FA Cup Final 2005
Encyclopedia
The 2005 FA Cup Final was held at the Millennium Stadium
, Cardiff
on 21 May 2005 between Arsenal
and Manchester United
. In a tense but surprisingly one-sided encounter, Arsenal ran out winners after 120 goalless minutes despite being outplayed throughout the game, becoming the first club to win the cup on penalties. It was the first goalless draw in an FA Cup final since 1912.
The match took place for the fifth consecutive year at the Millennium Stadium, due to the ongoing reconstruction of Wembley Stadium, the final's usual venue. The match was refereed by Rob Styles
, who was aided by assistant referees Jim Devine, Paul Canadine and fourth official Neale Barry
.
The game was the 17th appearance for both teams in an FA Cup Final, a record that Manchester United surpassed in 2007
. It was Arsenal's tenth FA Cup win and their most recent major trophy to date. Only Manchester United have won the trophy more times, with eleven.
quarter-final tie, which was played out by the clubs' fringe and reserve team players. Arsenal had won the season's first encounter, also at the Millennium Stadium, in the FA Community Shield
by a 3–1 scoreline.
The clubs had met in an FA Cup final before – in 1979
, when Arsenal won 3–2. Manchester United were appearing in their 17th FA Cup Final, their second in as many years, and had won the FA Cup on eleven of their previous sixteen appearances (including beating Milwall
in the 2004 final). Two of these victories had yielded a League/FA Cup "double
" (in 1994 and 1996) and in 1999 they had won the 1998–99 FA Cup as part of a unique Treble
of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League
. Arsenal had enjoyed a comparable level of success in the competition – this was their 17th final and they had won 9 of their previous 16.
and large demonstrations were planned inside and outside the Millenium Stadium, however the final was played in the rain and only a small group of around 100 supporters held protests and sang anti-Glazer songs. The police were out in force but did not have any trouble to deal with.
was injured for the match, so manager Arsène Wenger
opted for a 4–5–1 strategy, with Dennis Bergkamp
playing as a lone striker. Despite Sol Campbell
's return from injury, Philippe Senderos
's form saw him selected as centre-back ahead of the England
international.
Manchester United had regular full-back Gary Neville
on the bench, alongside Ryan Giggs
and Tim Howard
, whose places in the team were taken by Darren Fletcher
and Roy Carroll
.
Roy Keane
was appearing in his seventh FA Cup Final having previously played in the 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999 and 2004 finals. This is the most number of finals for a player since Lord Arthur Fitzgerald Kinnaird played in 9 finals in the early years of the competition.
Ryan Giggs
was playing in his sixth FA Cup Final.
Arsenal's Ashley Cole
was playing in his fourth FA Cup Final, having appeared in the 2001, 2002 and 2003 games.
beat Lauren
on the left wing to put over a cross, only for Paul Scholes
to head the ball over the crossbar after losing his marker. Two minutes later, a break from José Antonio Reyes
had Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll
scampering across from his goal to meet the Spaniard, forcing Reyes wide enough to allow the United defence time to get back.
Manchester United had the ball in the back of the net on 27 minutes, when Rio Ferdinand
turned in the rebound after Jens Lehmann
saved from Wayne Rooney
, but the assistant referee correctly ruled that Ferdinand was offside. After a brief Arsenal attack, Mikaël Silvestre
played a long, diagonal ball to Ruud van Nistelrooy
on the right wing. The Dutch forward controlled the ball and then outpaced Ashley Cole
to the goal-line; he then cut the ball back to Rooney, whose first-time shot was turned over the bar by Lehmann. The consequent corner broke to Rooney on the edge of the penalty area, but his shot was deflected behind for another corner, which Scholes took. The England midfielder floated the ball over to the edge of the penalty area, where Rooney was waiting, only to volley it just over the bar.
In the closing stages of the first half, Van Nistelrooy got his first shot on goal, turning Philippe Senderos
only to send the ball trickling along the floor for Lehmann to save comfortably. The first half finished with a foul on Rooney, who had done well to break free of challenges from Cole, Patrick Vieira
and Senderos, who eventually brought Rooney down. The English forward took the free kick himself, but it went over the bar to cheers from the Arsenal fans and the sound of the referee's half-time whistle.
