Great FA Cup Finals - Liverpool V West Ham United

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

Liverpool had actually already beaten West Ham two times throughout the preceding League season, 2-0 at Anfield and Liverpool were once again triumphant 2-1 when the teams played at Upton Park. Liverpool had finished 3rd in the league while West Ham finished 9th and as far as a lot of were worried Liverpool were the favorites to succeed this last, especially on the back of their previous years Champions League last success.

West Ham didn't lose any time in tossing the form 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 accidentally diverted the ball into his own objective past goalkeeper Jose Reina.

8 mins later on the Hammers were 2-0 in front after Jose Reina failed to keep a shot from Matthew Etherington and Dean Ashton tapped the ball into the objective to offer the Hammers a shock two objective advantage.

Liverpool, however, just weren't ready to be swept aside, and the two objective comfort area was quickly to vanish as three minutes later Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse scored with a great volley after an ideal pass from Steven Gerrard

There was a frantic start to the second half as Liverpool pushed forward in search of the equaliser, West Ham nearly scored a third goal, in a frenzied goalmouth scramble, Reina atoned for his earlier error to make a fine double save to deny them.

Liverpool remained to push forward in search of an equalising goal and ten mins after the beginning of the second half they were level after Steven Gerrard scored a simple objective type close quarters after a pass from Peter Crouch.

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

Regardless of the Liverpool stress, West Ham held firm and it looked specific now that they would hold onto their 3-2 lead and gain the Cup. One min into injury time all that was to alter.

Moments after suffering a disabling attack of cramp, Liverpool's Steven Gerrard was to break West Ham hearts when he hit a great 30-yard shot, which was essentially the last kick of the game, to score an equalising goal and take the game into added time.

During added time both teams looked fatigued and it didn't look like either team would score, but Nigel Reo-Coker almost scored for West Ham in the final moments of the game, but Reina made a wonderful save to deny West Ham victory, as additional time completed 3-3 and the game would be decided on charges.

Liverpool were now on familiar ground, after their heroic resurgence and charge success during the previous years champs league last, there could now only be one winner. 3 penalty saves from Reina saw Liverpool win the shoot-out 3-1 and win the FA Cup which will be remembered as one of the most amazing Cup Finals in long times.