The 2006 FA Cup final remains one of Liverpool’s best moments of the 21st century, with a topsy-turvy match against West Ham United being defined by the great Steven Gerrard.
Gerrard twice hauled Liverpool back into a game they looked destined to lose, scoring one of his most memorable goals with a 35-yard bullet in the final moments.
While the goal was all about Gerrard‘s quality and accuracy in shooting from long-range, there was a period of play leading up to the ball leaving his boot, with Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni guilty of surrendering possession cheaply.
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Scaloni gifted Liverpool possession before Gerrard’s wonder goal
Many English football fans will have no memory of Scaloni playing in the Premier League, but the World Cup-winning coach spent six months on-loan at West Ham from Deportivo La Coruna in 2006.
As part of that, the Argentine started – and ended up playing the full 120 minutes – of the 06 FA Cup final, even providing the cross from which Jamie Carragher opened the scoring with an own goal in the 21st minute.
It had looked as though he would be collecting a winner’s medal as well, but with time virtually up, Scaloni hoofed an uncontested ball back into the middle of the pitch, right onto Gerrard’s boot.
The right-back collected a throw-in from Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann, who was handing West Ham back possession following a stoppage in play. But instead of clearing it back up the line or out of play again, Scaloni rather lofted his clearance straight to Gerrard. 11 seconds later, Liverpool were level.
It was not necessarily Scaloni’s fault, but from his pass, Gerrard took the ball down 40 yards from goal and played a short pass to John Arne Riise, who then clipped a cross into the box. As he did so, Gerrard drifted a little up the pitch, and was on hand to collect Danny Gabbidon’s header clear to smash it back and beyond goalkeeper Shaka Hislop for 3-3.
The moment belonged to Gerrard and to Liverpool, but Scaloni was left wondering what might have been had he just done something different with his clearance.
Scaloni has never forgotten his ‘mistake’
Although it would be harsh to categorise Scaloni’s botched clearance as a mistake, the moment clearly left a mark on the Argentine, as well as his then West Ham teammates and their fans.
“In the final I made a mistake that I don’t know was so serious, but it led to Gerrard’s equalizer – he struck it from 40-odd meters,” Scaloni once said. “An incredible goal. And that meant I didn’t stay at the club.
“It changed my life forever and for the better because that’s where I met my wife, That’s fate. West Ham’s staff may not remember me very well either because my head was elsewhere.”
One of West Ham’s scorers that day, Dean Ashton, told TalkSPORT in 2022 that he would certainly never forget Scaloni, and he was sure Hammers fans would feel the same way.
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“West Ham fans will never forget him, as will I not,” Ashton said. “All he needs to do is smash it back to [Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe] Reina or put it out into the stands.”
“He ultimately cost us the game. I am going to say it” substitute James Collins told Bona Fide Sports in 2024. “All he’s got to do is let it run out for a goal kick. Bang, game over.”
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