FA Cup Final 2006 - Winners Liverpool

The FA Cup 2006 took place on May 13th 2006 and was to be the last FA Cup final played at the Millennium Stadium as the construction of the New Wembley would now be ready to host the 2007 FA Cup Final.  This years final was between Liverpool and West Ham United.

The Lead Up to the FA Cup Final 2006

In the Premier League this season Liverpool had finished in third and West Ham was  placed ninth. In their previous meetings this season Liverpool had won both fixtures.

Liverpool

2006 FA Cup FinalThe road to the FA Cup for Liverpool started with a third round 5-3 win against Championship strugglers Luton Town. The fourth round was an all Premiership affair with a 2-1 win over Portsmouth. Round five involved the FA Cup Final 2005 runners up Manchester United who Liverpool beat 1-0 through a Peter Crouch goal in the first half.

Round six again featured another Premiership team; Birmingham City would Liverpool destroyed with a seven goal blitz winning 7-0.  The semi final was against Chelsea who were beaten 2-1 by an inform Liverpool.

Manager:
Rafael Benítez

  • GK Jose Manuel Reina
  • RB Steve Finnan
  • CB Jamie Carragher
  • CB Sami Hyypiä
  • LB John Arne Riise
  • RM Steven Gerrard (Captain)
  • CM Xabi Alonso 67'
  • CM Mohamed Sissoko
  • LM Harry Kewell 48'
  • CF Djibril Cisse
  • CF Peter Crouch 71'

Substitutes:

  • GK Jerzy Dudek
  • DF Jan Kromkamp 67'
  • DF Djimi Traore
  • MF Dietmar Hamann 71'
  • FW Fernando Morientes 48'

West Ham United

West Ham began with a third round win against Championship team Norwich City, followed by a convincing 4-2 win against Blackburn Rovers. The fifth round was against Bolton Wanderers and ended with 0-0, draw with the replay ending 2-1 in West Ham's favour.  The sixth round was an away day at Manchester City and provided a 2-1 win for West Ham.  The semi final took place at Villa Park and saw a solitary goal by Harewood see West Ham book their place to the final.

Manager:
Alan Pardew

  • GK Shaka Hislop
  • RB Lionel Scaloni
  • CB Anton Ferdinand
  • CB Danny Gabbidon
  • LB Paul Konchesky
  • RM Yossi Benayoun
  • CM Carl Fletcher 77'
  • CM Nigel Reo-Coker (Captain)
  • LM Matthew Etherington 85'
  • CF Dean Ashton 71'
  • CF Marlon Harewood

Substitutes:

  • GK Jimmy Walker
  • DF Christian Dailly 77'
  • DF James Collins
  • FW Teddy Sheringham 85'
  • FW Bobby Zamora 71'

FA Cup Final Result 2006

The match was a nail biting affair for the 71,140 fans in the Millennium Stadium and a very high scoring game.  West Ham had taken a 2-1 lead at half team only for Gerrard to equalise in the 54th minute, however West Ham replied with a strike from Konchesky in the 63rd minute and Hammers fans must have thought the FA Cup was there's for the taking as they managed to hold until the 1st minute of extra time when Gerrard equalised making it 3-3.

Extra time failed to make any more goals materialise and the game for the second year running took the FA Cup final to penalties.  This is where West Ham came unstuck with only Teddy Sherringham managing to convert his penalty and Liverpool were declared the winners on penalties, scoring three past Shaka Hislop and winning the game 3-1.

Liverpool 3 – 3 West Ham United (a.e.t.)
(3 – 1 pen)
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Attendance: 71,140
Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)