Robi scores but de Jong through

What a night of football. Two Manchester City players going head to head for a place in the semi-final. Robinho v Nigel de Jong. And City legend Elano, still injured, could only watch.

Robinho started well, playing with the imagination and audacity we saw at City and the energy and bite that we didn't. His tracking, tackling and efforts to win the ball back made him look like a different player altogether from our £32m man.

Only five minutes in he thought he put Brazil ahead, ghosting behind Andre Ooijer, receiving Dani Alves' pass and scoring. Just as he wheeled away to celebrate the flag shot up - Alves had been offside. Tight call. But five minutes later Robinho put Brazil ahead. Holland lost the ball, and their transition from an attacking to a defensive set-up was haphazard at the least. Robinho drifted into the chasm between Ooijer and Johnny Heitinga, and was half-heartedly tracked by Arjen Robben. But he received a straight ball from Felipe Melo and replicated that open body right foot finish we saw against Chile (and against Portsmouth in the 6-0.)

Once ahead Brazil dominated. Robinho's movement was too much for Gregory van der Wiel to comprehend, and Robi was even involved in spats for - get this - over-zealous tackling. Nigel de Jong had to restrain him once. But Brazil couldn't double their advantage and went into half-time one ahead.

The game looked sewn up. The one thing I was sure of was that Brazil would never implode, never capitulate. So the second half was shocking. The Dutch were brighter but could have expected to be gifted a goal. Wesley Sneijder swung a cross in, Felipe Melo and Júlio César jumped into one another and the ball was deflected into the net. Soon after a Dirk Kuyt near post run was ignored, he flicked a corner on and Sneijder buried the second ball.

But there was disappointment in between the goals for de Jong. His harrying and tackling was so relentless, so heroic that he picked up a yellow card. This was his second booking of the tournament and means he misses the semi-final. A personal blow but how else was he meant to keep Kaká quiet? It was a noble act of self-sacrifice to rival Jesus of Nazareth Luis Suárez.

When Felipe Melo was sent off for stamping on Arjen Robben the game was up. Ten man Brazil were stunned and could not create anything. Holland's extra man told and they had their own chances on the break. Robinho and Elano are flying home, and while Nigel de Jong won't play in the semi final he might just be strutting around Soccer City next Sunday night.

Robi scores, Brazil progress

Brazil's serene progress through the World Cup continued last night with a 3-0 win over Chile. There was some disappointment that Elano still had not recovered from the injury he suffered against Ivory Coast, but this was tempered by the personal success of Robinho.

After Juan headed Brazil 1-0 ahead, Robinho was involved in the second goal. He picked the ball up on the left touchline, ran at the Chilean defensive, dragging them towards him before moving the ball to Kaká. Just like Brazil's first goal against Ivory Coast, Kaká quickly pushed the ball between two defenders, Luís Fabiano received it and rounded Claudio Bravo to score.

The third goal was scored by Robinho himself. Ramires surged through midfield and was tackled on the edge of the Chilean box. The ball fell to Robinho who opened his body out and strummed the ball with his right foot into the far corner. It was remarkably similar to his goal from a similar position against Portsmouth in the 6-0 win in September 2008, for those that remember. A reminder, as that was, what a natural finisher de Souza is in those types of positions.

Robinho and, I hope, Elano will face Nigel de Jong's Holland on Friday afternoon.

Elano inspires Brazil win

In all my dreams for this World Cup, this was fairly prominent: a Brazil inspired by two City legends. This was just the first game, and against the weakest side in the group. But if the rest of the tournament is like this it will be a delight.

This was not the easiest win for the Seleção against a very well regimented North Korean side. They defended in numbers, threw themselves in front of everything in the vox and kept them out for the whole first half. Elano, willing to shoot from range, posed a threat, as did Robinho's quick footwork at times.

