All articles tagged with #underdog
Cape Verde’s first World Cup appearance became one of the tournament’s defining stories, as a well-coached, relentless underdog pushed defending champions Argentina to the brink, earned group-stage draws with Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, and, led by Bubista and Vozinha with Cabral’s late equalizer, showed how expanded formats can create lasting national pride beyond trophies.
Cape Verde, in its first World Cup, has defied expectations through a tight-knit squad and network-driven talent scouting under Rui Águas to reach the knockout stage, now facing Lionel Messi’s Argentina; the piece also previews Australia vs Egypt and Colombia vs Ghana in the Round of 32 and explains the late offside call in Portugal-Croatia due to the new ball’s sensor technology.
Cape Verde’s 40-year-old keeper Vozinha delivered a heroic performance, making seven saves to deny Spain and earn a dramatic 0-0 World Cup draw for one of football’s smallest nations, as Spain dominated possession and chances but were unable to break through his resolute defense.
Poland's Maja Chwalinska, a qualifier who battled depression and rebuilt her career from the lower levels to the Roland Garros final, has nine straight wins in Paris and a tiny 'free' tattoo on her left hand symbolising her freedom. She beat Diana Shnaider in the semi-finals and now faces Mirra Andreeva, with a chance to become the Open Era's first qualifier to win Roland Garros and, potentially, join Emma Raducanu as the only qualifiers to lift a Grand Slam title.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s legal team issued a cease-and-desist to Underdog over its viral “Unethical Hoops” board game that mocks the Thunder star’s flopping. The move sparked a polarized NBA reaction, with critics calling it pathetic while others defend image-rights and the right to profit from NIL. Underdog says it won’t remove the game, highlighting ongoing tensions between athletes’ rights and viral, jokey content in the playoff-era NBA.
Conor McGregor returns from a five-year layoff to challenge Max Holloway in a UFC 329 rematch in Las Vegas, entering as a +475 underdog to Holloway’s -650; the bout revives the 2013 clash McGregor won by decision, with Holloway aiming to rebound after a recent title-loss and several other bouts announced for the card.
Joe Rogan says Sean Strickland has a real shot to upset Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328, praising Strickland’s cardio, takedown defense, and his emotional warfare approach that could unsettle Chimaev; the 185-pound main event at the Prudential Center features Strickland as a heavy underdog in a bout that could derail the undefeated Chimaev.
In the NCAA tournament, 12-seed High Point University upset 5-seed Wisconsin 83-82, capping a 31-4 Big South title run and highlighting bench guard Chase Johnston, who shoots almost exclusively threes (138 of 143 field-goal attempts from behind the arc, 49% from deep) and delivered the game-winning shot — his first two-point make of the season.
Norway’s Bodo/Glimt, a club from a town of just over 40,000 north of the Arctic Circle, stunned Inter Milan in the Champions League knockout stages, driven by high‑intensity football, a talent‑spotting “X factor” recruitment approach, and a unique mental‑coaching regimen that has powered their unlikely rise from qualifiers to the knockouts.
Tom Brady floated the idea that Patriots coach Mike Vrabel leans into an underdog mindset for Super Bowl LX by plastering bulletin-board material and using pundit predictions (Seahawks favored) as motivation, stressing Vrabel’s tough, no-apologies persona to fire up the team. The piece contrasts Vrabel’s approach with Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald and frames the underdog narrative as a potentially decisive motivational edge for New England.
Kentucky travels to Vanderbilt as a 6.5-point road underdog in a key SEC matchup, with projections split: KenPom and Torvik favor Vanderbilt and ESPN BPI gives Kentucky a 32.7% win probability, while the over/under sits at 159.5; Kentucky rides a five-game SEC win streak but is 1-3 ATS on true road games, and Vanderbilt started 16-0 before cooling, now 10-6 ATS in the stretch, with tip-off at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Adam Thielen announced his retirement after 13 NFL seasons, capping a remarkable rise from undrafted rookie minicamp invite to Vikings legend. The Detroit Lakes native starred for Minnesota with peak 2017–18 production, finished with 704 receptions, 8,497 yards and 64 TDs, spent time with the Panthers before returning to the Vikings and ending his career with the Steelers; his final game came in a wild-card loss to the Texans, and he’s widely expected to be honored by Minnesota with a Ring of Honor.
Miami is an 8.5-point underdog to Indiana in the CFP title game, aiming to become the third-largest underdog to win a BCS/CFP title since 1998; only two bigger upsets have occurred (Oklahoma 2000, Ohio State 2002). Since 2019, title-game favorites have won and covered in six straight, with Clemson (2018) the last underdog to win. Miami is 3-0 as an underdog this season, while Indiana is 15-0 this year and has predominantly served as the favorite, making a historic upset a high-risk, high-reward path for the Hurricanes.
An opinion-driven piece frames the Bills–Broncos divisional playoff as a clash between Josh Allen’s 'Superman' hype and Denver’s underdog rallying cry, noting Denver’s rare status as a home underdog as a No. 1 seed and arguing the Broncos are built for a moment that could reshape the narrative.
Indiana's football team has unexpectedly dominated the college football playoff, defeating top teams like Ohio State, Alabama, and Oregon with a well-rounded, relentless approach, emphasizing the importance of avoiding complacency as they prepare for the upcoming championship game against Miami.