Steven Gerrard's FA Cup Final Equaliser - One of the Best Goals Ever?

Liverpool Football Club - Games

Postby jonnymac1979 » Sat May 13, 2006 8:46 pm

New topic from jonnymac, only because I think it's worth it.

I watched the game at home with my Dad this afternoon, a bit of a tradition in my family, close the curtains over and crack open a six-pack.  Don't really go the pub for the FA Cup final.  Prefer to watch it indoors rather than a pub, no matter what year it is, or who's playing.  Wimbledon in 1988 was one of the exceptions as I was actually sitting in a seat in Wembley Stadium watching us get beat.  Never mind, although eighteen years on I still don't know how we lost.

Also, back in 2001, I was on a 36 hour drink binge, although I wont explain the ins and outs of that.  It was justified though.  We won the Cup.  Any other year, apart from when I had a stupid Saturday job that robbed me of watching it, I always watch the FA Cup final at home.  Couldn't get a ticket this year though.  My brother was there though.  He's ecstatic.

So anyway, today, Konchesky had scored a winning freak goal and for twenty minutes or so, West Ham's name was on the Cup.  I was sitting with my Dad in the house and if I'm being honest, we had both conceded the Cup.  Kewell had to go off injured; Alonso realised his ankle had not healed sufficiently enough to allow him to have any more influence on the game, and players were falling over all over the pitch.  Weird weren't it?

The much maligned Morientes (who I thought in my opinion looked more lively today than he had looked all season put together) was leading the line once Crouch was replaced.  We looked a team who didn't have what it was going to take this time to take the trophy.  Cisse had given his all, he couldn't even run any more.

Those of us who were watching on television, were watching with four minutes to go.  The camera cut to Steven Gerrard, with the look of regret on his face, about the trophy that got away.  He had cramp.  He couldn't walk properly, never mind run.  Reo-Coker was man-marking him, and West Ham looked far the fitter side over the ninety minutes.  The game was up. 

The commentators, Motson and Lawrenson from BBC, were worrying about England's World Cup hopes.  Fuck the World Cup.  I was worrying about how I was going to cope with losing the FA Cup.

Then the ninety minutes were up and the fourth official signalled there was four minutes of injury time and Liverpool were on the attack after some Cisse injury where the ball was kicked out of play.  I had this empty feeling in my stomach, resigned to planning how I was going to take my mind off this result after the referee had blown his whistle to signal the defeat.  It was only a matter of time.

Then there is some kind of perfect mêlée, where the ball bounces free just outside the box.  Close your eyes and you can remember where you were when you seen it yourself.  The ball was free.  On television you couldn't see the rest of the pitch, so I know what I was thinking.  If you were at Cardiff, I'll bet I know what you were thinking.

You thought to yourself;

"Last minute of the Cup Final, the ball has been missed by all the players at the edge of the box.......... and it's bouncing up perfectly for someone to hit it, 35 yards out.......... 

Who do you want there to hit it, even though it won't go in, barring a miracle or a perfect shot sent from somewhere we don't know about?"

"But who do you want there?  Name the ONE player you want there just out of camera-shot.  The one player in the World you would trust right now to volley that ball towards goal?"


Step forward Steven Gerrard.

Am I the only person who watched it in sheer disbelief and slow motion?  Even when it hit the corner of the net, for a brief moment, a real brief moment, I couldn't believe this final could take another twist this way.  With warriors falling all over the pitch, the greatest and strongest of them all on the park rose and pulled a rabbit out of the hat, and produced a goal which you'll travel far and wide to see executed more perfectly, in a game of such importance and magnitude. 

Carrying an injury, Steven Gerrard shaped his body, catching it on the volley like an arrow with a twist.  With his last ounce of energy in the ninety minutes, he scored an unstoppable beauty before Hislop even realised there was a shot to save.  The ball was literally in the net before he'd finished saving it.  Revise all goal of the season awards.

The man is a living legend.  I am 26 years of age, so I don't recall the old school of dominating football domestically and Europe, year in, year out.  I know my history, but my memory only goes back as far as the Double season of 1986.  From there, I know my stuff like Gospel.  We were good for about five years in my youth, and then we had the nineties.

So I have to say, in the time since, Gerrard can be mentioned in the same breath as Kenny Dalglish and John Barnes.  The man can go onto eclipse them if he continues performing at his rate.

Different generations apart I know, but I can't get over how Gerrard scored that goal today.  The technique was just perfection.  Just when you think you've seen him at his best against Olympiakos, or in Istanbul, or scoring 30 yard goals against Arsenal, Manchester United or even Aston Villa last weekend, he goes and scores an incomparable goal in the last minute of the FA Cup final, before going on to score a goal in the penalty shoot out to decide the competition before lifting the Cup himself.

The man was born with a gift.

Up there with the best.

So the rest of this topic; what did you think when you watched the goal go in?  Where were you?  At home, in the pub, or in the Millennium Stadium?  How did you feel?  Did you feel you had seen a better goal this or any season?  Could you describe what you had just seen?
Last edited by jonnymac1979 on Sat May 13, 2006 10:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby crazyhorse » Sat May 13, 2006 8:53 pm

I like you was watching te final at home on the telly.

My next door neighbour is a Hammer and he could be heard singing from his front room, just to wind me up.

When stevie hit that ball, i thought it too far out to beat hislop.

When it went in i jumped so high i knocked the light out of the ceiling.