, but Keane's low cross was diverted behind by Kolo Touré
before it reached Wayne Rooney. United then had their third chance in the space of five minutes when Ronaldo shot just wide from 25 yards, from the left corner of the penalty area.
Throughout the match, Lauren committed several fouls on Cristiano Ronaldo, and confronted the Portuguese winger early in the second half, before finally being booked for persistent fouling in the 62nd minute. Ronaldo took the free-kick himself but put it just over the bar from 30 yards. In the 64th minute, Arsenal were awarded a free-kick for a John O'Shea
foul on Reyes; Dennis Bergkamp
took the kick, which was headed away by Ferdinand, but only as far as Robert Pirès
, whose side-footed volley went over the bar. The free-kick was to be Bergkamp's last contribution to the final, as he was then substituted by Fredrik Ljungberg
in the 65th minute.
United then went back downfield and Cristiano Ronaldo took on Lauren, who dared not dive in for a tackle and risk a second yellow card. Ronaldo got past the Cameroonian full-back and then chipped a cross into the penalty area, but Van Nistelrooy was unable to make enough contact with the ball to force his header on target. A minute later, Silvestre found Rooney with another diagonal pass; Rooney attempted to drive in a low cross, but it ended up heading towards goal and came back off the foot of the post. Darren Fletcher
was first to the ball but he fired a shot across the face of the goal and out for a goal kick. With their very next attack, United sent Ronaldo away down the left wing again; he sent over another cross, but it was again too far in front of Van Nistelrooy.
Reyes received his first yellow card in the 76th minute, when he was late in tackling Silvestre after the French defender had played a backpass to Carroll. The break in play allowed Manchester United to make their first substitution, bringing on Quinton Fortune for O'Shea, who appeared to be struggling with a calf injury. With six minutes left in normal time, United won a corner on the left-hand side, which Ronaldo played short to Scholes. Scholes returned the ball to Ronaldo, who crossed it into the penalty area, where Keane was unmarked at the back post. The ball eventually broke to the United captain, who shot, only to see four Arsenal players between him and the goal, ready to block his effort behind for another corner. Lehmann came to meet the second corner kick, but missed the ball, allowing it to go all the way through to Van Nistelrooy; the Dutchman headed the ball goalwards, but Ljungberg was on the line and headed it up onto the crossbar and away.
Arsenal then made their second substitution, bringing on Robin van Persie
in place of Cesc Fàbregas
. As the match entered injury time at the end of the second half, Ronaldo made yet another run down the left wing, outpacing Lauren to Wayne Rooney's through-ball. The ball broke back to Rooney 30 yards from goal, but his shot went over the bar. The second half finished with a Wes Brown
cross from the right wing that made its way across the penalty area to Ronaldo, but the Portuguese could only head the ball straight at Lehmann.
on at the start of extra time, the Welshman taking Fletcher's place in the midfield. They immediately tried to play him in down the left wing, but the pass was over-hit and went beyond Giggs. Arsenal finally got their first shot on target in the seventh minute of extra time, when a Van Persie free-kick – awarded for a soft foul by Silvestre – forced a diving save from Carroll. Four minutes later, Manchester United appealed for a penalty kick when a cross from Giggs struck Cole, but replays showed that the ball hit the Arsenal full-back in the midriff. United sustained their attack, and the ball came to Scholes in the penalty area, but his shot on the turn was well saved by Lehmann. The resultant corner was taken short by Scholes, before it was played back to him; his cross found Van Nistelrooy unmarked in the area, but the Dutchman headed over the bar from six yards out. United then had another penalty shout when Giggs volleyed a long ball from Scholes into Touré's body and up onto the Ivorian's hand, but referee Rob Styles
turned their claims down. Arsenal then brought on Edu to replace Pirès for the remaining 15 minutes.
