Robbie Deeley and Tom Jackson might beg to differ but a penalty shootout is unquestionably sport's greatest theatre.
It was not exactly a tragedy but there were twists and turns of Shakespearean proportions as Caversham's bid to make the Chatham Cup final for the first time ended in heartbreak on Saturday.
There were no villains, only heroes, as Caversham and Bay Olympic battled each other to a standstill over 120 thrilling minutes.
The 1000 fans at the Caledonian Ground were treated to an 89th-minute equaliser, two goals in extra time and the nailbiting final act that players must hate but spectators always relish.
All four shooters from the Auckland club stepped up to the penalty spot with confidence and buried their shots past Caversham keeper James Waggett.
Deeley's and Jackson's shots were saved, Bay Olympic stopper Danny Robinson whooped and did a roly-poly, his team-mates punched the sky in delight and it was over.
The visitors retreated to their changing room to boom out the "We're going to the final" chant.
Caversham's brave warriors went to find a quiet corner to grieve for another lost opportunity.
There are a few tears in there, coach Steve Fleming said as he emerged from the team room.
"There's a lot of emotion. It feels unfair to lose, but that's football," he said.
"We felt comfortable in extra time. We created plenty of chances, but so did they.
"Our guys have converted penalties all year and a couple of them missed today. That's just how it goes sometimes."
It was a scintillating semifinal and not just because of the way it ended.
Both teams played with verve and enterprise, the football was free-flowing, and there were constant attacks to keep everyone on edge.
Despite conceding a goal after just four minutes, when Bay Olympic striker Yoji Tanabe scored off a rebound, Caversham looked up for the challenge.
Jackson was at the heart of the early action, with his booming Rory Delap-style throw-ins and a couple of half-chances.
The equaliser came after 20 minutes when Bay keeper Danny Robinson flubbed a cross and Jackson rammed home from close range.
The Aucklanders were dominating the left side through the weaving Joe Edwards, while Caversham was applying pressure through the middle and winning corners.
The match took two massive turns halfway through the second spell.
First, Bay captain Craig Wylie was shown a red card for a hefty challenge on Deeley.
Then, barely a minute later, the side with 10 men was in the lead as Tanabe scored his second off his head.
Caversham poured forward but seemed to struggle to find the right man in the right space.
"We had a lot of half-chances and I thought we snatched at the ball a bit," Fleming said.
"We didn't take full advantage of having the extra man. They sat deeper and deeper and they were obviously concerned about our pace up front."
Eventually, and thrillingly, the equaliser came from a flick-on and an Ant Hancock poke into the net just before the end of normal time.
Caversham immediately took a 3-2 lead in extra time when Seamus Ryder pounced on a Robinson parry.
But Caversham looked skittery when it had to defend set pieces, and Bay Olympic got the game's third equaliser when substitute Richard Breeston cleaned up a messy corner.
The keepers had the final say in extra time, with Waggett stealing the ball from Tanabe's feet, and Robinson foiling a Tom Schwarz header.
Honours were very much shared, but the competition demands a winner from every game, and Bay Olympic was more clinical in the shootout.
With its cup run over, Caversham must now resume battle on the domestic front.
It has plenty of games in hand but must keep winning to see off great rival Dunedin Technical.
"The cup run might have taken something out of us. It will be interesting to see how we front up," Fleming said.
"But there is still lots of ambition in this team. They are young players very keen to win things.
"There is character there and I think we will get right back into it."
Fleming will lose his son, Patrick, plus Ryder and Jackson, all of whom are returning to college football in the United States.
In the other semifinal, Miramar fought back from an early deficit and the dismissal of its goalkeeper to claim a 2-1 win over North Shore's East Coast Bays in Wellington yesterday.
The shoot-out
How it unfolded
- Ross McKenzie (Bay Olympic) slow and smooth; 1-0
- Robbie Deeley (Caversham) misses to the keeper's left; 1-0
- Andrew Campbell (B) slight angle, along the ground; 2-0
- Ant Hancock (C) keeper goes right way but shot too strong; 2-1
- Peter Norris (B) smashed to the keeper's right; 3-1
- Tom Jackson (C) stunning high save by Danny Robinson; 3-1
- Nathan Strom (B) low and to the left; 4-1
Chatham Cup
Semifinal scores
Bay Olympic 3 - Yoji Tanabe 2, Richard Beeston
Caversham 3 - Tom Jackson, Ant Hancock, Seamus Ryder
After extra time. Bay Olympic won 4-1 on penalties.
