The spectacular save of David Seaman!

The penalty shootout after 120 minutes of a game with equal results can be cruel for one side and more fortunate for the other. Cruel especially for the side that is trying to win the final or advance to the knockout stages.
While fortunate for the side that prefers to wait for the penalty shootout than to risk playing especially when their opponent is superior. However, the spectacular charm remains extraordinary.

It is April 20, 1995!
At the “Marassi” stadium in Genoa, 120 minutes of play have just ended the second leg of the semi-final of the Cup Winners’ Cup between Sampdoria and Arsenal. The home team has won 3-2, but it is the same result as the first leg won by Arsenal in London.

It is the Sampdoria of Mancini, Lombardo, goalkeeper Zenga, Vierchowod, Yugovic`, Mihajlovic` and Evani. These are the names of the most prominent. The coach is also the well-known Sven Goran Erikson. It is a Samp without Vialli who has been bought by Juventus long time ago.

While the English have goalkeeper Seaman, Dixon, Adams, Wright and are led by coach George Armstrong.

The score 5-5 after two games forces Austrian referee Gerd Grabher to apply the penalty shootout rule, which will be highlighted by a spectacular save by goalkeeper Seaman.

The episode was indeed painful for the Blucerchiati colors, as Sampdoria had largely deserved to advance to the final (against Real Zaragoza) of the Cup Winners’ Cup.

So, the “Blucerchiati” were superior to Arsenal, Mancini took the lead with a sumptuous lob, Wright equalized in the second half, then the fireworks at the end: the young Bellucci invented two amazing goals respectively seven and four minutes to the end of the game.

The 3-1 qualified Sampdoria, defeated 2-3 in the first leg at “Highbury”.
But the game is not over yet.
Instead, here comes the disaster, a mistake by Zenga allowed the goal to the Swede Schwarz with two minutes to go: 3-2, and it went to penalties.

Seaman saves on Mihajlovic and Jugovic, McGoldrick sends it out, Zenga saves on Merson. Lombardo remains, who places the shot on the left of Seaman, at half height. Goal? No way: the English goalkeeper dives to the right side and stops the ball with his recall arm.

Later, people will talk about a “mistake” by Lombardo. But that was a feat of great class. Which closed the match 3-2 on penalties to Arsenal.

However, Arsenal would lose the final against Zaragoza 1-2, with a decisive goal from Naym in the 119th minute of injury time.

© By Pjerin Bj
New York January 27, 2025
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Sports Vision + Plus / Champions Hour since 2013

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