Sunday, 24 February 2013

League Cup Final 2013: Swansea sweep aside the Bradford dream

Bradford City 0
Swansea City 5 Dyer 16, 47, Michu 40, de Guzman 59pen, 90

Bradford City Duke - Darby, McHugh, McArdle, Good (Davies 46), Thompson (Hines 73), Atkinson, Jones, Doyle, Hanson, Wells (McLaughlin 57). Subs not used: Ravenhill, Reid, Turgott, Connell. Sent off: Duke.
Swansea City Tremmel - Williams, Rangel, Davies (Tiendalli 84), Britton, Michu, Pablo, Dyer (Lamah 77), Routledge, de Guzman, Ki Sung-Yeung (Monk 62). Subs not used: Vorm, Agustien, Shechter, Moore. Booked: Ki Sung-Yeung.
Attendance 82,597 at Wembley Stadium Referee Kevin Friend (Leicester)
Kick off at 4pm. Live on Sky Sports.

SWANSEA CITY won their first major trophy in the club's 100-year history after finally bringing to an end Bradford City's remarkable Cup run with a five-star win at Wembley.

Nathan Dyer and Jonathan de Guzman both scored twice, though the former acted like a spoilt brat after being denied a hat-trick from the penalty spot against his League Two opponents.

It was the first time since Rochdale in 1962 that a team from the bottom tier had reached a Cup final and, in the run-up to the game, it seemed only complacency would deny the Welsh side.

But Swansea are a club who do not know the meaning of the word having endured a humble league standing themselves in recent times.

Indeed, their club captain Garry Monk played for the Swans as they beat Hull City 4-2 in the last game of the 2002-03 season just to keep their place in the Football League.

Michael Laudrup's present team, though, are a different beast these days and they got the perfect start in the 16th minute.

Dyer settled any Swansea nerves, scoring on the rebound after Bradford keeper Matt Duke had palmed out a Michu effort following a rapid break.

The Swans then strangled the game in the style for which they are currently famed, enjoying more than 75% possession in spells. It became a matter of when, rather than if they would score again.

Sadly, for the match as a true contest, the second goal came just before half time when the Spanish magician Michu struck a low drive past Duke from the edge of the box.

Straight after the break, normal service was resumed and Swansea made it three as Dyer cut inside and curled in his second.

It really was all one-way traffic and, just before the hour mark, keeper Duke brought down de Guzman to be sent off by referee Kevin Friend.

By the letter of the law, the official was correct in his decision - but it seemed an unnecessarily harsh course of action with the score already at 3-0.

Dyer's desire to score a hat-trick under the arch at Wembley was more understandable. However, his petulant reaction in attempting to wrestle the ball from de Guzman, still showed him a poor light.

The striker had further chances himself to complete his treble but, on being brought off with 13 minutes left, he continued his protestations with manager Laudrup.

The drama did not distract the Swans from recording the biggest League Cup final win in history and de Guzman equalled Dyer's brace by bundling home a fifth goal in the last minute.

And so, the Swansea story is now complete: from almost bottom of the league to Wembley winners in just 10 years.

This victory, in their centenary year no less, is a wonderful achievement - and it has been done with the beautiful game in mind.

Unusually, though, the final word must go to the Cup final losers, Bradford City.

In getting to Wembley, the Bantams had beaten three top-flight teams - Wigan Athletic, Arsenal, and Aston Villa over two legs - and no one could argue that they did not deserve to be there today.

A fourth Premier League scalp proved beyond Phil Parkinson's men but the fans of the west Yorkshire club should not be downhearted by their heavy defeat.

Even at 4-0 down with more than half an hour left, the Bradford supporters were a real credit to their team, singing loudly and proudly, and waving a flurry of distinctive amber and claret flags.

Parkinson stood defiantly on the touchline, surrounded by the hysteria, and he knows that he has carved a special place in the Bantams' 110-year history.

It seems highly likely that Parkinson will move onto fresher pastures - but, with or without him, Bradford must use this cup run in a positive way on a long-term basis.

Six years in the basement division is too long for a club which still averages crowds of almost 10,000. After all, if Swansea can make such an incredible heady ascent, then why not Bradford in years to come?


ROAD TO WEMBLEY
Bradford City
R1 beat Notts County (A) 1-0 aet
R2 beat Watford (A) 2-1
R3 beat Burton Albion (H) 3-2 aet
R4 beat Wigan Athletic (A) 4-2 on penalties after 0-0 draw aet
R5 beat Arsenal (H) 3-2 on penalties after 1-1 draw aet
SF beat Aston Villa 4-3 on aggregate after 3-1 win (H) and 1-2 defeat (A)

Swansea City
R1 Bye
R2 beat Barnsley (H) 3-1
R3 beat Crawley Town (A) 3-2
R4 beat Liverpool (A) 3-1
R5 beat Middlesbrough 1-0 (H)
SF beat Chelsea 2-0 on aggregate after 2-0 win (A) and 0-0 draw (H)

PREVIOUS LEAGUE CUP FINAL APPEARANCES
Bradford City
None

Swansea City
None

PREVIOUS WEMBLEY APPEARANCES
Bradford City
1996 Second Division Playoff Final - won 2-0 v Notts County

Swansea City
1994 Football League Trophy Final - won 3-1 on penalties v Huddersfield Town after 1-1 draw
1997 Third Division Playoff Final - lost 0-1 v Northampton Town
2011 Championship Playoff Final - won 4-2 v Reading

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