"Do you believe in miracles?" was a phrase Ted used to inspire his team immediately prior to the beginning of their relegation match with Man City.
Accoding to Ted, it was a saying "where he came from", and he used it in direct opposition to the Richmond upon Thames motto, "It's the hope that kills you". The point was to make his team believe, despite the common wisdom, that they had a chance to pull an upset.
Nate, the newly-minted assistant coach, was only faintly aware of the saying, asking Coach Beard if it was from real life or a movie. Beard told him, accurately, "both".
Behind the scenes[]
The phrase was a bit of improvisation by American sportscaster Al Michaels, uttered in the closing seconds of the United States' improbable semi-final victory over the Soviet Union during the 1980 Winter Olympics — an event thereafter known as the "Miracle on Ice".
Al Michaels on the "Miracle on Ice"
US broadcaster Al Michaels on coining the memorable phrase
The movie to which Beard referred was the widely-respected Disney biopic with Kurt Russell, called simply. Miracle.
Metaphorically, the usage in Ted Lasso could hardly have been more apt, as the parallels between that game and the fictional Richmond/Man City match were strong.
Both involved late goals that still gave the opponent time to score. Both involved final periods in which the goalies — Jim Craig for the Americans and Thierry Zoreaux for Richmond — gave sterling defensive play. And just like that real-life American victory the danger to both teams lie in the final bit of play following a crucial goal.
The last minute of the Richmond game, in particular, plays out an alternate scenario that shaped Michaels' call of the game in 1980.