It truly is remarkable isn't it? Liverpool showed what they need to do to win cup finals, go behind, take the game to 3-3 then win on penalties with some class from the 'keeper. Fairytales couldn't have been written better, or if you wrote a fairy tale like this one, people would say you were unorginal because you used the same ending twice. But it was the same ending twice.
True, West Ham are no AC Milan, but by luck or by skill, they were 2-0 up in 26 minutes. A unlucky own goal by Carragher followed by a lucky goal by Dean Ashton. Credit to the lad for reacting the quickest, but it was unlucky that Reina spilled the ball. West Ham were lucky again when Peter Crouch put the ball into the net just to be ruled for offside. It was largely debatable, but he did look like his nose was beyond the last man. But it was a tremendously close call. On another day, it could have counted.
Cisse did well to bring Liverpool to within a goal with a well-taken Michael-Owen-sort-of-finish. And Gerrard showed all the class by hammering home the second to equalise the game.
Luck was with the Hammers though, and when Paul Konchesky scored that audious goal - which he obviously meant it as a cross - I just couldn't believe their luck! But when all seemed lost, with Liverpool lethargic, Steven Gerrard - captain fantastic showed why he is the best midfielder in the world (if you consider Ronaldinho as a forward) by sinking an incredible incredible goal that brought cheers that lifted the Millenium Staduim's roof off. It is one goal I could watch over and over again. An amazing one-touch strike from 35 metres out right into the bottom corner! And in the 91st minute of all times to score.
Extra-time was sluggish as players seemed to have run out of energy. Harewood got injured, and several Liverpool players went down with cramps. Cisse looked like he couldn't hardly walk. But with West Ham looking to have better fitness, it looked as though they might take the game. A chance fell to one-legged Harewood, but given his injury, he had an excuse to miss.
The game finally came to penalties, and I was nervous as a Liverpool fan because I thought Reina had a bad game - bad luck or whatever you want to call it, it was a bad game. But then, so I thought with Jerzy dudek about 12 months ago. Turns out Reina saved 3 penalties in similar fashion Dudek saved two (and one missed) in Istanbul.
Liverpool have won the FA Cup in exactly the same manner they won the Champions League. You really couldn't write a script for that.
No comments:
Post a Comment