force-feed to the current team?!

 

[Achilles McCool]

@Carolina Red surely you have some ideas for this! I can’t believe that there’s too many football fans in the Palmetto state!

 

[Denis79]

Another great choice, Denis! Can you imagine if this current United squad had the fight/drive to come back in that fashion?!?! The ‘90s for me were so special for me partly because of that never-say-die attitude! Surely we have some saved from that era down in the Old Trafford basement that we can dust off and force-feed to the current team?!

I taped every game from 1990-1995, still have them , just have to find a VCR.

 

[Sky1981]

Manchester 7 roma 1 is good for us. But for neutral?

It's just a super bad day for roma

 

[Achilles McCool]

I taped every game from 1990-1995, still have them , just have to find a VCR.

Hopefully in 10 years time, VHS tapes will make a comeback ala the vinyl record resurrection

 

[Achilles McCool]

Manchester 7 roma 1 is good for us. But for neutral?

It's just a super bad day for roma

That makes sense! 5-3 > 7-1

 

[Carolina Red]

@Carolina Red surely you have some ideas for this! I can’t believe that there’s too many football fans in the Palmetto state!

Not as many as I’d like.

It would need to be one that was back and forth with a decent bit of scoring or one in which an underdog made a ridiculous comeback.

Honestly, the Crystanbul game would be a good one for the underdog comeback. City vs Tottenham from last year’s Champions League QF would be a good example of the back and forth type game that could hook people.

 

[Denis79]

That makes sense! 5-3 > 7-1

There was so much magic in those teams... I'm so lucky that I am a United fan and that I got to follow all those generations.

 

[lewwoo]

Germany 1 England 5 - 2001 world cup qualifier.

Bayern 1 Utd 2 - 1999 champions league final.

 

[Achilles McCool]

Not as many as I’d like.

It would need to be one that was back and forth with a decent bit of scoring or one in which an underdog made a ridiculous comeback.

Honestly, the Crystanbul game would be a good one for the underdog comeback.

Oooh! Good pick! Convert them to football AND have them laugh at Liverpool! Win-win

BTW, Carolina, I know that you are a teacher; just curious how long you’ve taught, and have you noticed an increase in students wearing football kits to school over the years at your school? Do you give extra credit to students wearing a United Top?

 

[Achilles McCool]

Germany 1 England 5 - 2001 world cup qualifier.

Bayern 1 Utd 2 - 1999 champions league final.

Does the Germany v. England match fall into @Sky1981 idea that a one-sided game doesn’t have all of the ingredients required for a truly great match?
It was definitely fun to watch though!
How about Brazil 1 - 7 Germany ??

 

[Sky1981]

Does the Germany v. England match fall into @Sky1981 idea that a one-sided game doesn’t have all of the ingredients required for a truly great match?
It was definitely fun to watch though!
How about Brazil 1 - 7 Germany ??

For a neutral it has no drama. Just wtf was that a team getting slaughtered.

Brazil german means alot to us because we know the whole naratives before the match. But for people with no knowledge of football it's just another match

There's no drama in butchering a team 7-1

 

[Caesar2290]

United 4 Madrid 3, 2003

This! I hated football before watching this match. After it not only did I fall in love with the game, but with United as well.

 

[Achilles McCool]

For a neutral it has no drama. Just wtf was that a team getting slaughtered.

Brazil german means alot to us because we know the whole naratives before the match. But for people with no knowledge of football it's just another match

There's no drama in butchering a team 7-1

I meant that the Brazil Germany match was equivalent to the Germany England thrashing in terms of no drama

 

[Eli Zee]

Hopefully in 10 years time, VHS tapes will make a comeback ala the vinyl record resurrection

I wish. VHS quality is trash but vinyls are awesome

 

[Carolina Red]

Oooh! Good pick! Convert them to football AND have them laugh at Liverpool! Win-win

BTW, Carolina, I know that you are a teacher; just curious how long you’ve taught, and have you noticed an increase in students wearing football kits to school over the years at your school? Do you give extra credit to students wearing a United Top?

Definite increase in kits and other team merchandise. Mainly from the big 6 PL clubs, Munich & Dortmund, PSG, Real, and Barcelona. The EPL and Bundesliga are on TV every Saturday and Sunday morning now, and the CL and EL every time they’re on as well, so exposure is up.

I’ve actually only taught 2 other United fans, and they were AP kids so didn’t need any extra credit Although I think their intelligence shows in their team choice.