The second half of extra time began with yet another chance for Manchester United, this time constructed from a Giggs break down the left wing, but Van Nistelrooy failed in his attempt to back-heel Giggs' cross into the goal and the opportunity was wasted. Five minutes into the second half, Reyes committed another late tackle on Silvestre, for which he received a final warning from referee Styles. Reyes himself was then the victim of a late tackle by Scholes, who was shown a yellow card. The match threatened to descend into a mass brawl soon after, when Quinton Fortune caught Ljungberg in the face with a flailing arm and then committed a high tackle on Edu, provoking a reaction from the Arsenal players. A shoulder-charge by Rooney on Cole resulted in an Arsenal free-kick on the left wing; Van Persie swung the ball over and it was only cleared as far as Ljungberg, but the Swede struck a shot with his shin and the ball spun wide. With a couple of minutes left in the extra period, Manchester United won a free-kick on the left corner of the Arsenal penalty area when Vieira lazily tripped Ronaldo and received a booking, but Giggs' cross from the free-kick was headed away. Meanwhile, Manchester United's substitute goalkeeper, Tim Howard
, was seen warming up behind the goal, suggesting that he was preparing to come on for Carroll in the event of a penalty shootout
; however, no substitution was made.
The referee added two minutes of injury time at the end of extra time, during which time Manchester United won another free-kick, but Scholes' shot was straight at the Arsenal defensive wall. Then, with just seconds left in regulation time, Ronaldo made a break towards the Arsenal half, only to be cynically body-checked by Reyes. Referee Styles made no hesitation and showed Reyes a second yellow card, making the Spaniard the second player to be sent off in an FA Cup Final, after Manchester United's Kevin Moran in 1985
. The full time whistle went immediately after Reyes' dismissal, and the match finished at 0–0, making it the first FA Cup Final to result in a penalty shootout.
. Although Carroll guessed the correct way to dive, Vieira's kick was just out of his reach, giving Arsenal their tenth FA Cup.
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align=center>
MANCHESTER UNITED:
|
GK
13
Roy Carroll
RB
22
John O'Shea
CB
5
Rio Ferdinand
CB
6
Wes Brown
LB
27
Mikaël Silvestre
RM
24
Darren Fletcher
CM
16
Roy Keane
(c)
CM
18
Paul Scholes
LM
7
Cristiano Ronaldo
SS
8
Wayne Rooney
CF
10
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Substitutes:
GK
1
Tim Howard
DF
2
Gary Neville
DF
25
Quinton Fortune
MF
11
Ryan Giggs
FW
14
Alan Smith
Manager:
Sir Alex Ferguson
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
, Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
on 21 May 2005 between Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. In a tense but surprisingly one-sided encounter, Arsenal ran out winners after 120 goalless minutes despite being outplayed throughout the game, becoming the first club to win the cup on penalties. It was the first goalless draw in an FA Cup final since 1912.
The match took place for the fifth consecutive year at the Millennium Stadium, due to the ongoing reconstruction of Wembley Stadium, the final's usual venue. The match was refereed by Rob Styles
Rob Styles
Robert Styles is an English football Referee from Waterlooville, Hampshire, who officiates in the FA Premier League, and for FIFA. He has now retired.- Career :...
, who was aided by assistant referees Jim Devine, Paul Canadine and fourth official Neale Barry
Neale Barry
-External links:* at soccerbase.com...
.
The game was the 17th appearance for both teams in an FA Cup Final, a record that Manchester United surpassed in 2007
2007 FA Cup Final
The 2007 FA Cup Final was played on Saturday, 19 May 2007 between Chelsea and Manchester United, who had come up against Premier League opposition in every round. It was the 126th FA Cup Final and the first to be played at the new Wembley Stadium...
. It was Arsenal's tenth FA Cup win and their most recent major trophy to date. Only Manchester United have won the trophy more times, with eleven.
Background
The match was the fifth meeting between the two clubs in the 2004–05 season. Despite finishing six points ahead of Manchester United in the league, Arsenal had lost both league fixtures between the clubs, as well as a League CupFootball League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
quarter-final tie, which was played out by the clubs' fringe and reserve team players. Arsenal had won the season's first encounter, also at the Millennium Stadium, in the FA Community Shield
FA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
by a 3–1 scoreline.
The clubs had met in an FA Cup final before – in 1979
1979 FA Cup Final
The 1979 FA Cup Final was a football match played on 12 May 1979 at Wembley Stadium. The match was contested by Arsenal and Manchester United. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest-ever finishes in an FA Cup final. For over 85 minutes the game had been unremarkable, with Arsenal taking...
