It's another Liverpool/Chelsea DFA Cup final, as they both squeaked by a resilient Roma side last night...
Roma 2 - 3 Chelsea
Karl Marx would have been proud: the have-nots in Rome going toe-to-toe with the league's noveau riche and nearly turning them over. Mirko Vucinic handed the home side a shock lead, only for Chelsea to equalise early in the second half. The game's defining moment came when the physical embodiment of a squad "spoiled for choice," brought Fernando Torres off the bench to net a second half brace and ensure a win for the Pensioners.
Liverpool (4) 1 - 1 (3) Roma
In a much more evenly matched contest, the league's two talent-deficient sides met on Merseyside knowing a Liverpool win would send Roma crashing out of the Cup. It was a frustrating match as neither side created many clear cut opportunities until extra time, after Vucinic and Suarez strikes closed the 90 minutes at 1-1. Julio Sergio would not be breached and a series of fine point-blank saves sent the match to penalties. It was Pepe Reina who would emerge the hero, pulling off two fine stops to send his club to the final for the third time.
The final seems a Chelsea lock on paper, but Liverpool has historically had their number in the DFA. This season the Reds are 3-1-0 against the Blues in all competitions. Though form goes right out the window in cup finals and one would have to put the "favorites" tag on the side that can afford to call the DFA's leading scorer merely a substitute.
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| Roma's season will now end trophy-less following their DFA Cup heartbreak |
Both competitive and intense matches. Good luck to both of you in the finals.
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