The moment of the FA Cup final came in the 82nd minute when Carroll headed a toward the goal, and Cech batted it off the crossbar. That much is clear.
But did the whole ball cross the line? That is the question that will be debated until the end of time. The referee's assistant said it did not, and his is the only opinion that mattered during those decisive moments.
Television replays and photographic evidence is inconclusive at best. What is certain is that goal-line technology, which could be in place in time for the start of next season, is necessary to make definitive answers on questions like these.
Carroll's performance was his best yet as a Liverpool player. LFC's record signing entered the game in the 55th minute and scored within 10 minutes of being on the field. He continued to torment the Chelsea defense by being a constant menace in and around the Chelsea box.
It looked like he scored when he attacked that fateful cross from Luis Suarez with his head. The £35 million ($55.5 million) man started celebrating, and he did not do so in order to con the referee. His joy was genuine.
"I thought it was over the line," the Mirror reports Carroll told ITV. "I thought it hit the other side of the bar."
Cech, on the other hand insists that he saved it before it crossed the goal line.
"I don't think it was over the line," the Chelsea goalkeeper told ITV. "If the ball was behind the line I couldn't have kept it out. I'm 100 per cent sure it was not in, and I felt that from the first moment."
Dalglish was standing all the way on the touch-line during the contentious moment. He was diplomatic when asked about it after the game.
"I haven't seen it but somebody said, 'Sometimes you get them, sometimes you don't,'" Dalglish told LiverpoolFC.tv. "This time we never got it. And if the officials got it right, I hope they get the credit they deserve."
Gerrard was unsure, as he was well behind the play when Cech saved Carroll's header. But the Liverpool captain looks forward to the day when referees will have the assistance of technology to get the call right.
"It's difficult for the officials," Gerrard told LiverpoolFC.tv. "Obviously from a biased point of view, we've got an argument with the computer image but the officials have got an impossible task when it’s so close and until technology comes in, then with decisions like that, you can't really put a big argument forward.
"It's one of those things: Chelsea got a bit of luck against Tottenham in the semi; they got a bit of luck again today. Maybe this was their year."
Until then, we can only ask questions and sadly refer to incidents like these with names like "the Phantom Goal."
Do you think the whole ball crossed the goal line? Watch the video for yourself and vote in our poll below.
Did Andy Carroll's header in the FA Cup final cross the goal line?
Review all the action from Saturday's game — as it happened — in our Liverpool Live Blog.
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Photo via LiverpoolFC.tv