But the breakthrough came with help from Elano. Early in the second half he slid Maicon on the overlap, who reached the byline and shot with the outside of his right boot, angling the ball with ferocity behind the keeper and in. I think he meant it.

An assist for Elano was good. But his goal was even better. Robinho, growing in confidence, picked the ball up and played the perfect pass between defenders, Elano strolled on to meet it and casually placed it into the bottom corner. It was a goal of almost insulting ease, and reminded me just how much I missed them. Elano especially. Since he went I've missed him like a dead pet. I'm more keen for him to succeed in South Africa than any other individual.

After a goal and an assist in his first game, I'm dreaming he can keep this up into the final.

City legends score in friendly win

Brazil played a friendly yesterday against a Benjani-inspired Zimbabwe side.

They won 3-0 with goals from MCFC legends and Mark Hughes-antagonistes Robinho and Elano. See the goals here.

Report from the Telegraph's Jonanthan Liew here.

Ela, Robi make Seleção squad

Two MCFC legends - Elano and Robinho - have made Dunga's final squad of 23 for the World Cup.

Sylvinho, Jô, Geovanni and Glauber did not.

Robinho 2 - 0 Given

Mark Hughes' best and worst value for money signings went head to head tonight in an international friendly at the Emirates. And it was the £32.5m man who came out on top. Brazil won 2-0 and both goals came from our very own Santos FC's Robson de Souza.

It wasn't a great match and Brazil never got going. They're set up to counter-attack through Robinho and Kaká but in the first half they could only run into the Keith Andrews-Glenn Whelan wall in midfield.

But they went ahead just before half time: Kaká put in Robinho down the right hand side, and he whipped in a cross that Andrews diverted past Shay Given. I don't know whether it's an own goal but Robinho's not exactly the sort to decline to celebrate lest he later lose the goal to the dubious goals panel.

Brazil improved in the second half, playing possession football in opposition territory. Robinho had one goal disallowed after Grafite robbed Paul McShane and then missed a great chance after Kaká did the same to Andrews.

He made up for these when he finished off the game's stand-out move. It started further back but it climaxed with an interchange between Kaká and Grafite before Robinho played a one-two with the Wolfsburg striker and scored with one of those perfectly placed side-foot finishes of his, beyond the sprawling Given.

He then went off for Nilmar, and the game finished 2-0. City legends Richard Dunne and Elano were both injured for the tie, while City's Greg Cunningham was on the Irish bench.

Cunningham makes Republic squad

MCFC Academy graduate Greg Cunningham has been named in the Republic of Ireland squad for their friendly against Brazil next week. He joins MCFC goalkeeper Shay Given and MCFC legend Richard Dunne in the 23 man squad.

It shows how highly the young left back is rated. I don't know much about him, but he looked solid enough in his 45 minutes at Scunthorpe in the FA Cup fourth round. And he only turned 19 three weeks ago so he's certainly very young. It will be interesting to see if he replaces Ryan McGivern as our best young left back from the other side of the Irish Sea. (McGivern is from Newry, and represents Northern Ireland.)

City legends Robinho and Elano are in the Brazil squad for the game.

Our first World Cup winner

I know I'm jumping the gun a bit here, but we're about to make our first signing of the Roberto Mancini era, our first signing of the decade, so forgive my being a bit excited about it.

And one of the main reasons for my excitement is that it marks another first: the first World Cup winner ever to play for Manchester City. Never before has anyone with a World Cup winner's medal played for City, never mind winning one while being a blue. We haven't even had anyone play for us who then went on to win a medal after having left. So this is a big deal. (Vieira will be the second player currently in the EPL with such a medal - guess the other in the comments.)

Patrick Vieira, of course, was part of the France side who triumphed in France '98. He was not a regular, but he played all of France's third group game against Denmark, and came on for the last fifteen minutes of the final against Brazil. Not a huge contribution, true, but not no contribution either, and certainly enough for the medal.