, when Arsenal won 3–2. Manchester United were appearing in their 17th FA Cup Final, their second in as many years, and had won the FA Cup on eleven of their previous sixteen appearances (including beating Milwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
in the 2004 final). Two of these victories had yielded a League/FA Cup "double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
" (in 1994 and 1996) and in 1999 they had won the 1998–99 FA Cup as part of a unique Treble
The Treble
The term treble or Treble is used in association football to refer to a team winning three trophies in a single season. Honours usually considered to contribute to a treble are the top-tier domestic league competition, domestic cup competitions, and continental tournaments; although this depends to...
of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. Arsenal had enjoyed a comparable level of success in the competition – this was their 17th final and they had won 9 of their previous 16.
Planned protests
The buildup to the final had focused upon many Manchester United fans' discontent over their takeover by American businessman and sports tycoon Malcolm GlazerMalcolm Glazer
Malcolm Irving Glazer is an American businessman and sports team owner. He is the president and chief executive officer of First Allied Corporation, a holding company for his varied business interests, most notably in the food processing industry...
and large demonstrations were planned inside and outside the Millenium Stadium, however the final was played in the rain and only a small group of around 100 supporters held protests and sang anti-Glazer songs. The police were out in force but did not have any trouble to deal with.
Team news
Arsenal's Thierry HenryThierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
was injured for the match, so manager Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger, OBE is a French association football manager and former player, who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996...
opted for a 4–5–1 strategy, with Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp , is a former Dutch professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal, and also represented the Netherlands at international level...
playing as a lone striker. Despite Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell
Sulzeer Jeremiah "Sol" Campbell is an English footballer who is currently a free agent. A central defender, Campbell has played for Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Notts County and Newcastle United, as well as the English national team.Born in East London to Jamaican parents, Campbell's...
's return from injury, Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Sylvain Senderos - is a Swiss footballer who plays as a defender for Fulham and the Switzerland national football team. Previously he has played for Servette, Arsenal, A.C...
's form saw him selected as centre-back ahead of the England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
international.
Manchester United had regular full-back Gary Neville
Gary Neville
Gary Alexander Neville is a former English footballer. He is England's most capped right-back and was Manchester United's club captain for five years....
on the bench, alongside Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season...
and Tim Howard
Tim Howard
Timothy Matthew Howard is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for English club Everton and the United States national team....
, whose places in the team were taken by Darren Fletcher
Darren Fletcher
Darren Barr Fletcher is a Scottish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for English Premier League club Manchester United. He is the current captain of Scottish national team...
and Roy Carroll
Roy Carroll
Roy Eric Carroll is a Northern Irish footballer who is currently playing for Greek Superleague club OFI Crete. He is a goalkeeper and is best known for his spells at Wigan Athletic and Manchester United, where he won the 2004 FA Cup...
.
Roy Keane
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....
was appearing in his seventh FA Cup Final having previously played in the 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999 and 2004 finals. This is the most number of finals for a player since Lord Arthur Fitzgerald Kinnaird played in 9 finals in the early years of the competition.
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season...
was playing in his sixth FA Cup Final.
Arsenal's Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole is an Barbadian-English professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He plays as a left-back and has been named one of the best in the world....
was playing in his fourth FA Cup Final, having appeared in the 2001, 2002 and 2003 games.
First half
Manchester United kicked the game off, and also fashioned the first chance of the game; Cristiano RonaldoCristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
beat Lauren
Lauren Etame Mayer
Laureano Bisan-Etame Mayer , commonly known as Lauren, is a retired Cameroonian footballer of Equatoguinean origin, who formerly played for the Cameroonian national team.-Early career:...
on the left wing to put over a cross, only for Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes is a retired English footballer, a one-club man who played his entire professional career for Manchester United.Born in Salford, but later moving to Langley, Scholes excelled in both cricket and football in school. He first trained with Manchester United at the age of 14 after being...
to head the ball over the crossbar after losing his marker. Two minutes later, a break from José Antonio Reyes
José Antonio Reyes
José Antonio Reyes Calderón is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid.Mainly a left winger but also a forward, he made his professional debuts for hometown's Sevilla at only 16, signing with England's Arsenal aged 20.After a relatively successful career abroad, Reyes...
had Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll
Roy Carroll
Roy Eric Carroll is a Northern Irish footballer who is currently playing for Greek Superleague club OFI Crete. He is a goalkeeper and is best known for his spells at Wigan Athletic and Manchester United, where he won the 2004 FA Cup...
scampering across from his goal to meet the Spaniard, forcing Reyes wide enough to allow the United defence time to get back.
