IF HARRY Redknapp does accept the poisoned chalice, he will not want to experience any more Wembley occasions like this one. As the man in charge of the side allotted the home dressingroom, he sat in the chair once occupied at the new stadium by Steve McClaren and Fabio Capello, and after this ultimately calamitous result – to go with only one win in Tottenham Hotspur’s last eight Premier League fixtures – there will be even more speculation about whether he is really the right man for the job.
First, however, to a moment of pre-match ignominy that will leave an indelible stain on the Wembley sky. Incapable of behaving like civilised human beings even for the briefest moment, a section of Chelsea’s fans disrupted the silence requested in joint commemoration of the Hillsborough victims and of the sudden death of the Italian footballer Piermario Morosini. Had Martin Atkinson given it a full minute rather than blowing his whistle to end the gesture of respect before even 30 seconds had elapsed, goodness knows what would have happened.
As if the dreadful first semi-final between an undistinguished Liverpool and an unadventurous Everton on Saturday had not been enough to dull the appetite for football, that episode made it even harder to welcome the start of the match with a glad heart. At least the second match held plenty of drama in store, including an outstanding moment of rank injustice which placed yet another giant question mark against the judgment being exercised by the organisation of Professional Game Match Officials.
The opening stalemate appeared to offer additional evidence that combining a semi-final with a local derby is a bad idea. Last-four contests are often riddled with anxiety, and yesterday it was 27 minutes before anything remotely like joined-up football took place, Salomon Kalou measuring a lovely through ball for Juan Mata to outstrip the defence and touch it, at full stretch, to Carlo Cudicini in the Tottenham goal.
Cudicini, who had played in all five of his side’s previous matches in the competition this season, was appearing at the opposite end from Petr Cech, the man who displaced him in the Chelsea goal eight years ago. The 38-year-old Italian has been in some senses an unlucky player throughout his career – unluckiest of all, perhaps, to have grown to a mere 6ft 1in, two inches shorter even than his father, Fabio, who won the European Cup in 1969 with Milan.
Ten years ago Cudicini was voted player of the year by Chelsea’s supporters, but in 2009 crossed London on a free transfer to become the back-up first to Heurelho Gomes and then to Brad Friedel.
He had done nothing wrong yesterday when, two minutes before half-time, Didier Drogba took Frank Lampard’s ballooned pass from deep with his back to goal, touched the ball past William Gallas – another former member of the Stamford Bridge squad – and lashed a magnificent left-foot shot inside the angle of the left-hand post and the crossbar.
Alas for poor Carlo, his tremendous diving save from Mata’s close-range shot in the 48th minute set up the chance for Chelsea to score their hotly disputed second goal. From the ensuing corner on the right, taken by Lampard, the goalkeeper made another excellent save from David Luiz’s header, only for Martin Atkinson to give a goal when Mata slammed the rebound back into what seemed like an impassable scrum of bodies on the goalline. Replays showed that ball had indeed been blocked before it was anywhere near crossing the line.
Tottenham more than deserved the goal that came their way a handful of minutes later, when Gareth Bale dashed in to tap home the loose ball after Scott Parker’s lovely straight pass had given Emmanuel Adebayor the chance to test his speed against that of David Luiz, who pulled up lame and was carried off the pitch.
Cudicini could not be blamed for Chelsea’s third goal, clipped in by the excellent Ramires from Mata’s pass, but the free-kick with which Lampard scored the fourth appeared to expose once again the goalkeeper’s lack of inches. The ball was struck with a dipping accuracy reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo at his best, but from a range of 35 yards it should have been intercepted as it made its way just inside the right-hand post. Fatally, Cudicini had made his first move in opposite direction.
The picture of sorrow on the goalkeeper’s face was deepened in added time when Florent Malouda scampered in to complete the victory by tucking a fifth goal under the Italian’s body.
If the match had been prefaced by ugliness, it ended in the squalor of a scuffle between Parker and Mikel John Obi. At the final whistle, Redknapp shook Roberto Di Matteo’s hand and rushed away down the tunnel, blank-faced but no doubt with more on his mind than a lost Cup tie.
Guardian Service
FA CUP FINAL
Liverpool v Chelsea Wembley, Saturday, May 5th
