Most boring game you've ever seen

Loafing Oaf

Hi all, my debut post in the soccer forum. All these years I thought there was some dark secret to breaking in to this forum, when all I had to do was start a thread saying "I would like to join the soccer forum." Reminds me of this scene from LOTR:

Anyway, this life-affirming topic has risen to the forefront of my find in the last few days.:p There's been a fair few serious contenders for the prize in the World Cup playoffs, the second Croatia-Greece game standing out particularly for me - 1 shot on target.

Taking the long view, our beloved boys in green have made some several contributions to the genre, the 0-0 with Norway in 1994 being maybe the pick of them. The Ukraine-Switzerland match at the 2006 World Cup is another perversely memorable one, 120 minutes of sheer undiluted tedium.

For personal reasons I'd have to award the crown to the 2007 Chelsea- Man United Cup Final: another two hours of utter blah, with Drogba's last-minute winner robbing us of even the minor stimulant of a penalty shootout. Me and my brother, both then reasonably vigorous 30-ish guys and Man Utd fans, both fell asleep watching it...

keeponhurling

The friendly game at the Aviva a couple of years back, Ireland 0-0 England sticks out in my mind as being one of the wurst games I've ever seen.

Roddy23

Ireland vs Egypt 1990 World Cup.

MrKingsley

Worst game I’ve ever seen on tv was Chelsea v Sheffield Wednesday around 97 I think. I remember being so excited as I was watching a sky game for the first time. Couldn’t have been less impressed. Not sure there was a shot on target all game. A late Des walker og won it for Chelsea

Worst game I’ve ever been to was the Ireland v Northern Ireland where we lost 1-0 in Lansdowne. As bad an afternoon as I’ve ever had at a game

bucketybuck

I didn't see it, but I doubt there ever could be a more boring match than the infamous Germany v Austria match in the 1982 world cup, the aptly named Disgrace of Gijon.

Some stats:

Opta have a detailed archive of every World Cup game since 1966, and there are some belting statistics for [the second half]. There were only three shots, none on target. West Germany made only eight tackles, around one every six minutes. Both sides had an overall pass-completion ratio in excess of 90%, a level usually reserved for people like Xavi and Paul Scholes – and, more tellingly, Jamie Carragher, the king of the no-risk pass. Austria had a 99% success rate with passes in their own half; West Germany's was 98%.

bullpost

MrKingsley wrote: »

Worst game I’ve ever been to was the Ireland v Northern Ireland where we lost 1-0 in Lansdowne. As bad an afternoon as I’ve ever had at a game

Late 90's? Same here. I brought my young son who was beginning to show a bit of interest in soccer. That game put him off for life.

LuckyLloyd

bucketybuck wrote: »

I didn't see it, but I doubt there ever could be a more boring match than the infamous Germany v Austria match in the 1982 world cup, the aptly named Disgrace of Gijon.

Some stats:

Worth noting for anyone who won't be bothered to click the wiki link that Germany attacked furiously for 10 minutes until they got the goal they needed. Thereafter it was a procession.

Mad to think that they needed that incident to happen to synchronize final sets of group games after the Argentina vs Peru sham of four year's earlier.

MrKingsley

bullpost wrote: »

Late 90's? Same here. I brought my young son who was beginning to show a bit of interest in soccer. That game put him off for life.

Yeah that’s the one. Was it 97/98. Pure and utter muck

HalloweenJack

Haha, I was at that NI game too. The NI fans were the most entertaining thing about it.

That Ukraine Switzerland game in 2006 is up there now that I see it mentioned.

Another one I remember was when we played Montenegro in Croke Park in the WC qualifiers for 2010. It was absolute dross.

Loafing Oaf

keeponhurling wrote: »

The friendly game at the Aviva a couple of years back, Ireland 0-0 England sticks out in my mind as being one of the wurst games I've ever seen.

