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2004 FA Cup final

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For the women's event, see 2004 FA Women's Cup final.

The 2004 FA Cup final was the 123rd FA Cup Final and the fourth to be played at the Millennium Stadium, the Welsh national stadium in Cardiff, due to the ongoing reconstruction of the usual venue, London's Wembley Stadium. The match took place on 22 May 2004 and it was contested by Manchester United, who had finished third in the Premier League that season, and Millwall, who had finished 10th in the First Division.

2004 FA Cup Final
Event2003–04 FA Cup
Manchester United Millwall
3 0
Date22 May 2004
VenueMillennium Stadium, Cardiff
Man of the MatchRuud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United)[1]
RefereeJeff Winter (North Yorkshire)
Attendance71,350
WeatherScattered clouds
13 °C (55 °F)
54% humidity[2]
← 2003
2005 →

Manchester United secured a record 11th FA Cup victory with a headed goal from Cristiano Ronaldo and a brace from Ruud van Nistelrooy, which included a penalty kick. In contrast, it was Millwall's first appearance in a final of either the FA Cup or the Football League Cup. At the trophy presentation after the match, the Manchester United players wore shirts bearing the name and number of midfielder Jimmy Davis, who died in a road accident in August 2003.

The match was refereed by Jeff Winter. Tony Green and Roger East were the assistant referees and Matt Messias was the fourth official.

Background edit

Manchester United were appearing in their 16th FA Cup final and had won it on 10 of their previous 15 appearances. Two of these victories had yielded a League and FA Cup double (in 1994 and 1996) and in 1999 they had won the FA Cup as part of an unprecedented treble of Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup wins.

For Millwall, 2004 was their first appearance in an FA Cup final, although they had reached the semi-finals on three prior occasions: 1900, 1903 and 1937. Their appearance in the 1937 semi-final was notable as Millwall were the first team in the old Third Division to reach that stage. They also became only the second team from outside the top flight of English football to reach the final since 1982, and the first team from outside the Premier League since its foundation in 1992. Millwall reached the 2004 decider without having met any club from the Premier League along the way.

Route to the final edit

Pre-match edit

Venue edit

Due to the ongoing reconstruction of Wembley Stadium, the match was played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff for the fourth year in a row.[3] The stadium was built in 1998 ahead of the 1999 Rugby World Cup in Wales, with a capacity of 72,500. While it was being built, the Wales national rugby union team played its home matches at the old Wembley Stadium, so after Wembley was torn down in 2000, the Millennium Stadium was selected to host the finals of the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Football League play-offs until at least 2003.[4] Delays to the construction of the new Wembley meant that deal was later extended until 2006.[5]

Referee edit

The referee for the final was Jeff Winter from Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, who was officiating in his last match as a professional referee, having reached the mandatory retirement age of 45.[6][7] Winter's assistant referees were Roger East and Tony Green, while Matt Messias was the fourth official.

Broadcasting edit

The match was broadcast live on television in the United Kingdom on both BBC One and Sky Sports 1.[8] The BBC broadcast was presented by Gary Lineker, with Alan Hansen, Peter Schmeichel and Michael Owen in the studio, and commentary from John Motson in his 25th FA Cup Final as lead commentator.[9] The BBC also provided live radio coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live, presented by Mark Pougatch, with commentary from Alan Green and Mike Ingham, and analysis from Jimmy Armfield and Steve Claridge.[9]

Match edit

Team selection edit

Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll appeared to have earned his place in the team for the FA Cup final after a run of good performances between the end of March and mid-April 2004, conceding just two goals in five games, including the semi-final win over Arsenal on 3 April.[10] However, a 1–0 defeat away to Portsmouth on 17 April led to a recall for American goalkeeper Tim Howard for the last five games of the season. Although Howard conceded three goals in that time, he retained his place in the team for the cup final. Following the recurrence of a knee injury against Arsenal on 28 March, striker Ruud van Nistelrooy was only able to play in one match in April 2004 and was expected to miss the last two league games against Chelsea and Aston Villa to ensure his fitness for the final;[11] however, he recovered in time to play and score in both games, guaranteeing his place up front against Millwall. One surprise selection saw Darren Fletcher named in central midfield alongside Roy Keane ahead of both Nicky Butt and Phil Neville.

