A 1-1 World Cup draw against world champions Italy today represented the greatest result in New Zealand soccer history, Sports Hall of Fame boss Ron Palenski says.
After scoring in the seventh minute, New Zealand held on to share the spoils once Vincenzo Iaquinta equalised from the penalty spot for Italy in the 29th minute of their group F match at Nelspruit in South Africa.
It was only the second point New Zealand had earned in a World Cup, just five days after the first, secured with a last minute goal by Winston Reid against Slovakia.
But Italy were ranked No 5 in the world and have won four World Cups, while Slovakia boast a world ranking of 34, still 44 places above the All Whites.
"Today's result was probably the greatest New Zealand soccer's ever had," Hall chief executive Palenski said.
International journalists touted it as a huge shock, saying New Zealand had proved far more resilient than anyone had imagined, although Switzerland's win over world No 2 Spain remained the upset of the tournament for most.
Palenski refused to rate the draw alongside other New Zealand sporting upsets, saying to do so would demean the other sports.
"Let's just celebrate (today's result) for what it is," he said.
Other notable New Zealand sporting upsets include:-
• Boxer Ted Morgan wins gold at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, competing with a dislocated knuckle in his left hand. He weighed in three pounds overweight for the lightweight division so had to compete up in the welterweight division. It was the first Olympic gold by an athlete competing for New Zealand.
• Yvette Williams comes from rural New Zealand to win the long jump at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games, after a series of heart-stopping no-jumps, becoming the first New Zealand woman to win an Olympic medal.
• Unheralded and unknown outside New Zealand, middle-distance runner Peter Snell beats 800m world record holder Roger Moens, among others, to win Olympic gold at Rome in 1960, after being written off by the world press as an also ran.
• New Zealand win the men's hockey gold medal at the Montreal Olympics in 1976, going through three periods of extra time in the semifinal against Spain, then holding Australia off 1-0 after Tony Ineson scored from a penalty corner 28 minutes from the end. Goalie Trevor Manning played the last 10 minutes with a smashed kneecap.
• In two magical weeks in 1983, tennis player Chris Lewis worked his way into the Wimbledon final. He started by eliminating ninth seed Steve Denton, then beat Brod Dyke, Mike Bauer, Nduka Odizor, Mel Purcell and, in a gripping five-set semifinal, South African Kevin Curren. He lost to John McEnroe in the final.
• In 2002, basketball's Tall Blacks finish fourth at the world championships, above the United States. A year earlier they competed at the Sydney Olympics and beat only Angola, in the playoff for 11th. New Zealand beat Puerto Rico in the quarterfinals before losses to Serbia and Montenegro, and Germany.
• After having to go through a qualifying tournament and having never won in the United States, golfer Michael Campbell held world No 1 Tiger Woods at bay down the stretch to win the 2005 US Open at Pinehurst, to become the second New Zealander to win a major.
• For the first time in 54 years, the Kiwis rugby league team win the World Cup, demolishing Australia in 2008 on their hallowed Lang Park in Brisbane, 34-20. Australia had won 16 and drawn one of the last 20 games against New Zealand and had won their last 13 games at Lang Park.
