EPL Talk » FA Cup

The FA Cup’s Fastest Goal Came Too Soon

Ethan Armstrong — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:39:35 +0000

Everton’s Pienaar launched the ball into the box from the left side. Chelsea’s Mikel got his head to it but could not clear. Fellaini headed the ball back into the danger area where Louis Saha waited, unmarked, uncontended. He spins into the volley to catch it perfectly with his left foot, catapulting the ball past keeper Petr Cech. It was brilliant. It was beautiful. It was 25 seconds into the match. The fastest goal in the history of the FA Cup final.

But Saha should have saved it for later.

Scoring so early fired Chelsea up and switched them on. Particularly Lampard and Malouda. And despite Everton’s consistent and brilliant defending throughout the many remaining minutes, going down a goal caused the London side to take big chances and convert them. Sure, scoring right out of the gate gave Everton boundless confidence and the belief they could win. But it also unleashed Chelsea. An unstoppable force.

Scoring 25 seconds from the final whistle. Now, that would have been perfect. If Everton defended like they did without the lead. Chelsea wouldn’t have the same fire lit beneath them. It might have stayed nil-nil until Saha whipped in a stoppage time winner. At worst it’s one-nil down and he delivers them into extra-time.

I said this while watching the match in a pub in Massachusetts. A friend responded with, “Everton have to take these goals when they can get them.”

She was right. These moments cannot be planned. When John Terry leaves you with an acre of space in the box and Fellaini makes that juicy assist, what choice do you have but to fire the ball home?

But look at the way Chelsea won. The equalizer came down to horrible Everton defending (probably their only truly bad spell) showing they’d lost some focus after the early goal. They left Malouda wide open on the wing with plenty of space to gobble up the ball and send in a fine cross. And then nobody was on Drogba as he sailed in for the header. And Chelsea’s other two decisive shots were completely audacious. Lampard turned a defender in traffic, stumbled and then fired it home from distance. We know he likes to shoot from range, but I don’t think he would have taken his chances as he struggled to find balance if Saha and Everton hadn’t been so good at keeping Chelsea from feeling in control. Chelsea were desparate to make their mark on a very tight match.

Even after the equalizer, they didn’t really look comfortable as they struggled to mount convincing attacks.

Another brash shot came from Malouda who fired from 30 yards on 79 minutes. The ball bounced off the bar and eventually spun out for Tim Howard to track and collect. But replays showed the ball clearly landed over the line before coming back out. Again, though, maybe Malouda doesn’t take such a chance if Chelsea weren’t put into high-tension mode from Saha’s early goal.

This is all pure conjecture. I know. But Everton defended so brilliantly for most of regulation time! Everton stripped Chelsea of the ball again and again. They diffused and deflated Chelsea attacks repeatedly and consistently. Chelsea only had one other shot on goal other than the three that went in. Apart from allowing Malouda’s cross, Everton contained their opponents well while searching for another break like the one in the first half-minute.

Maybe without that goal, Everton remain focused and don’t let Malouda cross or Drogba connect. Maybe without that goal, Chelsea keep it pragmatic. Lampard passes the ball after stumbling rather than blasting. Malouda tries to run it in rather than fire from range. Who knows.

What I do know is in the opening seconds, Everton sneaked past a sleeping giant. Then woke it up with one of the loudest goals in FA Cup history. It was a visceral explosion of football beauty. But the punishment was severe.

Still, a good show, Everton. Pity there was no reward for such a fine outing.

FA Cup Final Live Blog: Everton v Chelsea

Michael Scallon — Fri, 29 May 2009 18:19:26 +0000

The last dance of the season, of every season, the FA Cup Final is the jewel in the English Football Crown. Last year’s final between Cardiff and Portsmouth was arguably the exception, but this year’s certainly isn’t:

Underdogs Everton come into the final for the first time in 14 years, since Joe Royle’s infamous ‘dogs of war’ – led by the terrifying Duncan Ferguson – beat Manchester United in a final that was described by many as “rubbish”. This is David Moyes’ first appearance in an English FA Cup Final, as either a player or manger, but with the experienced Phil Neville leading the side, there is no shortage of big match experience. Neville himself is going for his fourth FA Cup triumph, after wins in 1996, 1999 and 2004 with Manchester United. A crucial penalty in the semi final against his former club, he says, was the first time that he really ”felt like an Everton player” despite being captain for two years. Hmmm. Unfortunately, talented centre half Phil Jagielka misses out on the Wembley showpiece with a knee injury sustained in a game against Manchester City on 25th April. Nigerian Joseph Yobo is likely to take his place in the back four.

Favourites Chelsea bid a fond farewell to Guus Hiddink on Saturday, after the dutchman guided the Blues to third position in the league and a European Cup semi final, as well as tomorrow’s FA Cup Final. Midfield maestro Frank Lampard has been passed fit to play as Chelsea are bidding to add to their FA Cup haul of four, the last of those being in 2007, where a Didier Drogba goal in extra time saw off league champions Manchester United. Like Moyes, this is Hiddink’s first taste of an English FA Cup Final, but as a European Cup winner with PSV in 1988, he is no stranger to success and the battle of wits between the Scot and the Dutchman could be where this game could be decided.

