The Most Thrilling Sporting Event Of 2020 Was Michael van Gerwen Against Joe Cullen At The World Darts Championship

There are two days left in 2020, and across the entire world of sports, we have seen some legitimately otherworldly games, even though things were thrown into chaos earlier this year in the world of sports. Darts decided to get in on the fun on Dec. 29, and managed to put forth a display of excellence that may have topped everything else from this wacky year.

The best player in the world, Michael van Gerwen, took on standout Englishman Joe Cullen, in one of the best matches in the history of the World Darts Championship. The two squared off with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line, and ultimately, van Gerwen — who trailed at one point, three sets to on — eked out a thrilling 4-3 win.

Cullen, a mercurial talent, managed to get out ahead early on and made clear that he was ready to throw haymakers with MvG. He came within millimeters of doubling that with a second set lead, but he was unable to connect on a double 9, giving van Gerwen the darts to close out 52 and draw level.

Things dang near went off the rails in set No. 3. van Gerwen threw six perfect darts in the second to last leg of the set — in darts, the best thing you can do is close out 501 in nine darts — but Cullen made sure to keep things close in case the narrowest of windows opened up. That happened on his penultimate turn. MvG had to close out 76, while Cullen was trailing in a big way at 244. He hit a 180 — three triple 20s, the highest score you can get in three darts — and turned the pressure all the way up on the former world champion.

But van Gerwen, composed as ever, was unshaken. He closed out his 76…

…and came roaring out of the gates in the final leg of the set. But Cullen, in the midst of the match of his life, responded. van Gerwen could not close out a 148, and Cullen was able to do the rest to go up, 2-1.

Cullen put ven Gerwen on the ropes in set four. On the first leg of the set, he managed to break van Gerwen’s throw with a ton-plus finish, seeking out the bullseye to close out 123.

van Gerwen did have a chance to salvage things in the final leg, though, as he had to close out 40 with a double 20. He was unable to do that, though, and Cullen ran with the opportunity, closing out an 85 in style.

And then, the fifth set happened, and van Gerwen began laying the groundwork for a comeback. Cullen had the darts to start the set, but in the first leg, MVG broke his throw. He followed that up by capitalizing on Cullen’s inability to break back when he was unable to close out a 78.

To set the scene in set six, Cullen was as locked in as ever, finding D20 to force a deciding leg in the set. If he won, van Gerwen was out. If he did not, then the best player in the world would go into the final set of the match with the wind in his sails. The opportunity for near-immortality presented itself for Cullen when he stepped up needing to tidy up a 90.

Cullen started by going 20-20 with his first two darts, meaning he needed a bullseye to wrap things up. If he came any closer, he would have pulled off the upset. Instead, the tungsten was unkind. Cullen made a face to indicate he knew what just happened and what was on the horizon, and with his next dart, van Gerwen forced a deciding set.

But still, Cullen had the darts in the set, giving him a crucial advantage. Things played out as expected through the first three legs, with Cullen winning the first and van Gerwen winning the second. In leg three, van Gerwen missed D20 to close things out by the narrowest of margins, Cullen responded by hitting a D8, and moved one leg away.

The tension went to a new level in the fourth leg. van Gerwen failed to tidy up 112, and Cullen stepped to the board with the potential to win if he could pull off a daunting task: closing out a 164. His first two darts — T19, T19 — were so close that he darn near Robin Hood’d himself. Once again, a bullseye stood between him and the match, and once again, he came up short. A pained look came across his face, and MVG was as clinical as ever with the D8.

In the final leg, Cullen just completely ran out of gas. His ability to hit trebles betrayed him altogether, while van Gerwen was surgical. A smirk comes across his face at the 37-second mark, knowing his tournament was about to come to an end, and MVG ended up sending him home.

It honestly was as good of a sporting event as this year could produce. The twists and turns, the highs and lows, the ways in which we saw moments of euphoria and agony, every single thing you want in a sporting event came through at the Alexandra Palace on Tuesday evening. There is a chant that the fans normally scream when they get to pack into the venue, “if you love the darts, stand up.” Perhaps after this came to an end, some folks who have never gotten the chance to check out high-level darts will join the longtime fans in getting on their feet.