What are the elements of a "good game" of soccer?

I’m teaching an “introduction to literature” class tomorrow; and since it’s an all boys class I thought we would start by asking, “What makes a good game of soccer?”...

I’m going to eventually use this as a bridge to look at elements of drama/narrative; but meanwhile, the soccer fans here can help me by thinking back on most exciting match you have seen… and what was it about that match that made it such a great game? Was it great performances from particular players? The suspense of… what? What was at stake?

In short, what are the elements that make up a “great game” of football for you?