You better add this to your favourites before you go to bed because it’s an early start American viewers, so bring your coffee and join me at around 9.30 EDT (2.30pm GMT, so not that early my fellow Brits) for this season’s denouement. Should be a good one. Maybe. Click Here for the live blog.

Editor’s Note: During the FA Cup Final live blog/chat experience on EPL Talk today, host Michael Scallon will be awarding an official EPL Talk T-Shirt to one lucky winner. Log in to find out how to win.

The FA Cup: Everton Can Win

Ethan Armstrong — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:01:44 +0000

I was completely seduced by last year’s FA Cup.

Barnsley and Cardiff City charged toward the final in a gripping giant-killing warpath. They toppled Liverpool, Chelsea and Middlesbrough in their wake. (Boro were still a mid-table Premier League side, so their undoing was still a feat.) While only Cardiff made it to the end before going down to Pompey, it was still the ultimate thrill ride. There’s nothing like seeing all those Championship supporters screaming from the stands, willing their side into the horizon of the unlikely. Every move forward was a miracle. Every minute still alive held the tension of watching a drunk diffuse a nuclear bomb on a high-wire.

So in the shadow of that campaign, I didn’t tune into this year’s cup run nearly as closely.

But Everton did knock Manchester United out of it. Even on PKs, that was an impressive feat. It’s time for me to tune in.

Now, Everton go up against Chelsea. Despite the Blues’ problems, their roster still looks like somebody’s dream team from the back page of FourFourTwo. If money’s no object and you can have anyone in the world, Mr Abramovich, who would you pick…

Anyway,

David Moyes has a formidable enough side considering the net he’s spent on players is only 1m more than what Chelsea spent on Didier Drogba. His star striker Yakubu cost 11m. His star playmaker Arteta cost 2m. He has nothing close to the resources of Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool or Arsenal, yet he manages to stay on their heels. Once again, he’s delivered Everton to a fifth place finish in the league, and in the fall, he’ll kick off his third consecutive European campaign.

Since he won’t be winning the Premier League any time soon, it would be nice to see Moyes collect the world’s oldest Football trophy to honor all he’s done with Everton.

Unfortunately, he’s facing a big side who has nothing else to play for and everything to prove.

At the beginning of the Premier League campaign, Chelsea looked absolutely invincible. They didn’t record their first loss until the end of October when Liverpool’s Xabi Alonso ended their 86-match unbeaten Premier League home streak with the only goal of the match. Chelsea only had two league draws before that. Later, they’d slump a little and manager Luis Filipe Scolari would be on his way. All big sides can hit a rut.

But David Moyes must have been really cringing when Andres Iniesta fired the ball past Petr Cech at Stamford Bridge. With the Premier League title already out of reach for Chelsea, Moyes knew Barcelona had just funneled all of Chelsea’s ambitions and frustrations to one end point: Wembley. Abramovich’s Dream Team will focus all their gunpowder on tomorrow’s live or die 90 minutes. Guus Hiddink wants something to show for his spell in charge of the London bohemoths.

But Everton can do this. The strength of the big clubs lies in their ability to play well over the long stretch of any given campaign. Chelsea’s depth makes for a top four side who can compete in multiple competitions, but on the day, anyone can take the prize. If Everton can come out and stand their ground as they did against Liverpool and United, they can win.

Chelsea are the sure favorites. But David Moyes’s bargain-bin side can unseat Abramovich’s billion pound club. That’s the beauty of those Wembley nights… Everton may not be a minnow like Barnsley, but a win tomorrow would still be a giant-killing in light of transfer spending.

The romantic in me would like to see them pull it off.

FA Cup Final Preview

Randy Capps — Fri, 29 May 2009 15:37:10 +0000

With the Premier League race done and dusted and the Champions League trophy spending the summer in Catalonia, there’s only one more piece of silverware on offer in the 2008-2009 season, and either Everton or Chelsea will lay claim to it tomorrow at Wembley.

Who’s in and who’s out – Frank Lampard, Alex and Juliano Belletti are available for Guss Hiddink’s alleged swan song as Chelsea’s manager while David Moyes can select Phil Neville and Steven Pienaar, if he so chooses.

History lesson – These two teams have never met in a FA Cup final. … The two sides played to a pair of scoreless draws in Premier League matches this season. … Their last meeting in a FA Cup tie was a 4-1 win for the Blues at Stamford Bridge in a 2006 replay. … Everton owns two wins over Chelsea in FA Cup play (1938 and 1956). … The teams have combined to win this trophy nine times, with the Toffees claiming titles in 1906, 1933, 1966, 1984 and 1995 and Chelsea winning in 1970, 1997, 2000 and 2007.

