Best rivalry in international play?

[TORRUS]

Lacrosse, curling, baseball, football(not soccer)?

Your right, Canada is way ahead of Russia in some of these.

One of the Canadian players said after the summit series something like: "give Russians football and they will probably win the super bowl in two years!"

 

[Vladiator]

I think Canada v Russia does matter to Russians. Probably not as strongly as to Canadians, but it does matter. Probably, it is due to the fact that Canadians always viewed matches between those countries as a fight between communism and capitalism, while for us it was more of a game against a very strong opponent.

Russia v Latvia??? What the hell? It is nice to play against and hopefully beat a team from a former Soviet republic, but that being the biggest rivary?!

 

[RorschachWJK]

I think Canada v Russia does matter to Russians. Probably not as strongly as to Canadians, but it does matter. Probably, it is due to the fact that Canadians always viewed matches between those countries as a fight between communism and capitalism, while for us it was more of a game against a very strong opponent.

Russia v Latvia??? What the hell? It is nice to play against and hopefully beat a team from a former Soviet republic, but that being the biggest rivary?!

From a Latvian point of view, it most definitely is The Rivalry. Probably not for Russians though, you got that right.

 

[Canuck21t]

In hockey only....Because in any other sport or anything else Canada is nowhere near Russia.

That's so lame. Stick to the subject will ya? Yeah so Canada sucks at many sports. We might as well go out of sports altogether and start comparing other structures of our socio-economic system, but I won't go that low.

As a Canadian, Canada-Russia is THE best rivalry because of our hockey history and I always feer Russia. The other big and growing rivalry is Canada-USA because many of us hate to loose to the US. Americans are our powerful neighbours and hockey is the only thing we can beat them and it really sucks when they beat us.

 

[stv11]

Canada vs. Russia seems to be way more important for Canucks than for Russians. I don't think Canada vs. Russia will be the best rivalry in the future.

I'd go for Canada vs USA, Finland vs. Sweden, Czech vs. Slovakia and Latvia vs. Russia.

If you consider Canada vs Russia a one sided rivalry, there's no way you can put Latvia vs Russia among Sweden vs Finland and the like.

By the way, I think Canada vs Russia is a little overrated right now, it's nowhere near Canada vs USSR back in the time.

 

[Rogalo]

I agree. But if we're talking all time, than I don't think CCCP-Czechoslovakia is anywhere near CCCP-Canada. CCCP-Czechoslovakia was a rivalry within the same system while the other one was a rivalry of two titans, two worlds, two universes...

Even for the future I think that a final between Canada and Russia (best on best) will bring a lot of momories and emotions back.

Same system?! What are you talking about? This rivalry developed because Czechoslovakia wanted drastic changes of the system. Hardliners in the CCCP were against it and invaded Czechoslovakia with other 4 armies of the Warsaw pact (east Germany, Poland, Hungaria, Bulgaria). Hockey became the only field on which we were able to beat the Soviets. You have no idea what it meant to the people in Czechoslovakia when the national side beat the Soviets twice in Sweden in 1969. People cryed from joy. It became for quite some time the only criteria of success - the national team could lose every game but against the Soviets, they had to win. That´s what made this rivarly so special...

 

[#2eddieshore]

Same system?! What are you talking about?

Maybe he means hockey system i.e style of play.

 

[mattihp]

There are no meaningless games between Finland and Sweden

With Westerlund's motivating, every game is meaningless as long as you go out there and play

 

[TORRUS]

Maybe he means hockey system i.e style of play.

No, he got it right, I meant the same political siystem. I understand what is Rogalo talking about and I understand how much it meant to the Czechs to beat the Soviets, but still, it makes it a one sided rivalry. I live in a very turbulent and f***up area (Balkans) and I know (although I really don't hate anyone) how much it means to beat your "enemy". Canada-Russia was a rivalry on another level. It was the biggest rivalry in sports ever and there won't be a rivalry like that ever again.

 

[Diaboli]

No, he got it right, I meant the same political siystem. I understand what is Rogalo talking about and I understand how much it meant to the Czechs to beat the Soviets, but still, it makes it a one sided rivalry. I live in a very turbulent and f***up area (Balkans) and I know (although I really don't hate anyone) how much it means to beat your "enemy". Canada-Russia was a rivalry on another level. It was the biggest rivalry in sports ever and there won't be a rivalry like that ever again.

How about CCCP-USA in basketball? I'd take that over Canada-CCCP in hockey anyday in rivalries

 

[Pepper]

Finland - Sweden is easily the biggest, for the very reason it's huge in both countries and it's happening in every single sport you can imagine. Invent a new game and you have a rivalry between these two countries they play in the same tournament.

CAnada-Russia is huge in Canada but I really don't think Russians care about it even nearly as much so it's quite one-sided rivalry and since it's only a rivalry in hockey it's not as intense.

 

[RorschachWJK]

Finland - Sweden is easily the biggest, for the very reason it's huge in both countries and it's happening in every single sport you can imagine. Invent a new game and you have a rivalry between these two countries they play in the same tournament.

CAnada-Russia is huge in Canada but I really don't think Russians care about it even nearly as much so it's quite one-sided rivalry and since it's only a rivalry in hockey it's not as intense.

Except Finnish baseball Mainly because there is no contest

 

[Leo Naphta]

Finland - Sweden is easily the biggest, for the very reason it's huge in both countries and it's happening in every single sport you can imagine. Invent a new game and you have a rivalry between these two countries they play in the same tournament.

