"Miracle on Ice" at Lake Placid '80

by Marco Brondo

The 1980’s winter Olympic Games, carried out in Lake Placid, United States of America,  have known one of the best tale that sport ever told, the so called "Miracle on Ice": the incredible USA’s national hockey team victory in the Olympic tournament.

The tournament developed between 12 and 24 February of 1980. Twelve national hockey team participated: eight from the best 1979’s World Championship A group, and four from the best B group (among them Japan, because of the West Germany and Switzerland forfait). The tournament was so structured: two eliminatory circles were developed by six teams each, and the first two of every circle were admitted to the final tournament that assigned the medals, while the third of the two circles played for the 5° position (surprising Canada and Czechoslovakia played that).

The American team surprised the world. Considered very weak at the beginning (it had been valued seventh around twelve among the participants), it was a team formed by university students and dilettantes, and nobody would ever have betted a dollar on their final victory. The trainer, Herb Brooks, prepared his athletes with some hard sessions on the roller skate. He pushed his players to their limits but his method really worked: thanks to their physical and excellently coordinated game, they got in their circle a great result: a draw (with Sweden, classified for the difference nets before) and 4 victories, among which an amazing 7-3 against Czechoslovakia.

Finally, in the last round robin, the USA team faced the Soviet Union (on February 22), in an epic match. The Soviets were strong: they had champions like Boris Mikhailov (the leader), Vladislav Tretiak (maybe the best goalkeeper world wide) and the strong defender Viacheslav Fetisov. Just few days before the tournament, the teams played a friendly match, won by Soviets 10-3. But Jim Craig (USA team’s goalkeeper) and his companions were not actually intimidated.

When the match started it was real soon exciting, stars and stripes flags and American patriotic choirs served as frame, but immediately was 1 to 0 for the Soviets, with Krutov that a draught of Kasatonov diverted; the balance arrived later with Schneider; but the Soviet Union came back later immediately in advantage with Makarov.

The USA team down for 2 to 1, but it’s really the disadvantage to give them the correct grim, Jim Craig improves every minute and, at the end of the first time, one rejected short of Tretiak on draught of D.Christian allows Mark Johnson to reach the balance.

In the second period the game changed: the Soviet coach Tikhonov, surpisingly decided to replace Tretiak with Myshkin, the second goalkeeper (a good choice at the beginning). The Soviets went again in advantage 3 to 2, but in the third period it was again Johnson to reach the balance for the USA team casting the disk behind Myshkin. Craig was insuperable, then Pavelich passed the disc to his captain Mike Eruzione, alone in the “high slot”, and it was goal: 4-3!

At seven seconds from the end, after some attempts by the Soviet Union to seize the balance, more times foiled by the excellent Jim Craig, and during the attempt by the USA team to free their area, the crowd (and commentator Al Michaels and the ex Montreal Canadie’s  Ken Dryden too) started an incredible countdown:

"Eleven seconds, ten seconds stay, you are counting backwards in this moment... still five seconds! Do you believe in the miracles? Yes!"

The miracle had happened, the Soviets had been beaten, and on February 24, the USA won the Olympic title beating Finland 4-2. This extraordinary victory had a lot of prominence in the whole United States: Al Michaels was elected “commentator of the year” and the team received the prize of “Sporting of the year” from the prestigious magazine "Sport Illustrated".

In 1981, in the USA, a TV movie called "Miracle on Ice" was realised (out in the cinemas in 1989), while in 2004 was realised another movie, "Miracle" starring Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks.

The walk of United States in Lake Placid 1980
12 February: United States-Sweden 2-2 (0-1, 1-0, 1-1)
14 February: United States-Czechoslovakia 7-3 (2-2, 2-0, 3-1)
16 February: United States-Norway 5-1 (0-1, 3-0, 2-0)
18 February: United States-Romania 7-2 (2-0, 2-1, 3-1)
20 February: United States-West Germany 4-2 (0-2, 2-0, 2-0)
22 February: United States-Soviet Union 4-3 (2-2, 0-1, 2-0)
24 February: United States-Finland 4-2 (0-1, 1-1, 3-0)

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