FA Cup Goes to Liverpool after Penalty Kicks

This journal has always said that the penalty shoot-out was the very worst way to decide the outcome of a soccer match, and it remains true. After 2 hours of some of the most exciting play the Football Association Cup tournament has ever seen, Liverpool and West Ham were still locked at 3-3. The Cup goes to Liverpool, but the match will go down in West Ham legend as the Cup that got away on penalties.

The FA Cup is the oldest knockout tournament in the world, this being the 134th final, and as usual it was a David versus Goliath affair. Liverpool FC is one of the great teams of Europe. The players are not quite what they were in the 1980s, but then, who is? They finished 3rd over all in the Premiership, and have had a great run in European competitions in recent years. West Ham is a lesser London Club, relegated out of the Premiership in 2003, promoted back in 2005, but a team of tradition and die-hard East End support. The smart money was on a Liverpool win, and likely an easy one at that. West Ham had other ideas.

The first 20 minutes were about dead even, and then, a mental lapse by Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher resulted in an own goal. West Ham was ahead, but in 7 minutes, they scored on their own power. Matthew Etherington slammed the ball at the goal, Liverpool’s goalkeeper, Mr. Reina, smacked it away, but Dean Ashton won himself a piece of West Ham legend by following it in. Less than half an hour into the game, it was West Ham 2, Liverpool nothing. Cinderella wore West Ham’s blue and claret on Saturday.

A few minutes later, Liverpool's side roared to life. Quite how Steven Gerrard lifted the ball over Lionel Scaloni to the feet of Djibril Cisse is impossible to describe without reverting to terms from science fiction – teleportation seems closest. Mr. Cisse is not one to miss a chance, and Liverpool had a goal back. Mr. Gerrard remained unstoppable and unflappable with a game-tying volley in the 54th minute. The broadcasters and bloggers were already calling this the greatest FA Cup final ever.

At the 65th minute mark, Cinderella had another turn on the dance floor as Paul Konchesky’s shot from the top corner floated around Mr. Reina as if it had eyes. West Ham 3, Liverpool 2, and 25 minutes later that was still the score. With the final whistle approaching, Mr. Gerrard (who else?) found the back of the net from 30 yards out. West Ham 3, Liverpool 3. Four minutes of injury time achieved nothing. Nor did the extra 30 minutes of additional time.

Then, the stupid penalty shoot-out starts, which is like determining an NBA final after overtime by having the players shoot free-throws. Liverpool took it 3 penalties to 1. Mr. Reina was magic. And on the train ride out of Cardiff and back to London, the East Enders were wondering how it had slipped away.

© Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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