Liverpool
UEFA Champions League Final 2005, Istanbul, at half time it's AC Milan 3-0 Liverpool and the game looks all but over, Kaka and co. have ripped Liverpool apart, so what on earth did Rafa Benitez say at half time. Liverpool were real underdogs now, just to draw level against what is a world class Milan XI with Shevchenko, Maldini, Pirlo etc. So when Liverpool came out to the second half, they came out fighting! A John Arne Risse cross, a Steven Gerrard header, it seemed like game on again, 3-1! The pivotal moment was bringing on Didi Hamann, it allowed Gerrard to attack and lead Liverpool, it was him that teed up Vladamir Smicer to fire home another for Liverpool, 3-2! Milan were shell shocked only 15mins into the half and it was 3-2, then came the chance, Milan Baros flicked the ball off to Gerrard, he skipped past Gattuso, but a trip..... PENALTY! Up stepped Xabi Alonso, he missed but in goes the rebound, as I watched I leapt off my seat, amazing, 3-3! The rest is left to fait, heroics from Jerzy Dudek and horrible Milan penalties and from the barrel of defeat, Liverpool were kings of Europe!
Andy Murray
This flying Scotsman has gone from a man the people love to hate, to a cult hero across Britain and the real underdog of Tennis, as shown in 2012 US Open and even the famous 2013 Wimbledon finals. In the US Open he cruised through early rounds but then faced tests of character, going set and breaks down against first Feliciano Lopez then Maran Cilic, prevailing through both. Again the underdog mentality got him through, this time Tomas Berdych in a 4 hour thriller which lead to a meeting with Novak Djokovic. I hadn't really taken to Murray yet, but it seemed after his teary interview after Wimbledon defeat that year to Federer, a sympathetic warming came Murray's away along with Olympic Gold! But in New York he became a man, his first grand slam, a 5 set marathon against Mr Djokovic, who he'd beat the next year in a historic Wimbledon final! Both finals were fancied for Djokovic, but Murray has proved he not only believed he was the underdog but he triumphed as the underdog, a sports personality award is heading his way soon!
Christine Ohuruogu
This woman is never getting the acclaim her performances show, always in major finals, Olympics, World and European Championships and most of all she always delivers! Always looked over at the start as race favourite, she has this incredible finish to her race which see's her stun the world and reach standards beyond expectations. In 2008 it was gold for Christine, at London 2012 it was bronze, but so close to gold, this year it was the World Championships in Moscow. Christine was racing against highly favourited Montsho from Botswana and with the experienced Sanya Richards-Ross. Ohuruogu had a awful start, seemingly out of it going into the last 150m, lying in 6th, but the last 100m is Christine's territory. Back she came, pushing and pushing and pushing, all of a sudden, 50m to go she was 3rd going 2nd. 10m she was neck and neck with Montsho, it went right to the line and Christine had won it my millimeters, both finishing on 49:41 it was won by a lean from Ohuruogu, she'd done it again, from the seemingly impossible, the underdog triumphed and it was British!
Thank you for reading, let me know what the next 'Sports Special' should be, could be a team, player or athlete even a competiton! Cheers
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