There was another 0-0 between Ireland and Wales at the Aviva, I think it was part of that home nations tournament thing. It only sticks in my mind as the OTB guys were mocking it as " a game that'll live long in the memory."

That's the thing though, most of the candidates for this I actually remember for some positive reason. I'm sure if you had a boredometer strapped to my wrist for the last 30 years, the top scorer would be for some scoreless draw between West Brom and Stoke that I watched on Setanta in 2012 and forgot the minute the ref blew the final whistle...

Kermit.de.frog

Ireland Romania - 1990 WC?

Heard from many it is the worst game on record no less.

8-10

Roddy23 wrote: »

Ireland vs Egypt 1990 World Cup.

Easily this game. Dire

Loafing Oaf

Here's a sort-of objective rundown: I'm perversely gratified to learn two of my nominees are on this list. I was going to mention that England-Algeria game too, so clearly my finger is on the not-exactly-racing pulse.:P

Ireland-Egypt gets a nod as well; perhaps mercifully I have no memory of the 2015 Ireland-England friendly mentioned...

http://www.goal.com/en/news/7180/galleries/2015/12/01/17905582/juventus-v-milan-england-v-ireland-the-most-boring-matches/ireland-v-egypt/11#photo

Iused2likebusts

Roddy23 wrote: »

Ireland vs Egypt 1990 World Cup.

That would also get my vote.

Nerdlingr

Immediately thought of Ukraine v Switzerland.

I actually remember telling myself at the time to "remember this game, this is the worst game of football you've ever seen".. and to not forget it.
I've seen some bad games over the years but that was truly horrible.
Glad other people remember it for what its worth too. :)

Man Utd v Sunderland in 2011
Utd won 1-0 and it was the day they renamed the north stand to the 'the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand' so in theory it should have been setup for a good one.
After such a good build up, the game was so ****e, and only for a Wes Brown goal it would have been once of the worst matches I have ever attended.

matrim

I'm an Aston Villa supporter so have seen a fair few awful games over the last couple of years. However, one of the worst was my first time at Villa park. It was against Sunderland in 2001 and ended as 0-0 draw with 0 shots on target

colly10

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

The Ukraine-Switzerland match at the 2006 World Cup is another perversely memorable one, 120 minutes of sheer undiluted tedium.

Had just finished college before that world cup and had a job lined up that wouldn't start for a month and a half. Great chance to get to see all the games.
Watched that one and was turned right off seeing them all after that, it lived long in the memory for all the wrong reasons.

That said, Ireland have many of them, have drifted off in the first half of a few of our games over the last few years

Fr Tod Umptious

Ireland v Egypt gets extra attention as the worst game in history because Ireland were coming off the back of a hard earned draw v England and a win would have put them in the next round with a game to spare.

It was muck of the highest order.

It really deflated a nation on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Skylinehead

Man Utd v Chelsea, early in 2013-14 season. Moyes vs Jose back at Chelsea, fairly hyped up.

Absolute scutter. Mourinho didn't play a striker, and Moyes' United didn't have any ideas. I endured the full 90 minutes somehow.

whiskeyman

Not sure if friendies should count?
Anyway, Ireland Vs Chile around 13 years ago or so.
Shockingly bad.
Never went to or watched a friendly after that!

Zebra3

Roddy23 wrote: »

Ireland vs Egypt 1990 World Cup.

Ireland v Norway 1994 was just as bad.

dfx-

Paraguay 0-0 Venezuela, Copa America SF 2011. Brazil and Argentina had gone out (Brazil on penalties to Paraguay in the QF) and Paraguay were 0-0 certainties in a sparsely populated bowl of a stadium. Awful awful stuff.

Morzadec

I only started watching football post-passback rule being implemented.

I would wager that the boring matches of pre 1992 outdid anything we have seen after that for this reason.

Many people mentioning Ireland vs Egypt which I'm sure was bad. But so was Denmark vs Ireland the other day and I was still utterly engrossed and on the edge of my seat. I'm not sure if I could ever truly find an Ireland or Liverpool match boring, I'm too invested in the outcome.

