RIP to a key piece of what is probably still the most intense sporting event I've been to, even though I was only 11...
In 1978, the defending champion Cosmos absolutely dominated the NASL in the regular season going 24-6, with a bench that could have held their own against most other teams.
But in the quarterfinals of the playoffs, the Cosmos went to Minnesota and absolutely got their asses kicked, somehow losing 9-2 (they had only given up 39 goals in 30 games all year).
So NY came home, needing to win to force an immediate 30 minute 'mini-game' that would decide who advanced to the semis. They won the game 4-0, and the mini-game was scoreless. onto OT, also scoreless.
So a shootout to decide who moved on, with a sold-out Giants Stadium of 77,000+ all standing and going nuts. NY was down 1 in the shootout with Alberto needing to score or their season was over. It was the kind of shootout where they allowed the shooter to dribble in from 35 yards away, Alberto had never before been in a shootout (it was very new then), this was his first. Instead of normal dribbles, he started bouncing it up in the air, eventually chipping it in over the head of the onrushing goaltender to tie the game and keep NY alive for Beckenbauer to score in the next round and let them go on to win their second straight title.