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The magic of the Cup Owen's double strike seals remarkable win
Updated: Sunday May 13, 2001 11:42 AM
CARDIFF, Wales (AP) -- Michael Owen scored two goals in the final 10 minutes to rally Liverpool to a 2-1 victory over Arsenal Saturday in the final of England's FA Cup before a 72,500-sellout in Millennium Stadium. With Arsenal leading 1-0 after Fredrik Ljungberg's goal in the 72nd and the Gunners having dominated the game, Owen tied the match in the 83rd on a shot from 7 meters (yards). He then won it in the 88th with a left-footed shot from 12 meters (yards) that hit the corner to the left to diving Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman. Liverpool, with the dramatic turnaround and Arsenal unable to finish things off, became the first English team since 1993 to win both the FA Cup and League Cup, which the Reds picked up in February. Arsenal last turned the trick in 1993. Liverpool can make it a cup triple Wednesday by beating Spanish side Alaves in the final of the UEFA Cup in Dortmund, Germany. The victory gave Liverpool its sixth FA Cup and its first since 1992. Arsenal has won it seven times, the last in 1998 when the Gunners also won the league. Liverpool had lost two FA Cup finals to Arsenal in 1950 and 1971.
After Ljungberg's goal in the 72nd, Arsenal could have put the match away after dominating throughout when Henry was stopped in the 74th minute on the line by Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia. Then Liverpool struck, which left Arsenal -- the perennial No. 2 in England -- without a major trophy for a third straight season. Arsenal has won only one match in the last 17 season against Liverpool, which came earlier this year 2-0. Owen's tying goal in the 83rd turned the game 100 percent. Off a long free kick into the area, Liverpool's Markus Babbel leaped high to keep the ball in play with a header. The loose ball bounced to Owen, who kicked it home from seven meters (yards). Owen then clinched it in the 88th with a left-footed shot perfectly placed into the far corner. "How can you describe that," Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier said of Owen. "He's been like that for a month now." Houllier said he didn't think there was a penalty in the 17th. But a disappointed Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger -- his fellow Frenchman -- thought differently. Asked if there was a penalty, Wenger replied, "Yes."
He said Arsenal's failure to win after dominating was typical of a frustrating season in which the Gunners finished second for a third straight season to Man United. "We didn't score the goals with chances we created... We were not determined enough... The game should have been over." "It's a little bit the image of our season," Wenger added. Played before a 72,500-sellout at Millennium Stadium in the Welsh capital, it was the first FA Cup final played outside England with Wembley stadium in London closed for demolition or renovation. Arsenal had most of the play in the first half with Liverpool strikers Emile Heskey and Owen seldom touching the ball, leaving Arsenal searching for goals and Liverpool defending. Arsenal was denied a deserved penalty in the 17th minute -- and perhaps a sending off -- when Henry broke in on the right side. Liverpool goalkeeper Sander Westerveld came about 10 meters (yards) out of the net to stop Henry, but the French striker stepped around him and moved in to shoot from a close-in, sharp angle. The shot was heading into the net until Swiss defender Stephane Henchoz, standing near the post, deflected the shot away with his left arm -- clearly shown on television replays -- as he was falling to the ground. No penalty was called. Unusually warm weather with temperatures hovering just over 80F (27C) led to a stop-and-start first half. Liverpool's best chance before scoring came in the 48th when Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman made a quick-reaction save off a close-in header by Heskey. Liverpool's spurt was short lived as Arsenal returning to dominate. In 57th minute, Arsenal had two chances within seconds. Henry broke into the box with Westerveld coming out to jar the ball loose. It fell to defender Ashley Cole, who shot from point-blank range with Sami Hyypia stopping the ball on the line. In 68th, Arsenal's Ljungberg chipped the ball over Westerveld -- who'd come out to challenge him -- from 17 meters (yards) with headed off the line again. Two minutes after Ljungberg's goal in the 72nd, Henry should have put the game away but had his close-in shot again stopped on the line by Hyypia. In Scotland's Premier League on Saturday: Dunfermline 1, Motherwell 2; Rangers 5, Kilmarnock 1; St. Johnstone 2, Dundee United 3; St. Mirren 2, Aberdeen 1.
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