Darren Eales’ love of soccer was born after watching the first round of an FA Cup game in 1977 when he was 5 years old. Though the result was a tie, the impact on Eales was enormous.
“I was hooked,” he said.
Now president of MLS Atlanta, Eales’ love of soccer will be further strengthened Saturday when the championship of this year’s FA Cup tournament will be played at Wembley Stadium in England.
The finals will pit Arsenal vs. Aston Villa, two teams owned by Americans and participating in the world’s oldest domestic soccer tournament. The FA Cup is for dreamers because it gives every team from the top-levels of the Premier League down to semi-pro teams an opportunity to become the country’s champion. Teams composed of plumbers and deliverymen can earn the right to try to defeat the Manchester Uniteds, Chelseas or Arsenals of the world.
The FA Cup would be like a basketball tournament in the United States that includes teams from the NBA, all divisions of the NCAA, NAIA, community colleges, AAU teams and on down to the men who have real jobs during the day and keep their sports dreams alive on nights and weekends.
“It’s the David and Goliath story,” said MLS Atlanta technical director Carlos Bocanegra, who played in a few FA Cup games when he was a player at Fulham. “You always see these big teams going to a small place that will hold 2,000 spectators. Their squad is worth $200-300 million playing a team whose payroll may be $1 million.”
And there have been upsets. Two of the more famous are Luton Town, which didn’t play in a league, defeating then-Premier League resident Norwich Town in 2013.
The biggest may have been when Hereford United, which no longer exists and also didn’t even play in a league, defeated mighty Newcastle United 2-1 in 1972.
“Everyone still remembers the pictures of a muddy pitch and the guy who scored the goal shot one from 30 yards,” Eales said.
This year’s final doesn’t pit a David vs. Goliath like two years ago when tiny Wigan defeated Manchester City, one of the world’s richest clubs, only to be relegated from the Premier League a week later because of poor results during the season.
“Everybody roots for the underdogs,” Bocanegra said. “That’s why it’s such a fun tournament.”
This year’s underdog will be Aston Villa, owned by American businessman Randy Lerner who has been trying for months to sell the club. The Villans have only recently escaped a relegation battle to be assured of another season in the Premier League. Aston Villa features one American, goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who likely won’t play Saturday.
Arsenal is the defending FA Cup champ and one of the richer clubs in England, if not Europe. It is owned by U.S. businessman Stan Kroenke, who also owns the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, NBA’s Denver Nuggets, NFL’s St. Louis Rams and MLS’ Colorado Rapids.
The Gunners, as Arsenal is known, have recently secured a top-four finish in the Premier League with a roster loaded with some of Europe’s best talent. Arsenal doesn’t regularly feature an American in its first team.
Both Eales and Bocanegra would love to see Aston Villa win. Villa manager Tim Sherwood managed Tottenham when Eales worked there. Bocanegra would like to see his friend Guzan win a trophy.
Neither seem confident that Villa can win its eighth FA Cup, but they do have hope.
After’s all, that’s the magic of the tournament.
“There’s a saying, ‘Anyone can win a Cup final,” Eales said.
