It's a tired cliche, but the game isn't over until the referee blows the final whistle. An unbelievable, historic match at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship proved as much.
As soccer fans, we typically hate to see a game end in a 0-0 tie. But, there is nothing more humiliating than watching one team lose to another by five or more goals. In soccer, it's very important for a team to score the first goal of the game. If that's the case, your team automatically sets the pace for the match, and it also shows your opponents that you are here to compete.
That is exactly what happened in 2003 when Portugal played Cameroon at the Ratina Stadium in Tampere. However, this was not your typical blowout game…
After seeing Portugal score not one, not two, not three, but four goals in the first half, everyone probably turned off their television sets and moved on with their day.
Even though that’s what a neutral would do, a true fan never walks away from a game until it's officially over. It got a little harder to watch as Portugal scored their fifth goal in the 52nd minute. For those of you who had hope and continued watching, it’s a good thing you did.
Cameroon substitute Serge Ngal came on the field with twenty minutes remaining. He woke his team up with a great shot that was blocked by goalkeeper Mario Felgueiras. His hard work paid off two minutes later when Portugal player Tiago Costa scored on his own keeper. Ngal was quickly motivated, scoring two more goals against Portugal in the 74th and 76th minutes.
Ngal’s goals encouraged teammate Joel Nguemo to keep shooting. Nguemo cut the deficit to 5-4 in the 88th minute.
With the score rapidly changing, and the crowd screaming at the top of their lungs, the Cameroons fought until the very end. What we thought was impossible became very possible. Etoundi Mbia scored the fifth and final goal of the match in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
This game has gone down in history and is known as one of the greatest comebacks ever recorded. What more could you want as a soccer fan?
