Ok it may only be the Carling Cup but it's still a trophy at the end of the day - and European football next season which Liverpool missed out on this season.
It also marked the end of one of Liverpool's longest trophy droughts in recent times - the last trophy they won was in August 2006 when they beat Chelsea to win the Community Shield. They came close to Champions League and Premier League glory since then, but after peaking in 2009, Liverpool suffered an alarming decline, at the same time officially losing their mantle as England's most successful football club to their much hated rivals from dirty Manchester.
Perhaps it was apt that after waiting nearly 6 agonizing years for their next trophy that Liverpool fans would have to put up with the most agonizing 120 minutes of the season yet.
Credit to Malky Mackay and Cardiff who were brilliant and deserve a place in the Premier League next season based on this performance. They never gave up even when they were 2-1 down with minutes to go in extra time and deserved their late, late equalizer. In the end, the posts were the Welsh club's worst enemy - two penalties hitting the post in the shootout.
Ultimately, Liverpool deserved to win by dint of their Carling Cup campaign - they did beat Chelsea and Manchester City away en route to the Final. Ok they took the Carling Cup far seriously than those teams this season and had no European football to worry about but any club that makes the Final of a knockout competition deserves plenty of credit for getting there.
Liverpool dominated the game but lacked the cutting edge again up front as they had all season. For all the tips that the Suarez/Carroll duo could offer some variety up front, they looked quite human tonight and Cardiff contained them quite effectively. It was down to Gerrard, Johnson, Adam to provide all the shooting chances before Kuyt belatedly came on for Carroll and scored what should have been Liverpool's winner.
Dirk Kuyt deserved the goal, deserved to score the penalty and deserved this trophy more than any other current Liverpool player, the only one to join after Liverpool's last trophy win, not to win a trophy as a Red. Kuyt had his critics at first as he was brought on as a striker after his goalscoring exploits for Holland and Feyenoord but is now very much a Liverpool legend just for his heart and work ethic.
If Stevie G was Liverpool's heart, the Flying Dutchman is the blood that pumps through it.
So Liverpool are back amongst the silverware - Kenny Dalglish also wins his first trophy as Liverpool manager since the 1989 FA Cup Final. Back then, that victory was sweet as it came on the back of the Hillsborough tragedy. This one will be just as memorable and hopefully get the Merseyside club on the right course again.
European football will definitely happen next season. Now the goal this season is to win the FA Cup and get back into the Champions League. Game on!
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