Football News: Chelsea win FA Cup with 2-1 over Everton
Check out the SoccerBible's pick of the best moments as well as the all important boot facts from the end of season showpiece occasion at Wembley...
Chelsea have won the 2008/09 FA Cup after coming from behind to beat Everton 2-1. Goals from Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard cancelled out Louis Saha's 1st minute opener and sees temporary manager Guus Hiddink leave the Londoners on a high.
Only 25 seconds after Howard Webb blows his whistle for the kick off of the 128th FA Cup Final, then Louis Saha - wearing Nike T90 Laser II football boots - gives every Toffee fan a reason to cheer as he smashes the ball into the net for the fastest ever Cup Final goal. A great start from Everton as Chelsea look stunned, only just having seen the game get underway!
It takes the Blues (playing in yellow on this occasion) just over 20 minutes to conjour up a reply. Florent Malouda measures an inch-perfect cross to the head of Didier Drogba, who does all that is necessary and steers the ball into the far corner, leaving 'keeper Tim Howard rooted to the spot. Drogba, wearing the Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly football boots, reels off to celebrate scoring the equaliser and his fifth goal in five domestic cup finals.
The second half beckons, not before a shaky moment from Petr Cech that hands Everton a generous corner. However the Toffees can't capitalise on this opportunity and the whistle goes to bring the teams in from the rising heat. The contest becomes a largely scrappy affair, with possesion being lost by both sides and tackles flying in all over the pitch.
However it is not long before Everton cheers turns sour as Nicolas Anelka, wearing Puma v1.08 football boots, picks out Frank Lampard in a dangerous position. Avoiding a half-hearted challenge Lampard cuts back, slips slightly but recovers to lash a left footed strike through the fingertips of Tim Howard and into the back of the net. Lampard, wearing adidas adiPure II football boots, heads for the corner flag and mimicks the celebration his father did when he scored for West Ham United against the Toffees in an FA Cup semi-final at Elland Road in 1980.
With Everton desperately now looking for the equaliser, Florent Malouda - who in SoccerBible's opinion has been a different player since the arrival of Hiddink - lets fly from 35 yards only to see the ball smash against the bar and bounces onto the line before Tim Howard gratefuly collects. Malouda, playing in Nike Tiempo Legend football boots, tries to claim the goal as do half of Wembley - but the referees ignores the protests, despite the video evidence suggesting Malouda should have been celebrating a goal!
A nervous final ten minutes are dispatched by Chelsea in customary fashion and the final whistle blows, signalling their triumph. This is Chelsea fifth FA Cup win - as well as Ashley Cole's. The left-back, who played in the brand new adidas F50i TUNiT football boots, is the first player in over 100 years to collect five winners' medals. Peerless all game, Cole made the most of the space in front of him with plenty of maruading attacks and runs, perhaps epitomised by an superb control of a huge cross field pass to keep a Chelsea attack going.
A few choice quotes from the winners after the match:
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard: "We went 1-0 down within a minute or so but showed a lot of character to come back. After getting the first we dominated the game and I'm just pleased to get the goal that wins the game. Guus has been amazing and he's a great man, we've loved working with him and he deserves this victory."
Chelsea captain John Terry: "It's been two years since we've won a trophy and that's too long. It's great to get it back."
Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink: "Winning in the mecca of world football, the FA Cup, that's something I cannot believe."
So congratulations are in order for Chelsea, who now await the arrival of their next manager after the departure of Hiddink on this high. For Everton, a season of so-nearly, but they can take heart from a solid and strong finish in the Premier League and have an exciting European campaign to look forward to next season, so the disappointment of this defeat shouldn't be long lived for Toffee fans.
