16 August 1998 - Later, More Than 50,000 Claimed They Were There

On 16 August 1998, DC United became the first team from the US to win the CONCACAF Champions Cup, beating Toluca 1-0 in the final.

Established in 1962, the Champions Cup (now known as the CONCACAF Champions League) is the federation's premier club competition, comparable in scope to the UEFA Champions League and South America's Copa Libertadores. For over thirty-five years, however, no team from the United States had ever won the competition. Indeed, none of them had even reached the final until the Los Angeles Galaxy managed it in 1997 (but lost to Cruz Azul).

As the reigning MLS Cup holders, DC United entered the 1998 competition in the quarterfinals. They didn't have to travel far, as DC's RFK Stadium hosted all of the remaining matches from that point forward, including the final, which saw United up against Toluca, the Mexican Primera División title holders.

A meager crowd of just 12,600 showed up, but the ones that did were rewarded with Eddie Pope's match-winner in the 41st minute.

DC has yet to return to the final, although other MLS teams have; the Galaxy won it in 2000 and Real Salt Lake finished as runners-up in 2011. Toluca, meanwhile, returned twice more, winning it in 2003.

26 March 2005 - But It Was The Beer Vendors Who Really Suffered

On 26 March 2005, Costa Rica and Panama set the record for the lowest attendance at a World Cup qualifier with a head count of zero. The match was played at Costa Rica's Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Ayma in San Jose (above), where Costa Rica had recently lost to Mexico on 9 February 2005. According to reports filed after the loss to Mexico, the home fans threw various objects at the officials and the Mexican players, including bottles, coins, batteries, and fruit. As a punishment, FIFA ruled that Costa Rica's match against Panama had to be played behind closed doors. Despite the empty stadium, however, Costa Rica beat Panama 2-1 in a match the Costa Rican press called "miraculous," as Roy Myrie scored the go-ahead goal in the 90th minute.

Costa Rica advanced to the 2006 World Cup and immediately set another record by opening the tournament with a 4-2 loss to host nation Germany - the highest scoring opening match in World Cup history. Costa Rica lost its next two matches to the other members of its group, Ecuador (by the score of 0-3) and Poland (1-2), thus failing to advance beyond the group stage.

Saprissa Stadium received a similar attendance ban from CONCACAF in 2006, following a CONCACAF Champions Cup match on 29 March. Hometown club Saprissa beat Mexican club Toluca 3-2, but Toluca advanced on aggregate after winning the first leg 2-0. Angry Saprissa supporters threw trash and other objects onto the pitch and threatened the match officials, causing CONCACAF to issue the ban.