The Best FA Cup Final

The FA Cup Final used the 13th May 2006 was between Liverpool and West Ham United. The game was dipped into the Millennium Arena in Cardiff, the last being hosted there while the brand-new Wembley Arena was constructed.

Liverpool had currently beaten West Ham twice during the preceding League period, 2-0 at Anfield and Liverpool were once again triumphant 2-1 when the teams played at Upton Park. Liverpool had actually finished 3rd in the organization while West Ham completed 9th and as far as the majority of were worried Liverpool were the favorites to succeed this final, especially on the back of their previous years Champions Organization final success.

West Ham didn't waste any time in tossing the kind book out of the window, and after twenty minutes of the game they had actually taken a 1-0 lead when Liverpool protector Jamie Carragher inadvertently diverted the ball into his own goal past goalkeeper Jose Reina.

8 minutes later the Hammers were 2-0 in front after Jose Reina failed to hold onto a shot from Matthew Etherington and Dean Ashton tapped the ball into the objective to offer the Hammers a shock two goal benefit.

Liverpool, nonetheless, just weren't prepared to be swept aside, and the two objective convenience zone was quickly to disappear as 3 mins later on Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse scored with a great volley after a best pass from Steven Gerrard

There was a frantic start to the second half as Liverpool pushed forward searching for the equaliser, West Ham virtually scored a 3rd objective, in a frantic goalmouth scramble, Reina compensated his earlier mistake to make a fine double save to reject them.

Liverpool continued to push forward searching for an equalising objective and ten mins after the beginning of the second half they were level after Steven Gerrard scored a simple objective kind close quarters after a pass from Peter Crouch.

After 64 mins West Ham took the lead again when Paul Konchesky sent out a shot cruising over Jose Reina in the Liverpool goal.

Regardless of the Liverpool pressure, the Irons held firm and it looked specific now that they would keep their 3-2 lead and succeed the Cup. One minute into injury time all that was to alter.

Moments after suffering a debilitating attack of cramp, Liverpool's Steven Gerrard was to break West Ham hearts when he appeared on a fantastic 30-yard shot, which was virtually the last kick of the game, to score an equalising goal and take the game into extra time.

Throughout added time both teams looked fatigued and it didn't look like either team would score, however Nigel Reo-Coker almost scored for West Ham in the last moments of the game, but Reina made a superb save to deny West Ham triumph, as added time completed 3-3 and the game would be selected penalties.

Liverpool were now on familiar ground, after their heroic resurgence and charge success during the previous years champs organization final, there can now only be one winner. Three penalty saves from Reina saw Liverpool succeed the shoot-out 3-1 and win the FA Cup which will be born in mind as one of the most interesting Cup Finals in many years.