No winners’ medal for Christian Pulisic and his Chelsea teammates this time. (FrontRowSoccer.com Photo)
This was not the silver lining that Christian Pulisic and his Chelsea teammates were looking for.
After battling Liverpool to a 120-minute scoreless draw in another cup final in less than three months, the Blues were feeling their nickname, losing in the F.A. Cup final via penalty kicks, 6-5, at Wembley on Saturday.
Chelsea became the first team to lose in three consecutive F.A. Cup finals while Liverpool earned its 50th trophy in its history.
Pulisic played well as the U.S. men’s international tried his best to give his side a goal, but he never connected.
He was replaced by Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the 105th minute.
The Blues are reigning UEFA Champions League victors, having captured the FIFA Club World Cup over the winter.
Liverpool stayed on course to secure a quadruple. It had beaten Chelsea in the League Cup final in February through penalties. The team is still trying to overcome Manchester City in the English Premier League with only a handful games remaining in the season. And the squad will face Real Madrid in the Champions League final on May 28.
In the first F.A. Cup shootout at Wembley, Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount had his penalty kick saved in the sudden-death round before Konstantinos Tsimikas clinched win with his first Liverpool tally.
Liverpool secured its first F.A. Cup win since 2006.