Likewise the Liverpool vs Chelsea CL matches of the mid 2000s that every complained about, I always found them utterly engrossing. Or the recent Mourinho bus-parking / defensive masterclasses (what you want to call it) at Anfield - very boring for the neutral, but I would call it more frustrating than boring watching when invested in the outcome

RikkFlair

Roddy23 wrote: »

Ireland vs Egypt 1990 World Cup.

Dunphy launching his biro was the highlight.

Richard Hillman

Red Monday

exiledelbows

Portugal Netherlands Last 16 game at 2006 World Cup was pretty bad too. Just really cynical game, think practically every outfield player got a yellow - and so much rolling around on the ground. Didn't finish 0-0 though. Do goals disqualify bad games?

8-10

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Ireland v Egypt gets extra attention as the worst game in history because Ireland were coming off the back of a hard earned draw v England and a win would have put them in the next round with a game to spare.

It was muck of the highest order.

It really deflated a nation on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Didn't they change the passback rule on the back of this specific game abusing it so much?

Deise Vu

I was at the Egypt in '90 and Norway in '94 matches.:o:o

Bad and all as they were, the stakes added some bit of tension. I gave up going to friendlies after some pretty dire matches leading up to the '94 World Cup. Soccer friendlies are literally a waste of your eyesight.

Loafing Oaf

Zebra3 wrote: »

Ireland v Norway 1994 was just as bad.

Worse I think because at least there was some element of culture clash: Ireland and Norway were cut from such similar cloth they elevated the game to some sort of infinite vortex of tedium...I remember the late George Byrne asking in a tv preview if TG4 were intending to bore us all to death by rebroadcasting that game.:p

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Laois_Man

Who'll ever forget the RTE analysis on Ireland/Egypt

Chivito550

Surprised Ireland v Iceland 0-0 World Cup qualifier in late 96 hasn’t been mentioned. That was a grim grim day.

Japan v Paraguay in the 2010 World Cup was pretty woeful, but it was the catalyst for the greatest piece of punditry in history.

Loafing Oaf

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Good chance tonight will trump cos it could go the full two hours.:P

murpho999

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kQJDEaNXyU

I'm old enough to remember the "Disgrace of Gijon".

West Germany v Austria 1982.

As their group opponents Chile and Algeria had played the day before meaning that a one or two goal victory for Germany would be enough for both teams yo progress.

West Germany scored after 10 minutes and then nothing happened for 80 minutes.

Video in foreign language gives you an idea of how it was.

This lead to final group games having simultaneous kick offs from Euro 84.

Loafing Oaf

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

Good chance tonight will trump cos it could go the full two hours.:P

Ah what wouldn't we have given for two hours of turgid goalless shi'ite and a shot at a penalty shootout tonight rather than what actually unfolded.:(

fryup

italia 90, ireland v romania

yes the shootout was exciting but the match itself was dire

to paraphrase an italian commentator at the time..

"i can't believe either of these teams are going to be in the quarter finals because they're quite simply terrible!"

keano_afc

Take your pick from a host of useless friendlies at the Aviva in the last 10 years.

bullpost

MrKingsley wrote: »

Yeah that’s the one. Was it 97/98. Pure and utter muck

My son fell asleep eventually.

DJIMI TRARORE

Ire v Egypt still sticks in my mind

Ire v Iceland in 96,never so cold in all my life,did Keano play CH that game?

Going back a bit earlier to when RTE showed Saturday games at 3,a game that i remember for all the wrong reasons was LIV v Charlton, 0-0, it was brutal,circa 85-88

ERG89

keano_afc wrote:

Take your pick from a host of useless friendlies at the Aviva in the last 10 years.

Our game there with England was absolute shyte to watch

Drag00n79

Kermit.de.frog wrote:

Ireland Romania - 1990 WC?