That's not strictly speaking true. We don't care much about the finns in soccer / football; we only care about beating the danes.

 

[TORRUS]

How about CCCP-USA in basketball? I'd take that over Canada-CCCP in hockey anyday in rivalries

Well, unfortunately I don't know much about it. I'll do some searching and I'll try to inform myself. Was it very even? 50-50? 60-40 for the US?

 

[Diaboli]

Well, unfortunately I don't know much about it. I'll do some searching and I'll try to inform myself. Was it very even? 50-50? 60-40 for the US?

I would say that the 1972 Olympic final between the USA and USSR is the most disputed sports game ever.

 

[Pepper]

That's not strictly speaking true. We don't care much about the finns in soccer / football; we only care about beating the danes.

Well there are couple of exceptions, the problem is that we don't meet too often in soccer. Maybe in few years once we get our soccer program on track...

 

[Big Phil]

Yeah Canada/Russia games are the best of all time without a doubt. And even in the present too. I mean who wasnt craving a Canada Russia final in the '04 World Cup? Canada USA is still pretty great too but lets look at the past for both of them.

Canada/Russia:

1972 Summit Series
1976 Super Series, Soviets vs. each of Boston, NYR, Montreal and Philadelphia. Almost all guys on teams were Canadian then so its all the same.

1979 Challenge Cup, Russia vs. NHL All-Stars. (all Canadian except for three Swedes)

1981 Canada Cup
1984 Canada Cup OT semi final
1987 Canada Cup final
1987 WJC Piestany Punch up (the brawl that was reportedly started by Fleury
1988 WJC Canada winning Gold on Soviet soil
1991 WJC John Slaney's late goal
1999 WJC OT goal by Russians
2002 WJC comeback win by the Ruskies
2003 WJC Russians win on home soil, the tounry that made us hate Ovechkin already
2005 WJC Sweet revenge for Canada in a 6-1 fashion

Now those are the meaningful games for the Canadians and Russians of all time here is it for Canada/USA:

1991 Canada Cup, Americans lost in final, Suter cross-checks Gretzky
1996 World Cup Americans upset us on home soil. Three very good games in the final
1997 WJC Revenge for '96 World Cup in a way, as Canada wins
2002 Olympics Finally got back at them for '96 which was still eating at us.
2004 WJC A very good game capped off by a fluke goal. First ever Gold for Yanks


So you see of all time and even currently its still Russia IMO. The truth is that other than in '96 then AMericans havent ever beaten us in a best on best competition either Canada Cup, World Cup or Olympics. Canada is 11-3-1 all tiem vs the USA and all of those wins came in the '96 World Cup. Where as with Russia, Canada is (including '72) 11-6-3. And the Russians are much better competition too. USA didnt become a threat until '91. And if you look at the oungsters coming up in the USA it doesnt look like Canada is going to have to work too hard to beat them in the future. Where as Russia has a very good future ahead of them.

HM goes too Sweden/Finland of course, and Czech/Russia. The reason Jagr wears 68 on his back is because of the invasion in '68 of Czechoslavakia by the Russians. There are still some political overtones between the two there. USA and Russia has been a pretty good one lately too.

 

[Jazz]

With Czechoslovakia vs. CCCP you have to keep in mind the spring of Prague with Soviet tanks in the streets. That kind of stuff weighs a hell of a lot more in a nation's collective mind than a few sport matches, no matter how classic they were. I would think that Czechoslovakia vs. CCCP was one of the best rivalries....

I think that safe bet would be to say that a CZE-RUS game means more to the Czechs than the Russians...

 

[DaveG]

all time:
Sweden - Finland
Canada - USSR
Unites States - USSR
Czechoslovakia - USSR

now and in the future:
Sweden - Finland
Canada - USA
Czech Republic - Slovakia
Russia - Canada

 

[007]

That's not strictly speaking true. We don't care much about the finns in soccer / football; we only care about beating the danes.

Good point. I wonder how that will change as Finland's football team continues to improve.

 

[Archijerej]

I wouldn't call CCCP-Chechoslovakia rivalry onesided. Chechoslovakia was for long time the only team that could prevent the Soviets from winning gold medals. And they in fact did it couple of times, they had a very strong team. That was really a huge rivalry, not that big as CCCP-Canada but still. BTW Poland once beat CCCP "golden team", man was that a joy

 

[Rabid Ranger]

And if you look at the oungsters coming up in the USA it doesnt look like Canada is going to have to work too hard to beat them in the future.

Right...........

 

[Rogalo]

No, he got it right, I meant the same political siystem. I understand what is Rogalo talking about and I understand how much it meant to the Czechs to beat the Soviets, but still, it makes it a one sided rivalry. I live in a very turbulent and f***up area (Balkans) and I know (although I really don't hate anyone) how much it means to beat your "enemy". Canada-Russia was a rivalry on another level. It was the biggest rivalry in sports ever and there won't be a rivalry like that ever again.

One sided?! What do you mean by that?! No, just kidding. You´re right

 

[Rogalo]

I think that safe bet would be to say that a CZE-RUS game means more to the Czechs than the Russians...

Used to. Not anymore. Now games against you (Canada) are the most prestigous and right behind it are the games against Slovakia.

 

[The Kingslayer]

I personally think the Czech vs. Canada rivalry makes for the best hockey. From the '98 olympics to the Salt lake 3-3 draw and even in last years World Cup OT thrilla.