Of the over 125 FA Cup Finals, none were better than the 1987 Final in my opinion. It was David versus Goliath. The underdog, Coventry City, had never reached a Final despite playing in the tournament over 100 times. The favorite, Tottenham, had reached the Final seven times before and they had never lost a single one.

Tottenham also had perhaps the most prolific scorer in the world at that point, Clive Allen, who had led the team in a complete dismantling of Watford in the Semi-final. Coventry City had no “big names”, but they did have unbridled tenacity, which they had exhibited in their Semi-final victory over Leeds United in extra time.

After fans packed Wembley Stadium for the Final, things began to go exactly how most experts had opined they would. Less than two minutes into the game, Allen put a perfect cross into the net with his head, and many people started to fear the game would become a rout. But, only seven minutes later Coventry equalized the match.

Just before half, Spurs defender Gary Mabbutt gave Tottenham back the lead, and fifteen minutes into the second half it looked like they would hoist their 8th Cup. But, in the 64th minute Coventry’s Dave Bennett (who had scored the first goal) threw a beautiful cross into the box and Keith Houchen put it in the net with a miraculous header.

After regular time ended with the teams locked in a tie, extra time began and players began to look physically and emotionally fatigued due to the frenzied play and great significance of the match. Six minutes in, Coventry’s Lloyd McGrath centered a ball into the box, and it hit off Mabbutt’s knee and went past the keeper to give the underdog the lead and, ultimately, the victory.

While the final goal was not pretty, it did result in Coventry’s historic win over the previously perfect Spurs, so I highly doubt they or their fans cared how the game winning goal found the net. After over 100 years of playing the role of “also-rans”, Coventry had an FA Cup to hoist. It was perhaps the biggest upset in FA Cup Final history and it was definitely one of the most intense matches in English football history. That’s why I have it here as #1 on this list.

So, I have now completed my tour of the seven greatest Finals in FA Cup history, and I hope you all enjoyed learning about the matches I selected. I am sure I left several memorable Finals off this list, so please feel free to let me hear about them in the comments below. It’s tough to narrow over 125 Finals down into a list of the seven finest, so please do not be offended if I left your favorite out. Who knows, maybe this list will need to be revised when May 30, 2009 comes around and we witness another Final battle for the FA Cup, England’s most historic trophy.

The 1953 FA Cup Final could easily have been placed at #1 on this list, but I think it just falls short of my selection for that honor. But, one cannot deny that the 1953 Final between Blackpool and Bolton was simply magnificent. The match is remembered as the “Matthews Final” due to the fantastic performance of Stanley Matthews for Blackpool.

It was the first football match ever attended by Queen Elizabeth II as reigning monarch, and she would be on hand to witness one of the greatest matches in English football history. Bolton took a lead only 75 seconds into the match when legendary striker Nat Lofthouse notched a goal. Blackpool would equalize though thirty-five minutes later.

Just before half-time, Bolton took the lead again, and then they gave themselves some breathing room by finding the net again in the 55th minute. It looked like it was all but over for Blackpool. But, Matthews and Stan Mortensen had other ideas. After Matthews dribbled through defenders and assisted Mortensen on two more goals (which completed Mortensen’s hat trick, the only one ever in an FA Cup Final), the game was tied.

With just seconds remaining in the match, Matthews again eluded defenders and crossed the ball into the box where Bill Perry nailed it home. Blackpool had won the game by scoring three times in in 24 minutes. The game was so remarkable, even Lofthouse is said to have applauded the winners and celebrated their victory, even though his team lost. It was probably the most exciting Final ever, and that’s why it’s #2 on this list.

The 1988 Final had it all. It featured a ragtag bunch of perpetual losers, Wimbledon, against the best team in the world at the time, Liverpool. It was also a thrilling match, and one of the tensest in FA Cup Final history. In the end, Wimbledon would play the role of giant-killer by beating league champion Liverpool 1-0.

