The FA Cup 足總杯 tournament has long been seen as a competition in which dramatic twists 戲劇化的轉變 and astonishing surprises can still take place.
Portsmouth's nightmare season may yet have a consolation prize
And yesterday's semi-final between Portsmouth and Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley proved that point once more, with Portsmouth winning 2-0 in extra time 加時賽.
Bottom-placed 排名最后的 Portsmouth have had a nightmare season – they have already been relegated 降級了, following their nine-point deduction 減了9分 for going into administration (破產后) 被接管了 in February, and all of their players are for sale.
The club's very existence 生存 has been threatened if the financial turmoil 財政上的混亂和不穩定 regarding its ownership is not settled.
So it is no wonder that the team manager Avram Grant described Sunday as "a crazy day".
We have lived day by day. Despite this we're in the final. It is a crazy day.
Avram Grant, Portsmouth manager
"To be in the final because of what's happened is a good lesson to everybody not to take the easy solution. The easy solution is to give up," said Grant.
"We have lived day by day. Despite this we're in the final. It is a crazy day," he added.
The phrase 'to live day by day' means to manage to survive just for the present without the possibility of planning for the future.
This season has undoubtedly been a rocky ride 大幅度顛簸的旅程 for Portsmouth with players going unpaid and question marks (打了)問號 over the club's continued existence.
"One day I came and all my staff said to me next week there is no club. We could write a book about the many things against us this season," Grant told the BBC.
The players did not give up and these fans show how fans need to be.
Avram Grant, Portsmouth manager
But one thing that has endured during 'Pompey's' 樸茨茅斯的別名 darkest days has been the love and faith of the fans.
"These fans this year, I will not forget it all my life. This achievement belongs to the fans and the players. The players did not give up and these fans show how fans need to be," said Grant.
Portsmouth's journey to the final has been filled with irony 諷刺意味 – Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp resigned as Portsmouth manager, taking many of the best players with him last year.
And Avram Grant will now face his ex-employers Chelsea in the final in May in a game which will see the team at the bottom of the Premier League face those at the top.
How does Grant rate his chances 評估他得勝的幾率 against his former team?
"In football, anything can happen but let's celebrate and then we will think about the final."
? MMIX