Manchester United had the ball in the back of the net on 27 minutes, when Rio Ferdinand
Rio Ferdinand
Rio Gavin Ferdinand is an English footballer. He plays at centre back for Manchester United in the Premier League and for the England national football team...
turned in the rebound after Jens Lehmann
Jens Lehmann
Jens Gerhard Lehmann is a German former football goalkeeper. He was voted UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year for the 1996–97 and 2005–06 seasons, and he has been selected for three World Cup squads. He was a member of Arsenal's Invincibles, playing every match of their famous unbeaten title winning...
saved from Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
, but the assistant referee correctly ruled that Ferdinand was offside. After a brief Arsenal attack, Mikaël Silvestre
Mikael Silvestre
Mikaël Samy Silvestre is a French international footballer. He plays as defender and is currently signed with Werder Bremen of the Bundesliga. He has also played for the French national team...
played a long, diagonal ball to Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...
on the right wing. The Dutch forward controlled the ball and then outpaced Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole is an Barbadian-English professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He plays as a left-back and has been named one of the best in the world....
to the goal-line; he then cut the ball back to Rooney, whose first-time shot was turned over the bar by Lehmann. The consequent corner broke to Rooney on the edge of the penalty area, but his shot was deflected behind for another corner, which Scholes took. The England midfielder floated the ball over to the edge of the penalty area, where Rooney was waiting, only to volley it just over the bar.
In the closing stages of the first half, Van Nistelrooy got his first shot on goal, turning Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Sylvain Senderos - is a Swiss footballer who plays as a defender for Fulham and the Switzerland national football team. Previously he has played for Servette, Arsenal, A.C...
only to send the ball trickling along the floor for Lehmann to save comfortably. The first half finished with a foul on Rooney, who had done well to break free of challenges from Cole, Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City....
and Senderos, who eventually brought Rooney down. The English forward took the free kick himself, but it went over the bar to cheers from the Arsenal fans and the sound of the referee's half-time whistle.
Second half
Manchester United fashioned the first chance of the second half after just three minutes, when Rooney cut inside from the right along the face of the penalty area, but his left-foot shot was blocked away for a corner kick. Soon after, Van Nistelrooy received the ball on the edge of the penalty area and held it up before playing a through-ball to his captain, Roy KeaneRoy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....
, but Keane's low cross was diverted behind by Kolo Touré
Kolo Touré
Kolo Habib Touré is an Ivorian footballer who plays for Manchester City and Ivory Coast. Touré is a central defender. He is the elder brother of Manchester City team-mate Yaya Touré and Makasa's Ibrahim Touré.-Arsenal:...
before it reached Wayne Rooney. United then had their third chance in the space of five minutes when Ronaldo shot just wide from 25 yards, from the left corner of the penalty area.
Throughout the match, Lauren committed several fouls on Cristiano Ronaldo, and confronted the Portuguese winger early in the second half, before finally being booked for persistent fouling in the 62nd minute. Ronaldo took the free-kick himself but put it just over the bar from 30 yards. In the 64th minute, Arsenal were awarded a free-kick for a John O'Shea
John O'Shea
John O'Shea can refer to:*John O'Shea, Irish footballer with Sunderland*John O'Shea , New Zealand film director*John O'Shea *John O'Shea , Wales international rugby union footballer*John O'Shea...
foul on Reyes; Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp , is a former Dutch professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal, and also represented the Netherlands at international level...
took the kick, which was headed away by Ferdinand, but only as far as Robert Pirès
Robert Pirès
Robert Emmanuel Pirès is a former French international footballer. He is perhaps best known for his time with Arsenal, with whom he won three FA Cups and two FA Premier League titles including the club's famous unbeaten season of 2003–04...
, whose side-footed volley went over the bar. The free-kick was to be Bergkamp's last contribution to the final, as he was then substituted by Fredrik Ljungberg
Fredrik Ljungberg
Karl Fredrik "Freddie" Ljungberg is a Swedish footballer who currently plays as a right winger for Shimizu S-Pulse in Japan. Ljungberg was captain of the Swedish national team until he announced his international retirement after UEFA Euro 2008.Ljungberg was a model for Calvin Klein underwear...
in the 65th minute.
