The other semifinal Stoke City-Bolton: 5-0, a great result, so the final will be Manchester City-Stoke City (sounds easy, but just sounds, it's a good team in fact it was 1-1 in Stoke-on-Trent some time ago), final still in London at Wembley, 14 May. That day could be the triumph for AC Milan too, in a easy home game vs Cagliari, almost at the end of the Serie A league, now easily leading with a +6, to be Italy champions again. So there could be celebrations in the streets: usually the winning team goes around the city on an open bus, with us people gone mad following them all around.
AC fan Mario Balotelli played a good game vs United, and could score at the final, even though some people say he's having that mad behaviour on purpose, because he already signed for AC Milan, so he wants City to let him go.
Tick tock, tick tock. Those were just about the only civil words uttered between two rival Mancunians as they stumbled into one another in the Wembley car park on Saturday morning, the worse for wear fully seven hours before what was never going to be the friendliest of FA Cup semi-finals.
But that Manchester City fan was right. The clock was ticking. Counting down to one of the most momentous results in the club’s recent history and what now promises to be a glorious new era for his long-suffering brothers in blue.
City still have to win the Cup — and with their track record, that’s far from guaranteed — but this was about much more than reaching a final. It was about beating Manchester United in a game that mattered hugely, about overcoming their inferiority complex and finally emerging from the shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.
Crucially, though, it wasn’t about denying United a shot at the Treble. Somehow that seemed almost irrelevant. As if, for once, it was all about United stopping City and not the other way around.
Those injury-time goals had plugged the gaps but on Saturday the red dam burst and everything that has been poured into City since the Abu Dhabi takeover — the ambition, the hope and, yes, the money — finally proved too much for Ferguson and his players to contain.
Time will tell if Yaya Toure’s winner proves to be as significant as Paul Dickov’s goal at the old Wembley in 1999 — a last-minute equaliser against Gillingham in the Second Division play-off final, which City won on penalties — but this is the chance Roberto Mancini has yearned for. The opportunity to win the trophy he believes will finally unlock City’s potential.
The City boss cannot allow it to distract his side from Champions League qualification but he flew to Italy yesterday still hoarse from the celebrations. It was Mancini as we had never seen him before, jumping into the arms of his assistant Brian Kidd and first-team coach David Platt at the final whistle.
Asked about that banner at Old Trafford, the constant reminder that it is 35 years since City lifted a trophy, he said: ‘I think they can take off this banner. We will finish in the top four and if we win the FA Cup I think we can play for the title next season. Our mentality will be stronger because we beat United.’
City proved they can win without captain Carlos Tevez and, in Vincent Kompany, had a more than capable stand-in skipper. Nigel de Jong was immense, as was Pablo Zabaleta on his first appearance since returning from his father’s hospital bedside in Argentina.
David Silva provided the artistry, Toure the thrust, and Joe Hart the save that turned the game. Who knows how it would have panned out had he not denied Dimitar Berbatov when United were dominant in the opening 25 minutes?
City rallied before half-time but that did not prevent some heated half-time exchanges. ‘Sometimes you come face-to-face with each other and that happened in the dressing room,’ revealed De Jong.
‘It keeps the fire alive. We came out and just dominated United. Everyone was talking about City spending all this money and seeking out prizes, and now we’re only one game away from winning our first silverware. You’ve got to start somewhere to feed that hunger.’
City struck the crucial blow seven minutes after the restart when Toure robbed Carrick in midfield and accelerated past a static Nemanja Vidic before slipping the ball through the legs of Edwin van der Sar.
He dedicated the goal to his brother Kolo, whose suspension for a failed drugs test means he has almost no chance of playing in next month’s final. ‘It’s very hard for him and for me,’ said Yaya. ‘I came to City to play with him and win something. I’ve won trophies with other clubs but I’ve always wanted to win something playing alongside him.’
Their early composure gone, United faded dramatically and then lost their most influential player when Paul Scholes was shown a straight red card by Mike Dean for an ugly challenge on Zabaleta — one born out of frustration at his team’s impotence and retribution after the Argentine had caught him minutes earlier.
‘It was a really bad tackle,’ said Zabaleta. ‘Very high. It was just over the knee. If it was any lower my knee would probably be gone. The referee’s decision was 100 per cent right.’
Even then City’s fans barely dared to dream. Too many late goals, too much heartache. But from the red half of Wembley there were no more renditions of that favourite chant ‘We Do What We Want’. Up in the VIP area, Liam Gallagher had come up with his own version. ‘You’ll Do As You’re Told’, sang the former Oasis frontman jubilantly.
There was still time for Mario Balotelli to try to steal the limelight by sparking an angry argument at the final whistle. The volatile Italian was promptly taken away by doping controllers, although whether that was to test him for drugs or give him something to calm him down is anybody’s guess.
Nothing could take away from City’s achievement, however. Back in the car park later that night, club officials emerged into the darkness and hugged each other one by one. They know what this means. They know their time is coming. Tick tock.
