You wait 80 years for a Manchester City player to reach a World Cup final and then, like Ashton Old Road buses, two come at once.
Now both Nigel de Jong and David Silva face an anxious wait to see whether they will figure in Sunday’s showpiece final in Johannesburg.
Silva was again a frustrated spectator from the bench for 85 minutes as his extravagantly-talented Spanish teammates teased and taunted Germany in Durban – before winning the game, almost ironically, with a no-nonsense defender’s header from Carles Puyol.
And de Jong also watched from the sidelines on Tuesday night, suspended as his side edged past Uruguay.
That set up a Holland v Spain final which means a new name will be added to the roll of honour of winners as, incredibly, two of the greatest names in world football have never won it.
Silva’s joy meant heartbreak for another new Blue, Jerome Boateng, whose substitution on 52 minutes appeared to herald the start of an irresistible Spanish onslaught.
The German defence had been impeccable in this tournament and seemed to be gaining in assurance and composure as the tournament progressed. England found them tough to penetrate, and Argentina’s potent striking trio was blunted.
But Spain showed why they were the pre-tournament favourites by standing full square in the face of the brutal strength of Joachim Loew’s defensive ranks – and trusting in their own fast, intricate, intuitive football.
It had been Germany who went into the semi-final as the form team.
It was their midfield linchpin Bastian Schweinsteiger who has been the beating heart of his team, and in many ways of the entire tournament.
And it had been their attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil who created and conjured his way into the hearts of true football fans everywhere.
But Spain timed their ascendancy to perfection. Ozil was bypassed and eradicated, and Schweinsteiger at times looked like a bewildered infant as Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Pedro, Andres Iniesta and David Villa painted beautiful pictures on the fringes of the German penalty area.
Germany were quite content to sit deep and challenge the Spaniards to break them down.
It had worked to devastating effect against ungainly England, and had easily blunted an Argentina side which discovered that its midfield could not offer the support and service which its talented attack deserved.
But Germany’s self-assured tactics met their match in Spain. They took on the challenge, and at times had Germany reeling, leaden-footed and listing as they were pulled apart by some splendid passing football.
The frightening thing for the world is that this German side will be four years older in 2014, with Ozil, Thomas Muller, Sami Khedira and Co approaching their playing peaks.
No matter which way it goes, one Manchester City player will be wrapping his hands around the sylph-like World Cup Trophy – and bringing some of that gold dust back with him to Eastlands.
Who is your tip for the World Cup? Have your say.
Comments
Login or Register to comment
I know he was only on 10 mins but Silva had some nice touches...looking forward to watching him !
Spain for me deserve to lift the trophy on sunday, and the perfect scenarion would be David Silva scoring the winning goal in the World Cup Final....now wouldn't the rag fans just hate that! Silva would arrive at City on the crest of a wave ready to set the Premier League alight!
Don't understand Boateng's subbing twice in two games.....he looks like a class act....his one pass last night with his left peg was a gem...yes they lost their ascendancy after he was subbed...Silva is just not as good as the starters for Spain but they are the best in the World....he did have two good touches....and he will be amazing with Tev's and Ade....De Jong is key to Van Bommel pushing forward and is certain to start....I hope that Holland win because they have been there twice and lost......
Silva looked mad for it when he came on last night. Looked a lot more goal hungry than Torres. Torres looks like he's carrying a bit of weight at the moment.
Well technically this is true but c'mon... Silva hasn't even worn a jersey yet!
Spain looked good coz the boasters from germany just sat back and watched them. Germany were pathetic.
27 minutes for the first foul of the game. Did Germany try to get the ball back?
Holland and De Jong won't sit there watching, clapping their hands and thinking, "We can still play on the counter-attack as we did against the morons from little England and the 9 strikers and one midfielder from Argentina."
Ozil just gave up. He didn't like it when things didn't go his way and he just couldn't be bothered in the second half.
Holland should win this, I fancied the Germans last night but as mentioned earlier they just pussy footed around Spain. Holland won't I sure.
Shame to have not seen more of Silva but lets face it, if Cesc can't get in, Silva won't. The next World Cup is for them...
every dog has it's day that's why I've learnt to shout OLE !
Y VIVA ESPANA !
Silva look lively and De Jong has be solid throughout the season and World Cup... Good players, good times coming to Eastlands. Gutted that young Boateng came off, he looked very impressive. Just hope Bobby Mac plays him at LB if so problem solved!
I remember when Mick McCarthy was City's only representative in the WC. We promptly sold him after the tournament had finished. I think Fitzroy Simpson also played in a World Cup and as we know, he was a world beater ;-) Then there was Claudio Reyna and Wanchope!
Now we have a team of world superstars and 2 representatives in the final. Good luck to the pair of them, though De Jong deserves a special mention as he is an "unsung hero". for club and country.
Roll on 14th August..........
evan georgiou- i complettly agree,that was a strange one,him being taken off,never mind,like you said i cant wait to see this feller playing for us.
the real mark jones.
Like every schoolchild (new English-speak: student) who leaves school at 16 in Germany is guaranteed an apprenticeship (a real one: learning at trade with a mastercraftsman to oversee them at work and two and half day each week at a Work School (Berufsschule) so that at 18 they can pass a trade exam and qualify as a Fellow Tradesman, in England we say, Bill will show you what to do; shut your mouth and do as you are told: in German there are thousands of qualified Football Coaches to teach teenagers how to play football, England has a couple of hundred. Thank you F.A. bosses with your sexy secretaries and big Mercs and posh houses out in the country. We want-to-be aristocratic snobby English peasants surely know how to run things (into the ground). Why not try HARD WORK for a change?
I hope Silva and de Jong don't fall out over this.............
Good luck to both players,think De jong defo will be up for this one .... just hope we see more of Silva....Either way we will have a world cup winning player gracing our ranks this season.....How good does that sound.
I would think this will be a considerably more feisty affair than the semi final involving Germany. Germany were unbelievably respectful and just let Spain pass them off the park. I don't know whether they were worried about being opened up or they thought they would nick a goal on the break or they just thought thy could keep it tight and go for penalties but the result was the worst German performance of the tournament and a stroll in the park for the Spanish.
With Webb in charge and the Dutch likely to put up some fierce resistance in the midfield with all their midfielders very combative, expect Spain to get kicked a lot and the cards to be liberally distributed. The one player who has avoided cards throughout the tournament is van Bommel who has kicked in the air virtually anyone who has crossed his path on the field without hardly even an admonishment from the referees. Webb won't stand for any of that so an unusual bet would be for him to see red within 90 minutes. Our Nigel is unlikely to get away without a yellow because he doesn't do softly softly. In the end though, I can only see a Spanish win. I just hope it is a good game because so many games have been terribly turgid for one reason or another and it would be good to see a few goals in a final and hopefully lots of open play, although that may be wishful thinking.