United then went back downfield and Cristiano Ronaldo took on Lauren, who dared not dive in for a tackle and risk a second yellow card. Ronaldo got past the Cameroonian full-back and then chipped a cross into the penalty area, but Van Nistelrooy was unable to make enough contact with the ball to force his header on target. A minute later, Silvestre found Rooney with another diagonal pass; Rooney attempted to drive in a low cross, but it ended up heading towards goal and came back off the foot of the post. Darren Fletcher
Darren Fletcher
Darren Barr Fletcher is a Scottish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for English Premier League club Manchester United. He is the current captain of Scottish national team...
was first to the ball but he fired a shot across the face of the goal and out for a goal kick. With their very next attack, United sent Ronaldo away down the left wing again; he sent over another cross, but it was again too far in front of Van Nistelrooy.
Reyes received his first yellow card in the 76th minute, when he was late in tackling Silvestre after the French defender had played a backpass to Carroll. The break in play allowed Manchester United to make their first substitution, bringing on Quinton Fortune for O'Shea, who appeared to be struggling with a calf injury. With six minutes left in normal time, United won a corner on the left-hand side, which Ronaldo played short to Scholes. Scholes returned the ball to Ronaldo, who crossed it into the penalty area, where Keane was unmarked at the back post. The ball eventually broke to the United captain, who shot, only to see four Arsenal players between him and the goal, ready to block his effort behind for another corner. Lehmann came to meet the second corner kick, but missed the ball, allowing it to go all the way through to Van Nistelrooy; the Dutchman headed the ball goalwards, but Ljungberg was on the line and headed it up onto the crossbar and away.
Arsenal then made their second substitution, bringing on Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011...
in place of Cesc Fàbregas
Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...
. As the match entered injury time at the end of the second half, Ronaldo made yet another run down the left wing, outpacing Lauren to Wayne Rooney's through-ball. The ball broke back to Rooney 30 yards from goal, but his shot went over the bar. The second half finished with a Wes Brown
Wes Brown
Wesley Michael "Wes" Brown is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Sunderland. Before joining Sunderland, Brown had spent his entire career at Old Trafford, having joined the Manchester United youth team in 1996...
cross from the right wing that made its way across the penalty area to Ronaldo, but the Portuguese could only head the ball straight at Lehmann.
Extra time
Manchester United brought Ryan GiggsRyan Giggs
Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season...
on at the start of extra time, the Welshman taking Fletcher's place in the midfield. They immediately tried to play him in down the left wing, but the pass was over-hit and went beyond Giggs. Arsenal finally got their first shot on target in the seventh minute of extra time, when a Van Persie free-kick – awarded for a soft foul by Silvestre – forced a diving save from Carroll. Four minutes later, Manchester United appealed for a penalty kick when a cross from Giggs struck Cole, but replays showed that the ball hit the Arsenal full-back in the midriff. United sustained their attack, and the ball came to Scholes in the penalty area, but his shot on the turn was well saved by Lehmann. The resultant corner was taken short by Scholes, before it was played back to him; his cross found Van Nistelrooy unmarked in the area, but the Dutchman headed over the bar from six yards out. United then had another penalty shout when Giggs volleyed a long ball from Scholes into Touré's body and up onto the Ivorian's hand, but referee Rob Styles
Rob Styles
Robert Styles is an English football Referee from Waterlooville, Hampshire, who officiates in the FA Premier League, and for FIFA. He has now retired.- Career :...
turned their claims down. Arsenal then brought on Edu to replace Pirès for the remaining 15 minutes.
The second half of extra time began with yet another chance for Manchester United, this time constructed from a Giggs break down the left wing, but Van Nistelrooy failed in his attempt to back-heel Giggs' cross into the goal and the opportunity was wasted. Five minutes into the second half, Reyes committed another late tackle on Silvestre, for which he received a final warning from referee Styles. Reyes himself was then the victim of a late tackle by Scholes, who was shown a yellow card. The match threatened to descend into a mass brawl soon after, when Quinton Fortune caught Ljungberg in the face with a flailing arm and then committed a high tackle on Edu, provoking a reaction from the Arsenal players. A shoulder-charge by Rooney on Cole resulted in an Arsenal free-kick on the left wing; Van Persie swung the ball over and it was only cleared as far as Ljungberg, but the Swede struck a shot with his shin and the ball spun wide. With a couple of minutes left in the extra period, Manchester United won a free-kick on the left corner of the Arsenal penalty area when Vieira lazily tripped Ronaldo and received a booking, but Giggs' cross from the free-kick was headed away. Meanwhile, Manchester United's substitute goalkeeper, Tim Howard
Tim Howard
Timothy Matthew Howard is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for English club Everton and the United States national team....