24 minutes highlights (goal around 14:40)
On Saturday the captain was Kompany and he dedicated the win to City fans.
The Dutch midfielder De Jong will use his World Cup final pain (losing vs Man City's David Silva) to make sure City finish the job and lift the cup. We could say the same about AC Milan Dutch midfielder Mark Van Bommel.City manager, ex Inter Milan's Roberto Mancini, said he would like to have more time to stay at City and win trophies, as it's just a little bit more than one year he's there, and also said it's not important for him but for us fans.
Tick tock, tick tock. Those were just about the only civil words uttered between two rival Mancunians as they stumbled into one another in the Wembley car park on Saturday morning, the worse for wear fully seven hours before what was never going to be the friendliest of FA Cup semi-finals.
But that Manchester City fan was right. The clock was ticking. Counting down to one of the most momentous results in the club’s recent history and what now promises to be a glorious new era for his long-suffering brothers in blue.
City still have to win the Cup — and with their track record, that’s far from guaranteed — but this was about much more than reaching a final. It was about beating Manchester United in a game that mattered hugely, about overcoming their inferiority complex and finally emerging from the shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.
Crucially, though, it wasn’t about denying United a shot at the Treble. Somehow that seemed almost irrelevant. As if, for once, it was all about United stopping City and not the other way around.
Those injury-time goals had plugged the gaps but on Saturday the red dam burst and everything that has been poured into City since the Abu Dhabi takeover — the ambition, the hope and, yes, the money — finally proved too much for Ferguson and his players to contain.
Time will tell if Yaya Toure’s winner proves to be as significant as Paul Dickov’s goal at the old Wembley in 1999 — a last-minute equaliser against Gillingham in the Second Division play-off final, which City won on penalties — but this is the chance Roberto Mancini has yearned for. The opportunity to win the trophy he believes will finally unlock City’s potential.
The City boss cannot allow it to distract his side from Champions League qualification but he flew to Italy yesterday still hoarse from the celebrations. It was Mancini as we had never seen him before, jumping into the arms of his assistant Brian Kidd and first-team coach David Platt at the final whistle.
Asked about that banner at Old Trafford, the constant reminder that it is 35 years since City lifted a trophy, he said: ‘I think they can take off this banner. We will finish in the top four and if we win the FA Cup I think we can play for the title next season. Our mentality will be stronger because we beat United.’
City proved they can win without captain Carlos Tevez and, in Vincent Kompany, had a more than capable stand-in skipper. Nigel de Jong was immense, as was Pablo Zabaleta on his first appearance since returning from his father’s hospital bedside in Argentina.
David Silva provided the artistry, Toure the thrust, and Joe Hart the save that turned the game. Who knows how it would have panned out had he not denied Dimitar Berbatov when United were dominant in the opening 25 minutes?
City rallied before half-time but that did not prevent some heated half-time exchanges. ‘Sometimes you come face-to-face with each other and that happened in the dressing room,’ revealed De Jong.
‘It keeps the fire alive. We came out and just dominated United. Everyone was talking about City spending all this money and seeking out prizes, and now we’re only one game away from winning our first silverware. You’ve got to start somewhere to feed that hunger.’
City struck the crucial blow seven minutes after the restart when Toure robbed Carrick in midfield and accelerated past a static Nemanja Vidic before slipping the ball through the legs of Edwin van der Sar.
He dedicated the goal to his brother Kolo, whose suspension for a failed drugs test means he has almost no chance of playing in next month’s final. ‘It’s very hard for him and for me,’ said Yaya. ‘I came to City to play with him and win something. I’ve won trophies with other clubs but I’ve always wanted to win something playing alongside him.’
Their early composure gone, United faded dramatically and then lost their most influential player when Paul Scholes was shown a straight red card by Mike Dean for an ugly challenge on Zabaleta — one born out of frustration at his team’s impotence and retribution after the Argentine had caught him minutes earlier.
‘It was a really bad tackle,’ said Zabaleta. ‘Very high. It was just over the knee. If it was any lower my knee would probably be gone. The referee’s decision was 100 per cent right.’
Even then City’s fans barely dared to dream. Too many late goals, too much heartache. But from the red half of Wembley there were no more renditions of that favourite chant ‘We Do What We Want’. Up in the VIP area, Liam Gallagher had come up with his own version. ‘You’ll Do As You’re Told’, sang the former Oasis frontman jubilantly.
There was still time for Mario Balotelli to try to steal the limelight by sparking an angry argument at the final whistle. The volatile Italian was promptly taken away by doping controllers, although whether that was to test him for drugs or give him something to calm him down is anybody’s guess.
Nothing could take away from City’s achievement, however. Back in the car park later that night, club officials emerged into the darkness and hugged each other one by one. They know what this means. They know their time is coming. Tick tock.
24 minutes highlights (goal around 14:40)
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