Kermit.de.frog wrote:

Heard from many it is the worst game on record no less.

I don't know. My memory of that match is that it had a few decent moments from Hagi. That said, the 1990 WC in general was quite defensive. Great Yugoslavian side though

jacool

RikkFlair wrote: »

Dunphy launching his biro was the highlight.

Surely the Zig and Zag spoof (Grumpy and Styles) afterwards where loads of pens were thrown was the highlight, or did that just happen in my head?

diusmr8a504cvk

Portugal vs Croatia at Euro 2016 is up there.

inforfun

Years ago while visiting in Portugal we made the decision to go see a football macth.

Sporting Portugal - Vitoria Setubal.
Sporting didnt have a bad team back then, Liedson the stand out player.

20 mins in (or thereabouts) Sporting pen, Setubal down to 10
1-0 so hoping for a few goals.

30 mins to go, Sporting manager decided to sub Liedson for a defender. and i think that penalty was the only shot on goal.
Absolute horror

Benimar

Waterford Utd V Bray Wanderers in 2007.

It was at the time where the FAI were sending Noel Mooney around the league promoting one game a week. This week it was Waterfords turn and the extra marketing probably put a few hundred on the gate.

What followed was 90 minutes of the Waterford Centre Backs lumping straight high balls in on top of 6 ft 6 inch Clive Delaney and his equally tall CB partner, who remarkable enough won every header against our 5 ft 9 in front man! Bray would then kick it long, our CBs would get it and start the 'process' all over again.

Neither keeper had a save to make, only touching the ball to take goal kicks (all of which were booted as long as possible).

Two teams needing a point on the last day to stay up, who were managed by Pulis and Big Sam, wouldn't have matched this drivel!

Not surprisingly, the attendance for the next Waterford home game was horrific.

blueser

That Liverpool/utd game from last season. How did Sky hype it up; "red monday", wasn't it? Christ, it was grim. Mind you, this season's offering was no better either.

StringerBell

Benimar wrote: »

Waterford Utd V Bray Wanderers in 2007.

It was at the time where the FAI were sending Noel Mooney around the league promoting one game a week. This week it was Waterfords turn and the extra marketing probably put a few hundred on the gate.

What followed was 90 minutes of the Waterford Centre Backs lumping straight high balls in on top of 6 ft 6 inch Clive Delaney and his equally tall CB partner, who remarkable enough won every header against our 5 ft 9 in front man! Bray would then kick it long, our CBs would get it and start the 'process' all over again.

Neither keeper had a save to make, only touching the ball to take goal kicks (all of which were booted as long as possible).

Two teams needing a point on the last day to stay up, who were managed by Pulis and Big Sam, wouldn't have matched this drivel!

Not surprisingly, the attendance for the next Waterford home game was horrific.

I was at that, grim.

Owryan

Earliest i can remember is the Ireland Egypt match.

But the worst i was at was a Man Utd v Derby game at OT, think it was 2000 and it was an end of season match. Utd had won the league already.

The game was dull, the atmosphere awful. Derby won 1-0, really felt like it was a friendly or a training match. Half the ground was empty by the time sir Alex came out to make a speech and to celebrate the title.

The biggest cheer was when one of the Beckham kids very very slowly kicked a ball into a goal.

Only other thing that stood out for me, apart from the free bar afterwards, was the fuss being made about the guy who had snuck into a team photo. He was being interviewed outside before kick off

R00ster

Any of the numerous 0-0 all draws at the 2010 world cup. England v Algeria and France v Uruguay being particularly bad. Uruguay played it safe not realising France were a rabble.
Iran v Nigeria in 2014 was dire as well.
Such a shame that Ireland won't be able to add to the litany of boring world cup 0-0s in Russia.

PhuckHugh

Any game i've seen involving Man Utd over the last 4 years. There hasn't been many but the few i've seen have been like watching paint dry. For a club that has spent over half a billion in that time it's unforgivable to be that boring.