, was seen warming up behind the goal, suggesting that he was preparing to come on for Carroll in the event of a penalty shootout
Penalty shootout (football)
A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
; however, no substitution was made.
The referee added two minutes of injury time at the end of extra time, during which time Manchester United won another free-kick, but Scholes' shot was straight at the Arsenal defensive wall. Then, with just seconds left in regulation time, Ronaldo made a break towards the Arsenal half, only to be cynically body-checked by Reyes. Referee Styles made no hesitation and showed Reyes a second yellow card, making the Spaniard the second player to be sent off in an FA Cup Final, after Manchester United's Kevin Moran in 1985
1985 FA Cup Final
The 1985 FA Cup Final was contested by Manchester United and holders Everton at Wembley Stadium. United won by a single goal, scored in extra time by Norman Whiteside....
. The full time whistle went immediately after Reyes' dismissal, and the match finished at 0–0, making it the first FA Cup Final to result in a penalty shootout.
Penalty shootout
Van Nistelrooy took the first penalty for Manchester United, in front of the United fans, and sent Lehmann the wrong way to give United the early advantage. Lauren then converted the next penalty for Arsenal, before Scholes stepped up to take United's second, only to see it saved by Lehmann, diving low to his right. The next six penalties were all scored – Ljungberg, Van Persie and Cole for Arsenal, Ronaldo, Rooney and Keane for Manchester United – leaving Vieira with the opportunity to win the FA Cup for Arsenal in his last match for the club before moving to JuventusJuventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
. Although Carroll guessed the correct way to dive, Vieira's kick was just out of his reach, giving Arsenal their tenth FA Cup.
Match details
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | ARSENAL: | |||
| GK | 1 |  Jens LehmannJens Lehmann Jens Gerhard Lehmann is a German former football goalkeeper. He was voted UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year for the 1996–97 and 2005–06 seasons, and he has been selected for three World Cup squads. He was a member of Arsenal's Invincibles, playing every match of their famous unbeaten title winning... |
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| RB | 12 |  LaurenLauren Etame Mayer Laureano Bisan-Etame Mayer , commonly known as Lauren, is a retired Cameroonian footballer of Equatoguinean origin, who formerly played for the Cameroonian national team.-Early career:... |
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| CB | 28 |  Kolo TouréKolo Touré Kolo Habib Touré is an Ivorian footballer who plays for Manchester City and Ivory Coast. Touré is a central defender. He is the elder brother of Manchester City team-mate Yaya Touré and Makasa's Ibrahim Touré.-Arsenal:... |
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| CB | 20 |  Philippe SenderosPhilippe Senderos Philippe Sylvain Senderos - is a Swiss footballer who plays as a defender for Fulham and the Switzerland national football team. Previously he has played for Servette, Arsenal, A.C... |
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| LB | 3 | Ashley Cole Ashley Cole Ashley Cole is an Barbadian-English professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He plays as a left-back and has been named one of the best in the world.... |
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| CM | 15 |  Cesc FàbregasCesc Fàbregas Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16... |
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| CM | 4 | Patrick Vieira Patrick Vieira Patrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City.... (c) |
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| CM | 19 |  Gilberto SilvaGilberto Silva Gilberto Aparecido da Silva, commonly known as Gilberto Silva, is a Brazilian footballer. He currently plays for Grêmio.Gilberto was raised in a poor family and as a child he balanced playing football with various labour jobs. He began his football career in 1997 with América Mineiro, where good... |
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| RW | 7 | Robert Pirès Robert Pirès Robert Emmanuel Pirès is a former French international footballer. He is perhaps best known for his time with Arsenal, with whom he won three FA Cups and two FA Premier League titles including the club's famous unbeaten season of 2003–04... |
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| LW | 9 | José Antonio Reyes José Antonio Reyes José Antonio Reyes Calderón is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid.Mainly a left winger but also a forward, he made his professional debuts for hometown's Sevilla at only 16, signing with England's Arsenal aged 20.After a relatively successful career abroad, Reyes... |
