What a day for the beautiful game!

[James]

Commentators say best FA Cup final in 50 Years. Easily best match I've ever seen.

Liverpool came out of the gates rusty, their vaunted defense forced into errors by the blitzing Hammers, including a rare own goal by Jamie Callagher. Minutes later, Liverpool were down 0-2. Something kicked them into gear, and four minutes later Cicce booted a beautiful Gerrard pass into the back of the net.

In the second half, Liverpool equalised with a beautiful Goal from Gerrard. But then one of West Ham's Konchesky lobs a beautiful cross to....the back of the net, just over an outstretched Reina. Hammers are up 3-2.

The game seemed in hand for the Hammers, as Liverpool looked down and out in every phase of the game. Well, except for Gerrard. In the 91st minute, Gerrard scored what we all might look back on as the greatest goal of his career. West Ham had all the momentum. It came out of nowhere, and he was nowhere near the goal. I can't even describe it, but I'm sure it will be up for download at some point soon. I've never seen anything quite like it.

As the regulation time ended, half of Liverpool's side fell to the floor with cramps or other injuries, just managing to get up to play another 30 minutes. West Ham had chances to put it away, but failed to do so. At the end of extra time, both teams looked like the walking wounded.

Which brought it down to penalties. It was unfortunate for West Ham that Liverpool are the best penalty team there is, and they proved it again today. Reina blocked three out of four, and Liverpool made 3 out of 4 giving them the trophy and the glory.

It's unfortunate someone had to lose that match. Certainly this isn't a team who barely came up to the Premiership this year by winning the Championship League playoff last year. Today, they played like a Champion's League side. And quite frankly, they were the better team today for 120+ minutes.

You just have to see this match to believe it.

Meanwhile, in Scotland, my favourite Scottish team (Hearts) were taking on powerhouse Gretna. Ok, that's a lie, because I've no idea who Gretna are. In that match, it went down to penalties with Hearts winning, but still. What an amazing day in the UK for the beautiful game.

[IAmEllie]

i have to say it was an absolutely fantastic game; entertaining all the way. in the first half i felt sure west ham were gonna do it, but l'pool turned the game completely around in a fine piece of sport entertainment. it's just unfortunate that it went to penalties because in a way it wasted all of the quality playing from both teams and they may as well have just done them straight away because the pool are kings at penalties

unfortunately i work with a liverpudlian and so he never stops going on and on and on about them, but now they've got that cup..sigh...i'll never hear the end of it...

there, that's my football talk for now

[James]

As a Liverpool supporter, I thought they deserved to lose. West Ham were the better team for the entire game. It's just Gerrard just shot himself into the Rooney/Henry/Ronaldinho/Eto category. He was the game-changer. He did it in the Champion's League final last year, and he did it again.

If I see one more match like that in my lifetime, I will be lucky indeed.

[eebs]

it was one of the best finals in recent years because both teams decided they wanted to win it - looking back on the cup final results i hadn't realised how many had finished with one team not scoring in the last 16 years. drama wise it was up there with the owen final in 2001.

as for the best final.... don't think it reached the excitement of 79 when man u came back to 2 all in the last 5 minutes only for alan sunderland to snatch it for arsenal in the dying seconds. but we've been starved of a decent drama for such a long time... if either team had scored in extra time then it would have been better than the lottery of penalties (which isn't a lottery when you play liverpool..) it's a shame that the rules got changed after the arsenal v sheff wed snorefest so that they no longer replay the final.

i think that west ham lost it when cisse went down with cramp. instead of ignoring him, scolari played the ball out close to the goal (you could see sheringham bollocking him for not playing it up the pitch afterwards)... i'm still not sure whether he did that to waste some time having seen him go up to the ref afterwards. when the ball came back to him he could have let it run out for a throw but in deciding to kick it the ball was nicely placed for gerrard - why reo-coker had given up the marking job he had done most of the afternoon i don't know (remember the goal gerrard scored in the euro cup early stages last year) but you can't fault the equaliser - one hell of a goal.

ps. Gretna were playing non league in England in front of 60 people until 4 years ago (at the same level as hitchin and salisbury this season) when they applied and were accepted into the scottish league. they just won the 2nd division championship so will be playing one league below Hearts next year.

[aquaphase]

It was bittersweet for me. I've been really happy with the way the Hammers have performed this year, but I really can't deny that Liverpool probably deserved a straight-up win.

[Jan]

James, yr a Hearts fan? Marks off!