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2006 FA Cup Final
2006FACupFinal
Liverpool won 3–1 on penalties
Event2005–06 FA Cup
Date13 May 2006
VenueMillennium Stadium, Cardiff
Player of the MatchSteven Gerrard (Liverpool)
RefereeAlan Wiley (Staffordshire)
Attendance71,140
2005
2007

The 2006 FA Cup Final was the final and deciding match of the FA Cup 2005-06. It took place on Saturday, 13 May 2006 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and saw the 2001 cup winners Liverpool beat London club West Ham United after a penalty shoot-out. West Ham were ahead 2-0 and then 3-2 but Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard scored a goal in the last minute from 30-yards + to take the game to extra-time and they eventually triumphed on penalties. It is considered by most who watched to be one of the greatest Cup Finals in the history of the tournament.

Liverpool had won the FA Cup on six previous occasions (1965, 1974, 1986, 1989, 1992 and 2001) – four of those coming since West Ham last won the trophy. As well as 1980, West Ham also won the Cup in 1964 and 1975. The Hammers took part in the first FA Cup final to be played at the newly built Wembley Stadium in 1923. Coincidentally, Liverpool played in the first FA Cup final in Cardiff, which was in 2001. The newly rebuilt Wembley Stadium was expected to be ready for this final, but delays in building meant that the final would take place in Cardiff, as it had done since Wembley's closure.

In the Premier League in 2005–06, Liverpool finished third and West Ham came ninth. Liverpool had won both league meetings; 2–0 at home on 29 October 2005 and 2–1 away on 26 April 2006.

It was Liverpool's seventh FA Cup triumph to date, placing them joint fourth on the list of the most successful sides in the competition with Aston Villa. It was their first domestic trophy under the management of Rafael Benítez, who had been appointed two years earlier and won the UEFA Champions League in his first season at the helm.

It was West Ham United's first appearance in the final for 26 years, since they won the trophy in 1980, and their fifth appearance so far.

Changes[]

The game was originally planned to be played on 20 May. However, England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson wanted a four-week break before the 2006 FIFA World Cup so that if any England players were involved (Liverpool's Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Peter Crouch all later made his squad) could get a decent rest before the tournament.

Staffordshire referee Alan Wiley officiated the match. Mike Dean from the Wirral had originally been appointed, but questions as to his impartiality were raised due to his residential proximity to Liverpool.

Ticketing problems[]

In the week before the Final, there was a major crisis when a block of 1,600 tickets in the Liverpool supporters' seating area was stolen in the postal system. The stadium authorities refused to reissue the tickets on crowd safety grounds, and threatened to eject anyone found sitting in the block from the stadium and possibly prosecute them for receiving stolen goods. Liverpool F.C. arranged for most of the affected fans to receive tickets from an allocation that had been held back for a lottery among their supporters. The day after the final, South Wales Police seized 100 stolen tickets. Three people were also arrested after 15 forged tickets were also found ahead of the match.

Road to Cardiff[]

Liverpool Round West Ham United
Luton Town [C]
A
5–3
Gerrard 16
Sinama Pongolle 62, 74
Alonso 69, 90
Round Three Norwich City [C]
A
2–1
Mullins 6
Zamora 57
Portsmouth [P]
A
2–1
Gerrard 37 (p)
Riise 41
Round Four Blackburn Rovers [P]
H
4–2
Sheringham 33 (p)
Etherington 37
Khizanishvili 59 (og)
Zamora 73
Manchester United [P]
H
1–0
Crouch 19 Round Five Bolton Wanderers [P]
A
0–0
-
Replay Bolton Wanderers [P]
H
2–1 aet
Jääskeläinen 10 (og)
Harewood 96
Birmingham City [P]
A
7–0
Hyypiä 1
Crouch 5, 38
Morientes 59
Riise 70
Tebily 77 (og)
Cissé 89
Round Six Manchester City [P]
A
2–1
Ashton 41, 69
Chelsea [P]
Old Trafford, Manchester
2–1
Riise 21
Luis García 53
Semi-finals Middlesbrough [P]
Villa Park, Birmingham
1–0
Harewood 78
  • Both clubs received a bye to round three.
  • In square brackets is a letter that represents the opposition's division
    • [C] = Championship
    • [P] = Premier League

Match[]

Summary[]

Before the match, uncertainties existed over the both teams' line-ups – injuries had prevented West Ham striker Dean Ashton from playing for 12 days and Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso limped out of the club's final league match of the season, but both players finally started the match. Hayden Mullins and Luis García were both suspended, having been sent off in 26 April league match between the two clubs.

West Ham took an early lead without having a shot on goal. Alonso gave away possession to Ashton, who passed to Lionel Scaloni, who had space on the right wing. His low, driven cross was clumsily dealt with by Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, who bundled the ball past his keeper Pepe Reina. West Ham scored again after 28 minutes, when Reina failed to hold Matthew Etherington's shot and Dean Ashton raced in to tuck the loose ball beneath Reina's body.

From a free kick taken on the wide right by Steven Gerrard, Liverpool's Peter Crouch had a close decision for offside go against him, and saw his scoring effort disallowed. In the 32nd minute, Liverpool captain Gerrard delivered a similar ball to Djibril Cissé who volleyed the ball past Shaka Hislop in the West Ham goal. This was only the second time Liverpool had scored in the first half of an FA Cup Final, after John Aldridge's goal against Everton in 1989.