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| CF | 10 | Dennis Bergkamp Dennis Bergkamp Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp , is a former Dutch professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal, and also represented the Netherlands at international level... |
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| Substitutes: | ||||
| GK | 24 | Manuel Almunia Manuel Almunia Manuel Almunia Rivero is a professional footballer. He plays as a goalkeeper for Arsenal.-Early career:Born in Pamplona, Navarre, Almunia started his senior career with Osasuna's reserve team in 1997, playing two seasons with the team in Segunda División B... |
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| DF | 23 | Sol Campbell Sol Campbell Sulzeer Jeremiah "Sol" Campbell is an English footballer who is currently a free agent. A central defender, Campbell has played for Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Notts County and Newcastle United, as well as the English national team.Born in East London to Jamaican parents, Campbell's... |
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| MF | 8 |  Fredrik LjungbergFredrik Ljungberg Karl Fredrik "Freddie" Ljungberg is a Swedish footballer who currently plays as a right winger for Shimizu S-Pulse in Japan. Ljungberg was captain of the Swedish national team until he announced his international retirement after UEFA Euro 2008.Ljungberg was a model for Calvin Klein underwear... |
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| MF | 17 | Edu |
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| FW | 11 | Robin van Persie Robin van Persie Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011... |
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| Manager: | ||||
| Arsène Wenger Arsène Wenger Arsène Wenger, OBE is a French association football manager and former player, who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996... |
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Roy CarrollRoy Carroll
Roy Eric Carroll is a Northern Irish footballer who is currently playing for Greek Superleague club OFI Crete. He is a goalkeeper and is best known for his spells at Wigan Athletic and Manchester United, where he won the 2004 FA Cup...
John O'SheaJohn O'Shea
John O'Shea can refer to:*John O'Shea, Irish footballer with Sunderland*John O'Shea , New Zealand film director*John O'Shea *John O'Shea , Wales international rugby union footballer*John O'Shea...
Rio FerdinandRio Ferdinand
Rio Gavin Ferdinand is an English footballer. He plays at centre back for Manchester United in the Premier League and for the England national football team...
Wes BrownWes Brown
Wesley Michael "Wes" Brown is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Sunderland. Before joining Sunderland, Brown had spent his entire career at Old Trafford, having joined the Manchester United youth team in 1996...
Mikaël SilvestreMikael Silvestre
Mikaël Samy Silvestre is a French international footballer. He plays as defender and is currently signed with Werder Bremen of the Bundesliga. He has also played for the French national team...
Darren FletcherDarren Fletcher
Darren Barr Fletcher is a Scottish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for English Premier League club Manchester United. He is the current captain of Scottish national team...
Roy KeaneRoy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....
(c)
Paul ScholesPaul Scholes
Paul Scholes is a retired English footballer, a one-club man who played his entire professional career for Manchester United.Born in Salford, but later moving to Langley, Scholes excelled in both cricket and football in school. He first trained with Manchester United at the age of 14 after being...
Cristiano RonaldoCristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
Wayne RooneyWayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
Ruud van NistelrooyRuud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...
Tim HowardTim Howard
Timothy Matthew Howard is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for English club Everton and the United States national team....
Gary NevilleGary Neville
Gary Alexander Neville is a former English footballer. He is England's most capped right-back and was Manchester United's club captain for five years....
Quinton Fortune Ryan GiggsRyan Giggs
Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season...
Alan Smith Sir Alex FergusonAlex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
MATCH OFFICIALS
MAN OF THE MATCH
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MATCH RULES
|
Statistics
| Arsenal | Manchester United | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 0 | 0 |
| Total shots | 5 | 20 |
| Shots on target | 1 | 8 |
| Ball possession | 55% | 45% |
| Corner kicks | 1 | 12 |
| Fouls committed | 30 | 23 |
| Offsides | 3 | 6 |
| Yellow cards | 5 | 2 |
| Red cards | 1 | 0 |
External links
- BBC FA Cup Final 2005 section
- Teams at soccerbase.com