May 13, 2012: Arsenal FC hang on to win 3-2, away to Birmingham-area team West Bromwich Albion, and secure a UEFA Champions League place for the next season. I watched this game at the Blind Pig, in New York City's East Village, which was served as one of the homes of local Arsenal supporters from 2011 until it closed in 2019.
What happened 3 minutes after that final whistle was cheered at the Blind Pig almost as much. Because Arsenal fans hate Manchester United almost as much as we hate Tottenham Hotspur, and possibly more than we hate Chelsea FC.
United had just finished off Sunderland AFC, 1-0 at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, in the North-East of England. At the same time, their local rivals, Manchester City, which hadn't won the League since 1968, were playing West London team Queens Park Rangers, at home at the Etihad Stadium. If City could win, they would tie United with 89 points on the season, and, with a greater goal difference, they would win the title.
But, when United's game ended, City were losing, 2-1. United's players, and manager Alex Ferguson, thought they had won the Premier League title, and they were already celebrating on the pitch.
But Edin Džeko, City's Bosnian striker, scored in stoppage time, in the 92nd minute. The game was tied, but that wouldn't be enough. They had to win. In the 94th minute, Sergio "Kun" Agüero, City's Argentine striker, put the ball past QPR keeper Paddy Kenny.
City had won, 3-2. Agüero ripped his shirt off, and swung it around like a madman. The fans went wild, over what was, without question, the greatest moment in their club's history. In bars all over the world, people who weren't happy that City had spent so much of the Abu Dhabi royal family's money to win the title watched, and were still happy that United had been beaten, and could no longer claim supremacy over the League in general, or even their city in particular.
Agüero had scored the greatest goal in League play since Michael Thomas won the title for Arsenal in even tighter circumstances in 1989. Since that was before the changeover from the old Football League Division One in 1992, this remains the greatest goal in Premier League history.
Agüero went on to help Man City win 5 Premier League titles. In 2019, he helped them win the League, the FA Cup, and the League Cup, England's 1st-ever "Domestic Treble." He also helped Argentina reach the Final of the 2014 World Cup. By the time they won it in 2022, he was no longer a member of the national team. He was previously married to Giannina Maradona, daughter of fellow Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona.
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May 13, 2012 was a Sunday. In America, 2 games were played in Major League Soccer. The New York Red Bulls beat the Philadelphia Union, 3-2 at PPL Park (now Subaru Park) outside Philadelphia in Chester, Pennsylvania. And the San Jose Earthquakes and Los Angeles-based Chivas USA played to a 1-1 draw at Buck Shaw Stadium (now Stevens Stadium) outside San Jose in Santa Clara, California.
American-style football was out of season. These Major League Baseball games were played:
Two games were played in the NBA Playoffs. The Miami Heat beat the Indiana Pacers, 95-86 at the American Airlines Arena (now the Kaseya Center) in Miami. LeBron James scored 32 points. And the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Memphis Grizzlies, 82-72 at the FedEx Forum in Memphis.
One game was played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs: The Los Angeles Kings beat the Phoenix Coyotes, 4-2 at the Jobing.com Arena (now the Desert Diamond Arena) in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona.
* The New York Yankees lost to the Seattle Mariners, 6-2 at Yankee Stadium. Kevin Millwood outpitched Andy Pettitte. Justin Smoak and Casper Wells hit home runs for the M's. Ichiro Suzuki went 1-for-5. Derek Jeter went 1-for-4. Alex Rodriguez went 0-for-3 with a walk.
* The New York Mets lost to the Miami Marlins, 8-4 at Marlins Park (now LoanDepot Park) in Miami. The Mets led 4-2 in the bottom of the 9th inning, but relievers Frank Francisco and Manny Acosta melted down, until future Yankee Giancarlo Stanton hit a walkoff grand slam off the animatronic "Home Run Sculpture" in left-center field.
* The Boston Red Sox beat the Cleveland Indians, 12-1 at Fenway Park in Boston
* The Philadelphia Phillies beat the San Diego Padres, 3-2 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Jimmy Rollins hit a home run.
* The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles, 9-8 at Camden Yards in Baltimore.
* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Houston Astros, 3-2 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. Josh Harrison singled Clint Barnes home with the winning run in the bottom of the 12th.
* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Washington Senators, 9-6 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
* The Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox, 9-1 at U.S. Cellular Field (now Rate Field) in Chicago.
* The Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 8-2 at Miller Park (now American Family Field) in Milwaukee.
* The Minnesota Twins beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 4-3 at Target Field in Minneapolis.
* The Atlanta Braves beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-4 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
* The Texas Rangers beat the Anaheim Angels, 13-6 at Rangers Ballpark (now Choctaw Stadium) in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas.
* The San Francisco Giants beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 7-3 at Chase Field in Phoenix.
* The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies, 11-5 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
* And the Detroit Tigers beat the Oakland Athletics, 3-1 at the Oakland Coliseum (then known as the O.com Coliseum).
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