The 2006 FA Cup Final was a half of 1 4 cup match played between Liverpool and West Ham United on 13 May 2006 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. As both teams were in the highest tier of English football, the Premier League, they entered the competition in the third round. Matches up to the semi-final were contested on a one-off basis, with a replay taking place if the match ended in a draw.
Liverpool’s matches varied from close affairs to comfortable victories. The victory meant Liverpool won the FA Cup for the seventh time. They later played against league champions Chelsea in the 2006 FA Community Shield. Liverpool entered the competition in the third round, as one of the twenty teams from the Premier League. They were drawn against Football League Championship side Luton Town, at Luton’s home ground Kenilworth Road. Fellow Premier League team Manchester United were the opposition in the fifth round. 0, courtesy of a Peter Crouch goal in the 19th minute.
This was the first time in 85 years that Liverpool had defeated United in the FA Cup. Chelsea, also of the Premier League, were the opposition in the semi-final. The match was held at a neutral venue Old Trafford, the home ground of Manchester United. Liverpool took the lead in the first half. The Middlesbrough and West Ham United teams line-up before their semi-final match.
West Ham entered the competition in the third round, where they were drawn against Championship team Norwich City. Before the game Norwich’s top scorer, Dean Ashton, was withdrawn from their squad amid speculation that he was about to be sold. West Ham were again drawn against Premier League opposition in the fifth round, facing Bolton Wanderers away at the Reebok Stadium. Middlesbrough, also from the Premier League, were the opposition in the semi-final at the neutral venue of Villa Park in Birmingham.