I then savoured the silence next door, and indulged in a loud chorus of "YOUR NOT SINGING ANY MORE"

class.  :buttrock
Last edited by crazyhorse on Sat May 13, 2006 8:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby NiftyNeil » Sat May 13, 2006 9:00 pm

I know what you meen about the slow motion of it. I was in the Barracuda on Hannover street, when the goal went in all hell broke loose. I nearly lost my glasses and my wife was sat covered in beer.
At five minutes to go, we too had both conceded the game - something I have never done before (not even at half time in Istanbul).
Definitely goal of the season - considering the importance of it, and that he was injured.
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Postby dward » Sat May 13, 2006 9:02 pm

Excellent post jonny :)

I was at home with my Dad, little brother and James (a friend who's a severe LFC fan)

When Stevie scored that, me and James just looked at each other and started shouting and screaming. It was unreal. The look on our faces signified: "I don't think that really went in but it did and I don't know how." Utter joy.

I think it might just be his best goal ever. Unbelievable.

Something I will never forget for the rest of my life.
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Postby ivor_the_injun » Sat May 13, 2006 9:09 pm

It's goal of the season, absolutely no question. It's also definitely the best goal Gerrard's ever scored.

In terms of execution, it was flawless. a millimetre to the left and it would have hit the inside of the post. And in terms of timeliness and importance, it has to be right up there.

Wonderful, wonderful goal. :)
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Postby kazza » Sat May 13, 2006 9:10 pm

Fooking brilliant!
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Postby Igor Zidane » Sat May 13, 2006 9:10 pm

Before i start i 'd like to thank Senor Scaloni for not Tw@ting the ball 60yards up the pitch when Cisse got injured. Instead he just tapped it in to touch, right in line with his own penalty area.

Anyway i was in my house sh!tting a brick, thinking that the cup had gone , when the ball went to Gerrard and he hit this sublime exocet.
Like jonny said Stevie looked gone and not able to run let alone hit a shot so perfectly. It was like slow motion , it was the most perfect peice of shooting you will ever see. Look at it from a purley neutral point of view if you can . Have you ever seen a shot hit so sweetly in such an important game at such a time in the game. I can honestly say never . Only the free kick by Roberto Carlos against France in Le Tornior comes near and that was a freindly. Absolutley awsome and pure genius.

After today's game i honestly believe we have the worlds best midfielder.
Last edited by Igor Zidane on Sat May 13, 2006 9:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby The Ace1983 » Sat May 13, 2006 9:12 pm

Is it one of the best ever?... Yep. Simple as, really. It was a lightning bolt, a hum-dinger, a flash of holy light, a bullet, a rocket, a stinger missile and a laser-guided, nuclear powered, platinum plated, diamond studded piece of divine intervention.

I was just starting to wilt away and I saw it coming back, and I thought "Gee, who do I want to get on the end of this?". Who'd ya think!?! It was like slow motion with bursting speed. He's there, he hits ball, ball in net! Hislop never had a chance. It was straight, but swerving all over the place, comepletely deceiving the keeper and it nearly pulled the net from the frame (well actually, I was jumping and shouting at this point so it was hard to tell what it did to the net, but my imagination is a powerful thing). It was awesome. End of.

Add to it the occassion, the circumstances, the overall performance of both team and of course the legend of the individual player. Philosophers have always asked "what was there before God?". If it wasn't for the time difference, I'd say it was that shot. What a goal.
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Postby GOAT » Sat May 13, 2006 9:15 pm

Excellent post.

That was just a legendary strike from the legendary man, one of the best players i have ever seen in a red shirt, he is just magic, i couldnt believe it, once again hes won us the cup, without him we'd have no 5th european cup and no FA cup..bow down to the legend and thank god he signed on with us
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Postby tubby » Sat May 13, 2006 9:30 pm

Would be nice if someone could post the goal. Id like to have it on my phone
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Postby H_K_LFC » Sat May 13, 2006 10:12 pm

Thats all i can find right now

One of the best posts i've ever read mate.I know how u mean slow motion,he just caught it so sweetly and when it hit the net you thought "bloody heck Where did that come from".I was at home and just went nuts lol,never been more animated during a whole game.The champions league final was nuts for a blistering 7 minutes but this was through the majority of the game.
Considering the circumstances that was probably one of the best goals ever scored.The pressure,the time,his injury....it was just amazing.Nobody else could have produced that.you can have your Lampards and Ronaldinho's but nobody plays with more heart and passion than Stevie and that goal proved it.

Amazing goal for an Amazing team in an Amazing Final!!!
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Postby laza » Sun May 14, 2006 3:27 am

Excellent thread
I had resigned myself to the fact that gods had decided in favour of hammers after that third cross....err goal went in
Really gutted as i knew after such  a great season it would be a downer for rest of summer

Then up steps Stevie , the same man who last season in League Cup final at same ground couldnt do anything right and culminated in that own goal.

And in a blink of a eye he puts a goal in that not only enchances his legend, but that of his current team and of the club we all love, LFC.

That goal will certainly echo in eternity, and there was nothing the football gods could do about it

What a titan
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Postby babu » Sun May 14, 2006 5:45 am

Great post Jonnymac.

I watched it with the Liverpools supporters club here in Kuala Lumpur. But they spoiled that goal for me, they had a PC set up that showed live scores and I heard cheering 2 minutes before the goal. After that I went and watched extra time in a different pub.

Tremendous strike. He put some things right with that goal. Well in to WHU, they played with skill and passion and had a shed-load of luck thrown in.
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Postby LFC #1 » Sun May 14, 2006 2:51 pm

I was at a mate's place (liverpool fan) and I must've woke up his parents when it went in, it was unbelievable.

Personally it's the best goal I've ever seen, not only for it's sheer power, placement and skill but also the magnitude and importance of it - it effectively won us the cup final.

The reaction of Pardew said it all really , even he had to hold his hands up and smile, recognising the brilliance that is Steven Gerrard. He's out of this world, and I wouldn't swap him for anybody.
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Postby stmichael » Sun May 14, 2006 3:02 pm

well on his way to becoming the best player this club has ever had.
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