Sami Hyypiä relieved after last-gasp FA Cup victory
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Finland's central defender Sami Hyypiä added another handsome medal to his personal collection in Cardiff on Saturday, as Liverpool somehow managed to hold off an inspired West Ham United to take the FA Cup Final trophy after a penalty shoot-out. Full-time in the exciting see-saw match had left the scores at 3-3, and half an hour of extra time could not separate the two sides.
Hyypiä was relieved at the result and he had every reason to be grateful to the hero of the hour, the Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina, who saved three West Ham penalties to ensure the Liverpool victory. Ironically, Reina had not had the most glorious of matches before the penalty shoot-out, and was arguably at fault for at least one of the three West Ham goals.
Hyypiä himself was rather surprisingly among the Liverpool spot-kickers, and he actually failed to score, hitting the ball rather tamely at Shaka Hislop in the West Ham goal.
Hyypiä declared that he had never given up hope during a match in which Liverpool were behind most of the time, first 2-0 and then 3-2, with the equalising goal coming only in the final minute of normal time.
"We have so many good strikers on the roster that it was always going to be possible", he said. In fact it was the captain and midfield general Stevie Gerrard who delivered two of the goals - but then again he has been the club's leading goalscorer all season. Hyypiä's remarks about the potent Liverpool strike-force were perhaps coloured by the victory.
Hyypiä was in any case unflustered by his failed spot-kick. He reported that the manager Rafael Benitez had asked him after extra time if he wanted to take one of the kicks, and he replied that he would - and said afterwards he would say the same again if asked. He did admit that the team had not practiced taking penalties for the FA Cup Final.
Hyypiä is a much-decorated footballer: in addition to FA Cup Winners' medals from 2006 and 2001 (when he also captained the side), he has a European Champions League medal from last spring, a UEFA Cup medal (again as captain), and two English League Cup titles.
The one big fish that has so far got away is the English Premiership. Liverpool dominated English and European football in the 1970s and 1980s, but since 1999, when Hyypiä joined the club from Willem II in Holland, their best position has been runners-up.
This season Liverpool finished in third place behind champions Chelsea and arch-rivals Manchester United.
Some small consolation, perhaps, came from the fact that Liverpool defeated both these clubs on the way to the Cup Final in Cardiff.
West Ham provided stiff opposition on Saturday, and they very deservedly won themselves a place in the UEFA Cup next season. In fact their berth in that competition was assured, since Liverpool will be playing in the European Champions League next year, always assuming they get through the qualifying round.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 15.5.2006 - TODAY |
 Sami Hyypiä relieved after last-gasp FA Cup victory
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