The “Crazy Gang” of Wimbledon won the title, the squad’s only one, by playing some tenacious defense. They scored in the 37th minute on a Lawrie Sanchez header off of a brilliant free kick from Dennis Wise. Liverpool dominated the game after going down one, but they simply could not capitalize on their several chances.

Sixty minutes in, Liverpool was awarded a controversial penalty shot after a foul by Clive Goodyear. John Aldridge struck the shot well, but Dave Beasant made a remarkable save. Beasant would continue to frustrate the Reds with his miraculous saves to secure the win. The result was one of the biggest upsets in FA Cup history.

Unfortunately for Wimbledon, they did not get to compete in the European Cup Winners Cup the following year because of the ban against English teams arising out of Liverpool’s role in the 1985 Heysel Disaster. Though the loss of this opportunity marred their victory, they still did achieve one of the greatest upsets in FA Cup history, so this match belongs on this list.

The 2006 FA Cup Final may only be on this list due to its recency, but I do not think anyone can deny that it was one of the most exciting soccer games ever played. In the Final, Liverpool beat West Ham United on penalties to win their seventh FA Cup. It is one of only two Finals decided by penalties in the tournament’s history.

The 2006 Final was the last one that was played in Millenium Stadium due to the renovation of Wembley Stadium. 71,140 people watched the match in the stadium, but tens of millions more watched on television. Both Liverpool and West Ham were First Division sides and both teams had a rash of injuries prior to the Final.

The first goal went to the Hammers, but it was actually scored by Liverpool’s Jamie Carragher. In the 28th minute, West Ham scored again and it looked like they would win their first title since the 1980 FA Cup Final. Only four minutes later though, Liverpool’s Captain Steven Gerrard assisted a goal to bring the Reds within one.

Gerrard evened the game himself in the 53rd minute, but West Ham fought back and took the lead on an ugly cross that went in the net. The fluke goal looked like it would seal the Reds’ fate, but in the game’s closing seconds Gerrard notched a goal on an amazing 37 yard strike. After extra time expired, Liverpool’s Reina saved three of the Hammers four shots to secure the win for Liverpool. It was a great match, and I think it deserves to be #4 here.

The 1973 FA Cup Final is another one I almost put higher on this list for the obvious fact that it is significant for several reasons. Sunderland, a Second Division squad, won the title by beating Leeds United in a thrilling match, and in doing so they became only the second lower division squad, and the first since 1931, to hoist the FA Cup.

Leeds United was heavily favored to dismantle Sunderland because they featured several star players and many men who played for the English National Team. Sunderland, on the other hand, had no players who had been capped for the Nats. But, the minnow would historically sink the shark on that fateful Saturday in May of 1973.

The game itself was unique, and not just because Sunderland would shock the world. It was the only FA Cup Final to ever be played with an orange ball, which probably made the unfathomable result look even more strange. Sunderland took the lead in the 31st minute on a Ian Porterfield goal, and they would never relinquish it.

The Man of the Match was Sunderland’s goalkeeper Jimmy Montgomery, who played perhaps the greatest Final in FA Cup history. He made several acrobatic saves throughout the match, but his second half diving save of a Peter Lorimer shot is reputed to be the greatest save in the history of English soccer. His play was stellar, as was this Final.

The 1923 FA Cup Final deserves recognition on this list. In fact, I almost put it higher up as it was the first ever Final played at Wembley Stadium. As the occasion was historic, King George V himself was present to award the Cup to Bolton after they bested West Ham United 2-0 in one of the most exciting and controversial Finals ever played.

The Final is remembered almost more for the chaos surrounding it than the game itself. As it was the first football match ever played in Wembley Stadium, you can imagine many folks wanted to be present inside the stadium. Well, the new venue only held 125,000 people, but over 300,000 tried to push through the turnstiles.

The result was that thousands of spectators ended up on the actual pitch during the game. In fact, when corner kicks were taken, guards on horseback had to clear the perimeter of the field so the players could have room to manuever. The difficulty the guards had controlling the large crowd led to many new safety measures being instituted.