Millwall went into the final with doubts over the fitness of player-manager Dennis Wise (knee), captain Kevin Muscat (knee) and midfielder Paul Ifill (groin);[12] Wise and Ifill recovered in time to play in the final, but Muscat was ruled out for the rest of the season.[13] Bob Peeters, Andy Roberts, Tony Warner and Charley Hearn also missed the game through injury, while striker Danny Dichio was suspended.[14][15] Because they were unable to play in the game, and with manager Wise in the starting line-up, Muscat and Warner led the Millwall team out for the national anthem before kick-off.[16]

Summary edit

The first chances of the match fell to Manchester United's Paul Scholes, who took a couple of long-range efforts at goal – one went just wide while another was tipped away by Millwall goalkeeper Andy Marshall. Scholes was presented with another opportunity on the six-yard line, when a rabona cross from Cristiano Ronaldo found him unmarked; the midfielder seemed as surprised by the cross as everyone else and completely missed the ball with his hooked shot.[17]

Millwall's only chance of the first half came when Paul Ifill broke down the right-hand side of the pitch and arrowed in towards the penalty area, only to have his shot blocked.[17] They looked to have survived the first half without conceding until a minute before the interval, when Roy Keane played in Gary Neville as the right-back moved into the penalty area and Neville chipped a cross back across the box; Millwall player-manager Dennis Wise waited for the ball to arrive, but in doing so, he allowed Ronaldo to steal in and head the ball past Marshall, to give United a 1–0 lead going into the break.[17]

Manchester United went 2–0 up 20 minutes into the second half, when Ryan Giggs went on a run down the right wing into the Millwall box only to be brought down by David Livermore. Referee Jeff Winter awarded a penalty for the foul and Ruud van Nistelrooy scored with a powerful shot into the top-corner to the goalkeeper's right.[18] United now held a comfortable advantage and Millwall struggled to find a way back into the match. United's defence kept Neil Harris and Tim Cahill at bay, and the Red Devils eventually scored a third when Giggs went on a run down the left and crossed for Van Nistelrooy to tap in from three yards out. There were suggestions that Van Nistelrooy was offside at the moment of Giggs' pass, but television replays showed his feet were grounded in an onside position.[18]

Millwall had a chance near the end when substitute Mark McCammon almost found a way through United's defence, while Scholes had a late effort for the Reds, before Curtis Weston (aged 17 years and 119 days) replaced Wise to become the youngest player to appear in an FA Cup final,[17] beating the record set by James F. M. Prinsep of Clapham Rovers, when he appeared in the 1879 FA Cup Final at the age of 17 years and 245 days. The match finished 3–0 to Manchester United, their 11th success in the FA Cup.[17]

Match details edit

Manchester United3–0Millwall
Ronaldo   44'
Van Nistelrooy   65' (pen.), 81'		 Report
Attendance: 71,350
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Manchester United
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Millwall
GK 14   Tim Howard   84'
RB 2   Gary Neville
CB 6   Wes Brown
CB 27   Mikaël Silvestre
LB 22   John O'Shea
RM 7   Cristiano Ronaldo   84'
CM 24   Darren Fletcher   84'
CM 16   Roy Keane (c)
LM 11   Ryan Giggs
SS 18   Paul Scholes
CF 10   Ruud van Nistelrooy
Substitutes:
GK 13   Roy Carroll   84'
DF 3   Phil Neville
MF 8   Nicky Butt   84'
MF 19   Eric Djemba-Djemba
FW 20   Ole Gunnar Solskjær   84'
Manager:
  Alex Ferguson
 
GK 33   Andy Marshall
RB 25   Marvin Elliott
CB 2   Matt Lawrence (c)
CB 12   Darren Ward
LB 3   Robbie Ryan   74'
RM 7   Paul Ifill
CM 19   Dennis Wise   48'   89'
CM 8   David Livermore
LM 26   Peter Sweeney
SS 4   Tim Cahill
CF 9   Neil Harris   75'
Substitutes:
GK 13   Willy Guéret
DF 27   Alan Dunne
MF 37   Barry Cogan   74'
MF 11   Curtis Weston   89'
FW 23   Mark McCammon   75'
Player-manager:
  Dennis Wise

