When I was an undergraduate the thesis I wrote to gain my degree in history discussed how the sport of hockey mirrored and at some points defined the Cold War between the East and West.
I'd like to know details of other moments in history when sport transcended "just a game." I know soccer has affected and been affected by history, such as Francisco Franco's rule in Spain, for example, but know nothing of details beyond a few pages in a book by Franklin Foer.
A couple of games you might look into are
West Germany v Hungary, 1954 FIFA World Cup Final. Not only was this an East v West game, but Hungary were hot favourites and had trounced the West Germans at the group stage. West Germany coming back to win in the final, the "Miracle of Bern", is sometimes cited as an important step to West German nation-building.
Hungary v USSR, 1956 Olympic Water Polo. Known as the Blood in the Water match, it took place against the backdrop of the 1956 Hungarian revolution.