1980 Men's Olympic Hockey Bracket
The Background of the Miracle on Ice
The 1980 Winter Olympics were held in Lake Placid, New York, and the Men's Olympic Hockey tournament was one of the most important events of the Games. The Soviet Union was the heavy favorite to win the gold medal, having won the previous four Olympic hockey tournaments. The United States team, on the other hand, was made up of amateur and college players, and was not expected to win a medal.
The Bracket
The Olympic Hockey tournament in 1980 had twelve teams that were divided into two groups of six. The top two teams from each group advanced to the medal round, where they played a round-robin format to determine the medal winners. The bracket for the tournament was as follows:
Group A consisted of Sweden, the United States, Czechoslovakia, Norway, Romania, and West Germany. Group B consisted of the Soviet Union, Finland, Japan, Poland, the Netherlands, and Canada. Each team played five games in the preliminary round, and the top two teams from each group advanced to the medal round.
The Preliminary Round
The United States team started the tournament with a 2-2 tie against Sweden, followed by a 7-3 victory over Czechoslovakia. They then lost to Norway 5-3, before bouncing back with a 2-2 tie against Romania. In their final preliminary round game, the United States defeated West Germany 4-2. This record was good enough to advance to the medal round as the second-place team in Group A.
In Group B, the Soviet Union won all five of their games by a combined score of 51-11, including a 10-3 victory over Poland and a 17-4 victory over the Netherlands. Finland was the second-place team in Group B, with a record of 3-1-1.
The Medal Round
In the medal round, the United States had to play each of the three other teams in the round-robin format. They started with a 2-2 tie against Sweden, before defeating Czechoslovakia 7-3. The next game was against Norway, and the United States won 5-1. Going into their final game against the Soviet Union, the United States needed a victory to win the gold medal.
The Miracle on Ice
The game between the United States and the Soviet Union on February 22, 1980, is now known as the Miracle on Ice. The Soviet Union was heavily favored, and had defeated the United States 10-3 in an exhibition game just two weeks earlier. But the United States played their best game of the tournament, and goaltender Jim Craig made 36 saves to keep the game close.
Mark Johnson scored a goal for the United States with one second remaining in the first period, to tie the game at 1-1. In the second period, Buzz Schneider scored to give the United States a 2-1 lead. The Soviet Union tied the game in the third period, but Mike Eruzione scored the game-winning goal for the United States with just over ten minutes remaining in the game.
The United States held on to win the game 4-3, and went on to win the gold medal by defeating Finland 4-2 in their final game of the tournament. The Miracle on Ice is considered one of the greatest upsets in sports history, and it inspired a nation during a time of political and economic turmoil.
Conclusion
The 1980 Men's Olympic Hockey Bracket will always be remembered for the Miracle on Ice. The United States team, made up of amateur and college players, defied the odds to defeat the heavily favored Soviet Union team and win the gold medal. The tournament was a classic example of the power of sports to bring people together and inspire them to greatness.