Man of the Match

Match officials

Match rules

  • 90 minutes
  • 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores still level
  • Five named substitutes, of which three could be used

Post-match edit

Manchester United were presented with the FA Cup by England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson, who selected Ruud van Nistelrooy as the man of the match. For the trophy presentation, the Manchester United squad changed into shirts bearing the name and squad number of Jimmy Davis, who died in a road accident while on loan to Watford in August 2003.[19] Eriksson's selection of Van Nistelrooy as man of the match was met with criticism from some members of the media, with both the BBC and The Guardian naming Cristiano Ronaldo as the game's best player.[20][21] Ronaldo received praise from both his manager Alex Ferguson and teammate Gary Neville after the game,[22] as well as BBC pundit Alan Hansen[23] and The Guardian's Andy Gray.[24]

Dennis Wise claimed Ronaldo's goal at the end of the first half proved the turning point in the match, but he felt there were plenty of positives for his team to take from the game.[25] It was Tim Cahill's last game for Millwall, as he signed for Everton in July 2004,[26] and Nicky Butt's last game for Manchester United, as he signed for Newcastle United later that same month.[27]

Since Manchester United had already qualified for the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League by virtue of their league position, Millwall qualified for the first round of the 2004–05 UEFA Cup.[28] Club owner Theo Paphitis said the club had made around £2.5 million for making it to the FA Cup final, but that the club could stand to lose money if they failed to reach the group stage of the UEFA Cup.[29]

It was the last time that Manchester United won the FA Cup until 2016.

References edit

  1. ^ a b "FA Cup final clockwatch". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 22 May 2004. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  2. ^ "Weather History for EGFF - Saturday, May 22, 2004". Weather Underground. The Weather Channel. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  3. ^ "Cardiff set for Cup final". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 21 May 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  4. ^ "FA Cup heads for Cardiff". BBC News (British Broadcasting Corporation). 4 January 2001. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  5. ^ "FA books Cardiff as final back-up". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 14 August 2005. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  6. ^ "Final nod for Winter". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 6 April 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  7. ^ Roach, Stuart (22 May 2004). "Winter in wonderland". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  8. ^ "BBC happy with Final figures". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 7 May 2002. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  9. ^ a b "BBC has the Cup final covered!". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 20 May 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  10. ^ "Carroll set for FA Cup slot". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 9 April 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  11. ^ "Ruud rested until Cup final". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 6 May 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  12. ^ "Wise receives Cup boost". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 6 April 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  13. ^ Plummer, David; Taylor, Daniel (9 April 2004). "Muscat suffers final injury". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  14. ^ Fletcher, Paul (20 May 2004). "Lions ready for dream date". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  15. ^ "Former Millwall striker Peeters bids to end Charlton's derby woes". newsshopper.co.uk. Newsquest. 17 November 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  16. ^ "FA Cup final clockwatch". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 22 May 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  17. ^ a b c d e "Man Utd win FA Cup". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 22 May 2004. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  18. ^ a b McCarra, Kevin (24 May 2004). "United triumph by taking the job seriously". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  19. ^ "Players remember Davis". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 22 May 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  20. ^ "FA Cup final player ratings". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 22 May 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  21. ^ Scott, Matt (24 May 2004). "Time to Wise up and stand down". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  22. ^ "Neville hails Ronaldo". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 22 May 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  23. ^ Hansen, Alan (22 May 2004). "Wing wizard lights up final". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  24. ^ Gray, Andy (24 May 2004). "How United's wide boys turned the flanks and the game". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  25. ^ "Wise positive in defeat". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 22 May 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  26. ^ "Cahill signs for Everton". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 23 July 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  27. ^ "Newcastle sign Butt". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 29 July 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  28. ^ "Lions confirmed in Uefa Cup". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 12 April 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  29. ^ "Millwall count Cup cash". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 5 April 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2015.

External links edit

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