Shortly after half-time, with the score at 2–1, Harry Kewell limped out of the game, just as he had in Liverpool's Champions League Final of 2005. Fernando Morientes replaced him. Within ten minutes of the restart, Liverpool equalised through Gerrard. Crouch's knock-down was volleyed in by Gerrard from inside the penalty area. West Ham re-took the lead in the 64th minute, when Paul Konchesky swung in a cross which none of his team mates could reach. It sailed over Reina into the Liverpool net.

With Liverpool trailing, Rafael Benítez brought on midfielder Dietmar Hamann for striker Peter Crouch. West Ham, over the following 15 minutes, made their three permitted substitutions; Bobby Zamora on for Ashton, Christian Dailly on for Carl Fletcher, and Sheringham on for Etherington.

Wasting chances from Morientes and Gerrard, who was now suffering with cramp, Liverpool battled in vain until injury time, when Djibril Cissé pulled up with cramp. West Ham put the ball out to allow Cissé to be treated, Liverpool's throw-in returned the ball to West Ham deep in their defensive end, and the ball was punted back into the midfield. After an unsuccessful ball into the penalty area, the ball found its way to Steven Gerrard. His first-time right footed 35-yard strike flew past Shaka Hislop's right and into the net to level the scores.

Extra-time saw a succession of injuries due to fatigue or cramp. Both sides were affected, notably West Ham's Marlon Harewood. With West Ham unable to substitute him, he required extensive treatment for a foot injury, and ended up hobbling around the pitch for the final minutes of extra-time.

A West Ham free kick in the final moments of extra-time was flicked on by captain Nigel Reo-Coker. Reina dived to his left & clawed the ball onto the far post. Sami Hyypiä tried but failed to clear the ball from the Liverpool goal, and the ball fell to Harewood. His close range volley taken with his injured left foot spun wide.

Just as they did in their Champions League victory in Istanbul in 2005, Liverpool took the match to penalties after a 3–3 draw. Reina, who had been at fault for two of the West Ham goals, saved three penalties, his final save from Anton Ferdinand clinching the FA Cup for Liverpool for a seventh time.


Match details[]

13 May 2006
15:00 BST
Liverpool 3 – 3 (a.e.t.) West Ham United Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Attendance: 71,140
Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)
Cissé Goal 34'
Gerrard Goal 54'90+1'
(Report) Carragher Goal 21' (o.g.)
Ashton Goal 28'
Konchesky Goal 63'
  Penalties  
Hamann Soccerball shad check
Hyypiä Missed (saved)
Gerrard Soccerball shad check
Riise Soccerball shad check
3 – 1 Missed (saved) Zamora
Soccerball shad check Sheringham
Missed (saved) Konchesky
Missed (saved) Ferdinand
LIVERPOOL :
GK 25 Flag of Spain José Manuel Reina
RB 3 Flag of Republic of Ireland Steve Finnan
CB 23 Flag of England Jamie Carragher Booked in the 62nd minute 62'
CB 4 Flag of Finland Sami Hyypiä
LB 6 Flag of Norway John Arne Riise
RM 8 Flag of England Steven Gerrard Captain
CM 14 Flag of Spain Xabi Alonso Substituted off in the 67th minute 67'
CM 22 Flag of Mali Mohamed Sissoko
LM 7 Flag of Australia Harry Kewell Substituted off in the 48th minute 48'
CF 9 Flag of France Djibril Cissé
CF 15 Flag of England Peter Crouch Substituted off in the 71st minute 71'
Substitutes:
GK 1 Flag of Poland Jerzy Dudek
DF 2 Flag of Netherlands Jan Kromkamp Substituted on in the 67th minute 67'
DF 21 Flag of Mali Djimi Traoré
MF 16 Flag of Germany Dietmar Hamann Booked in the 118th minute 118' Substituted on in the 71st minute 71'
FW 19 Flag of Spain Fernando Morientes Substituted on in the 48th minute 48'
Manager:
Flag of Spain Rafael Benítez
Liverpool vs West Ham 2006-05-13
WEST HAM UNITED:
GK 34 Flag of Trinidad and Tobago Shaka Hislop
RB 2 Flag of Argentina Lionel Scaloni
CB 5 Flag of England Anton Ferdinand
CB 4 Flag of Wales Danny Gabbidon
LB 3 Flag of England Paul Konchesky
RM 15 Flag of Israel Yossi Benayoun
CM 6 Flag of Wales Carl Fletcher Substituted off in the 77th minute 77'
CM 20 Flag of England Nigel Reo-Coker Captain
LM 11 Flag of England Matthew Etherington Substituted off in the 85th minute 85'
CF 9 Flag of England Dean Ashton Booked in the 59th minute 59' Substituted off in the 71st minute 71'
CF 10 Flag of England Marlon Harewood
Substitutes:
GK 23 Flag of England Jimmy Walker
DF 7 Flag of Scotland Christian Dailly Substituted on in the 77th minute 77'
DF 19 Flag of Wales James Collins
FW 8 Flag of England Teddy Sheringham Substituted on in the 85th minute 85'
FW 25 Flag of England Bobby Zamora Substituted on in the 71st minute 71'
Manager:
Flag of England Alan Pardew

MATCH OFFICIALS

  • Assistant referees:
    • Ceri Richards (Carmarthenshire)
    • Darren Cann (Norfolk)
  • Fourth official: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)

MATCH RULES

  • 90 minutes.
  • 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary.
  • Penalty shootout if scores still level.
  • Five named substitutes
  • Maximum of 3 substitutions.

Statistics[]

Liverpool West Ham
Total shots 19 15
Shots on target 7 9
Ball possession 54% 46%
Corner kicks 5 4
Fouls committed 12 22
Offsides 3 2
Yellow cards 2 1
Red cards 0 0

Source: ESPN

See also[]

External links[]

FA Cup
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