The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON
The Final
3pm, Saturday 17 May 2008
Wembley Stadium
Winning clubs will receive £1,000,000 from The FA
It has taken him 26 years as a coach and manager to do it but the smile on Harry Redknapp’s face as he lifted The FA Cup said the wait was worth it.
Much of the focus after this FA Cup Final will rightly be on match-winner Kanu and on Portsmouth’s first victory in the competition since 1939.
So many of their players – including Sol Campbell and David James at the back and Lassana Diarra and Niko Kranjcar in midfield – also played well on an emotional and special day for the South Coast club.
But it is the manager who deserves the biggest mention after seeing his FA Cup dream come true and finally winning the big trophy that has eluded him for so long.
"There's only one Harry Redknapp," his supporters sang as Pompey lifted the Cup - and they clearly know their football down in Hampshire!
Redknapp, 61, has had the game in his blood since the moment his father took him to watch his first ever match in the 1950s.
He remembers parking a wooden box on top of a manhole on the Highbury terrace to cheer his Arsenal heroes - and that same passion continues to drive him on more than half a century later.
Having started his first job in coaching way back in 1982 - as assistant to David Webb at Bournemouth - he was overdue an FA Cup Final appearance and, thankfully for him, it ended in glory.
Cardiff, managed by another of the game’s good guys in the shape of Dave Jones, made him fight all the way but in the end Pompey had just that extra bit of Premiership class to finish on top.
After such an exciting FA Cup campaign – who could forget the exploits of Havant and Waterlooville or Barnsley and their respective trips to Anfield – it was a fitting end to the 2007-2008 season.
Portsmouth and Cardiff are two of the most passionate sets of supporters in Britain and they generated the kind of fervent atmosphere that makes the FA Cup Final the greatest game in club football.
The Bluebirds were a credit to the competition but Redknapp used all of his old guile to ensure it was his team that came out on top.
He struck to his tried-and-tested 4-5-1 formation despite being labelled firm favourites for the Final and watched as Kanu tucked away the winner from a 37th minute John Utaka cross.
Portsmouth, drilled by David James and Sol Campbell at the back, were resilient in defence and classy on the break. And the marriage of Diarra’s energy and Kranjcar’s skill in midfield was a pleasing combination that underpinned their victory.
With Utaka and Sulley Muntari providing further attacking impetus and the evergreen Kanu at his nonchalant best, they kept a spirited Cardiff at bay.
The Welshmen, for whom Joe Ledley, Paul Parry and Glenn Loovens were all excellent, fought right to the bitter end.
They had a goal disallowed for handball and had Portsmouth pinned in their penalty area in injury time.
Rather than bring on extra defenders Redknapp called on striker David Nugent to help his side through the last 15 minutes and, again, his judgement proved right.
After so many years of going for glory, it was Harry’s turn.
The man who stands for tradition in the English game had just added his own chapter to football's rich book of history. And who could possibly say he doesn't deserve it?
Teams
Cardiff City
1 Peter Enckelman, 2 Kevin McNaughton, 3 Tony Capaldi, 4 Gavin Rae (18 Trevor Sinclair, 87) 6 Glenn Loovens, 7 Peter Whittingham (30 Aaron Ramsey, 62) 10 Stephen McPhail, 11 Paul Parry, 12 Roger Johnson, 16 Joe Ledley, 36 Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (20 Steve Thompson, 71)
Substitutes
13 Michael Oakes, 5 Darren Purse.
Portsmouth
1 David James, 5 Glen Johnson, 6 Lassana Diarra, 7 Hermann Hreidarsson, 11 Sulley Muntari, 15 Sylvain Distin, 17 John Utaka (10 David Nugent, 69) 19 Niko Kranjcar, 23 Sol Campbell, 27 Nwankwo Kanu (9 Milan Baros, 86 30 Pedro Mendes (8 Papa Bouba Diop, 78)
Substitutes
21 Jamie Ashdown, 16 Noe Pamarot
Match Officials
Referee: Mike Dean (Cheshire FA)
Assistant Referees: Trevor Massey (Manchester FA) & Martin Yerby (Kent FA)
Fourth Official: Chris Foy (Liverpool FA)
Attendance: 89,874