Webb in charge – Howard Webb will be the referee in this one, and according to the BBC, he’s handed out 133 yellows and five reds in 42 league and cup matches this season.

Drive for five – Chelsea’s Ashley Cole has a chance to win a fifth FA Cup winners medal, a feat that hasn’t happened since the 19th century.

They said it – “Our form since Guus Hiddink took over has been championship-winning form, and we only didn’t go to the Champions League final because of things that happened on the night – our performance over the last five months has set the standard. He’s been very impressive, the way he handles players, the way he handles everything really. It will be great to finish off with a big day out and a win for him.” – Frank Lampard, to Fox Sports

“Tim (Cahill), I know from my Aussie period and he is one of those players who is very determined. This is a guy who on top of good organization can make the good decisions. He did a wonderful job in the Aussie team. Everton, not because they are our opponent, deserve a lot of respect because of the way they are built without the resources of other clubs and that’s because of the management,” – Hiddink, to Fox Sports

“It would be lovely to win the cup, go away and not read anything and not hear anything about Chelsea or football (for the summer). It has been a tough couple of years with different managements and it is important the players get their rest and we come back even stronger next year.” – Chelsea captain John Terry, to Fox Sports

“We respect Chelsea and they will be the favorites. But we have drawn with them twice this season and done pretty well against them and we feel we can do that again.” – Everton manager David Moyes, to Fox Sports

“The FA Cup final obviously doesn’t come about that much and Chelsea are one of the greatest sides in Europe. But it is a 90-minute game and if we play well on the day then anything can happen so we will just take it like that, do well in the game and see what happens.” – Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell, to The Guardian

One more spin on the predictor – Come on, play the game. Pick the winner with the EPL Talk Predictor.

Choices in the U.S. – The match will air on both Setanta and Fox Soccer Channel at 10 a.m. EST.

Half Empty or Half Full: A Look At Arsenal’s 2008-09 Season

tyduffy — Sat, 16 May 2009 16:05:06 +0000

Facing the sobering reality of a fourth season without a major trophy, Arsenal fans have been disappointed. The disenchantment has created a culture of negativity around the club, which Arsene Wenger lashed out at on Friday.

“When you look at people assessing the situations of the clubs, it has become ridiculous,” Wenger said.

“You sit here, you are in the last four in Europe, and every day, you feel you have killed someone. If you do not take a distance with it, you think what kind of world do you live in?

“We lost against United who have 10 times more resources, they are the best in the world. In sport, you have to accept that. It is like they are ashamed to be fair.

“There is no shame to say, ‘Yes you are the best.’ We were in the last four with a very young team – that is the reality.

“We have to keep a little bit of commonsense. Our average age in midfield is 22 – normally you play not to go down in the Premier League with a team like that.”

Wenger has a point. Arsenal played well for portions of the second half of the season to maintain their Champions League place. They competed in both the Champions League and the FA Cup, and with a bit of luck or a better draw could have played in the finals of both competitions. For a young squad, that is not a bad performance.

The club supporters, however, have a point as well.

Arsenal sputtered the first half of the league season. They lost five of their first 14 matches. Three of the losses were unacceptable against Fulham, Stoke, and Hull.

The club did have an injury crisis, but that crisis was self-imposed. Wenger had time to account for injuries to Eduardo and Rosicky. They had a frail first team, talented but green teenagers and zero squad players. With nearly every player playing internationally as well, injuries are to be expected. Arsenal suffered because they were not deep enough.

Arsenal’s cup performances look deceptively impressive. The Gunners made the semifinals of the FA Cup. To get there, they beat lower league sides Plymouth Argyle, Cardiff City and Burnley. They faced Hull City in the quarterfinal. The first time Arsenal was challenged facing Chelsea, they lost. Arsenal’s FA Cup magic was really the minimum expected.

Arsenal made the semifinals of the Champions League. They qualified from the group stages, the minimum expectation in a system designed to ensure the big clubs go through. They scraped by on penalties against Roma. They outclassed Villarreal, an inferior team. Facing their first stern test against Manchester United, they were trounced. Again, it was the minimum expected.

The season can be considered both positively and negatively, depending on Arsenal’s finances. Supporters see one of the five wealthiest clubs in the world. They see a sold-out stadium of fans paying the highest ticket prices in English football. They see massive turnover, yet a team profiting in the transfer window.

The club’s fiscal picture inside may be bleak, but the Arsenal public front insists that there is money to spend. Arsene Wenger heroically may have kept the club as competitive as it is has been the past four years, but, with no transparency, how are Arsenal fans to know that?

Supporters can understand the lack of resources, what they cannot accept is the seeming lack of effort. On nearly every occasion, the 2008-09 Arsenal squad cowered in the face of adversity.

Arsenal are a team professing trophies as their goal. For the manager to throw up his hands after a defeat and say something to the effect of “It’s Man United, what do you expect?” is unacceptable.