The game itself was also chaotic. Bolton was a First Division superpower while West Ham United was a Second Division squad that had only been recognized by the FA four years earlier. Bolton won the game 2-0, but some people say the second goal was actually assisted by a spectator standing just off the pitch. It was a chaotic scene and a significant match, so I think it belongs on this list even though the game’s final score was perhaps unfair.

The FA Cup is known to English football fans simply as “The Cup” because it truly is the most important cup competition of the season. It is also the oldest football competition in the entire world, having been initiated in 1871. Since then, over 750 teams have participated in the tourney with the hope of reaching the Final and hoisting the Cup.

The best thing about the FA Cup is that it features clubs from all divisions playing against one another, and thus it gives small teams, or “minnows”, the opportunity to become “giant-killers” by beating some of the best teams in the first division. Although no lower division side has won the Cup in nearly 30 years, it will happen again someday.

I recently studied the history and tradition of the FA Cup and I have compiled a list of the seven finest Finals in FA Cup history. Now, this was no easy task as there were 125 Finals to choose from, so cut me a little slack if I left your favorite Final out. If I did omit a significant Final, feel free to heckle me in the comments section below.

Here are the criteria on which I made my list:

1. The game had to be a battle, meaning blowouts need not apply;

2. The game had to be a classic, meaning it had to have great significance for the entire sport;

3. The game had to be historic, meaning it had to feature a upset or legendary teams.  

So, with those three factors as my guide, I have concocted a list of the seven greatest FA Cup Finals in the tournament’s history. Please come back to PLTO over the next week to learn about these Finals and why they are historically significant to the world’s most beautiful game.

I am sure many critics will say I am simply buying into the hype by placing England at #3 on this list. After all, their recent results in big tournaments have been very poor. Since winning the Cup in 1966, England has only reached the semifinal once, and in 2002 and 2006 they stalled during the quarterfinals. They didn’t even make it to Euro 2008.

Yes, I must admit the fact that England has been very bad in big tourneys for quite some time. Another fact is equally undeniable though, the current team is stacked with talent, including manager Fabio Capello. The Italian maestro has England 4-0 in qualifiers thus far with a 14-3 goal differential. He may just be the difference they need.

But how could he really go wrong when choosing a roster from players that include John Terry, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Micah Richards, Joe Cole, Theo Walcott, Owen Hargreaves, Michael Owen, Jermain Defoe… whew… I’m exhausted already. They have the talent, but do they have the will to win?

FIFA thinks England is only the #8 squad in the world, and like I said earlier, that makes sense based on their poor recent performances in World Cups and big European tournaments. But I think they are due to regain their rightful place in the top tier of world soccer. We will have to wait until 2010 to find out, but I think they are #3 for right now.

Eduardo da Silva scored twice in his return to Arsenal after a nearly one-year layoff caused by a broken leg, leading the Gunners over Cardiff 4-0 Monday night and into the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Eduardo scored in the 20th minute with a header off a cross from Carlos Vela, then beat goalkeeper Tom Heaton with a penalty kick in the 60th after he was brought down by Gavin Rae.

After the first goal, Eduardo ran toward a corner, fell to his knees and smiled before being teammates enveloped him. Arsenal fans erupted into celebrations and sang Eduardo’s name.

“Of course everybody is happy for him but I believe it was a good team performance, dynamic, convincing, mobile, with the kind of game we love to play,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. “Eduardo played a big part in that and everybody is, of course, pleased for him tonight.”

The 25-year-old forward’s left fibula was broken and ankle dislocated during a tackle by Birmingham’s Martin Taylor last Feb. 23. Eduardo played his first official game after that last Wednesday, setting up the go-ahead goal for Croatia in a 2-1 exhibition win over Romania.

In the fourth-round replay, Arsenal also got goals from Nicklas Bendtner in the 33rd minute and Robin van Persie in the 88th. Van Persie entered in the 67th for Eduardo, who left with a slightly strained hamstring.