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Portsmouth reached the FA Cup final by defeating Tottenham Hotspurs 2-0 on Sunday, April 11, 2010 at Wembley stadium. Pompey sink Spurs with two extra time goals from forward Frederic Piquionne and midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng.
Piquionne broke the tie game in the tenth-minute of extra time. After three minutes, Spurs boss Harry Redknapp puts Icelandic forward Eidur Gudjohnsen on the field as a substitute for Tom Huddlestone. And 12 minutes after Piquionne’s goal, Pompey boss Avram Grant replaced him and put Papa Bouba Diop on the field. Boateng secured Pompey’s victory by adding another goal from the penalty spot 17 minutes later.
Portsmouth will be facing Chelsea, who beats Aston Villa 3-0 on Saturday, in the final round on May 15. Portsmouth will be receiving 900,000 pounds ($1.4 million) in prize money after defeating former manager Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham, and also the ticket revenue from the semifinal.
This is what Redknapp said in the recent interview:
“The pitch is a disgrace. For any professional team to have to play on that is farcical. How can you play football on a pitch you can’t stand up on? It was like a skating rink.”
He also added,
“It wasn’t our day. I don’t know why Crouch’s goal was disallowed. I’ve seen it again. If you see David James’ face, he looked around and said, ‘How did I get away with that?’”
If Redknapp can’t hide his disappointments, Grant can’t hide his smiles. He is the happiest manager that day for winning an overwhelming 2-0 victory to reach the FA Cup final is remarkable and unforgettable in the team’s history.
“To see the players and the fans so happy – for these moments you work all your life. To see the members of staff who have lost their jobs in the dressing room with us, people who the players have given their money to for them to be with us. It’s very humbling.”
Avram Grant, Portsmouth Manager
Topics: Avram Grant, Eidur Gudjohnsen, FA Cup, FA Cup Final, Frederic Piquionne, Harry Redknapp, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Papa Bouba Diop, Pompey, Portsmouth, Soccer, sports, Spurs, Tom Huddlestone, Tottenham, Tottenham Hotspurs