He's not, though, the first man with a World Cup winner's medal to be involved with City. In the 1995/96 season we were managed by Alan Ball - who won the World Cup with England - but we famously thought that a point was enough against Liverpool on final day and were relegated.

The holy grail is to have a player win the World Cup while playing for the club, something we've never really come close to. There was a time for indignation at the exclusion of Bert Trautmann from the victorious West Germany squad of 1954, but I think that's passed now. This time, though, we've got a decent shot: Robinho, Gareth Barry, Carlos Tévez and Nigel de Jong will all go and all have good chances of winning. We have no Spain internationals, but if Vieira does well enough to make the plane then we're in a good position.

Back to Vieira, and a similar topic: he is only the third player to have won the European Championship and then come to City. He was part of France's triumph in 2000, as was Nicolas Anelka - who joined us only two years later. The third is Peter Schmeichel, who won it with Denmark in 1992, a whole ten years before he joined Kevin Keegan's City (there are some parallels between our signing Schmeichel and Vieira - to be covered some other time.)

Then there's the Copa America. Again, nobody won it while playing for City, but two won it soon before joining us. Elano and Robinho both played for Brazil in their 2007 triumph - a few weeks before Elano signed, just over a year before Robinho did.

Finally, the African Cup of Nations - which starts this weekend - is an area where we have a very good record. For a start, it is the only international tournament I can find which has been won by a contemporary City player. Lucien Mettomo won the 2002 African Cup of Nations while at the club, and his Cameroon team-mate Marc-Vivien Foé joined City four months after their joint triumph. Both Mettomo and Foé had won it previously in 2000, before either of them joined City; and Hatem Trabelsi won it in 2004, two years before Stuart Pearce signed him.

There will be more, and more useful, Vieira stuff once we've actually signed him.

Four City players play for England

Unprecedented scenes yesterday afternoon - as four of our very own blues wore the white of England in the 1-0 defeat to Brazil.

Gareth Barry was probably the least poor, followed by Wayne Bridge, and then Joleon Lescott and then Shaun Wright-Phillips. Barry remains the only blue sure to make the final squad.

The game was won by a Nilmar header from a laser-guided long pass by some guy called Elano. Apparently he plays in the Turkish league. Do you reckon we should try to sign him in January?

Robinho books ticket

I missed Argentina 1 - 3 Brazil, and while I am anxious that Argentina will not make the World Cup, it is a relief that Brazil have now assured qualification.

This guarantees the presence of a City player at the tournament, providing of course that we have not sold Robinho during the January transfer window.

But de Souza is not the first: de Jong's Holland qualified some time ago. I hope that he won't take umbrage at his bench role and leave between now and the World Cup.

Two blues on the plane, many more to come I hope. This is the first post in a series.

Sylvinho talks up Robi

Praise from his new teammate:

"He is really happy that the club has now got Adebayor and Tevez, because that helps him a lot."

"It puts this club on a different level, and it does the same for Robinho. He is one of the best players in Brazil and plays for the national team, so this kind of help will be really important to him."

"I don't like to compare players, or clubs or coaches. In the world there are five or six different players who are at a high level, and Robinho is one of them."

It will be interesting to see if Robinho and Sylvinho strike up quite the same friendship as Robinho did with his former Santos teammate Elano. One Brazilian commenter - Da C.I.A. - suggested that there might be tension between Robinho and Sylvinho as the latter played for Corinthians - Santos' great rivals in São Paulo - never mind the Barcelona / Real Madrid rivalry, as well there might be with Tévez - who spent two years at Corinthians long after Sylvinho had left.

The next paulista

I wrote last September that all four of Brazilian contingent were paulistas - that is, from the state of São Paulo. As it turned out, having four Brazilians did not work out either on or off the pitch last season, and Elano, Jô and Glauber have all now left. But Mark Hughes clearly has a heart, because not only has he brought in a new Brazilian to pal up with Robinho, but he's another paulista too: straight outta São Paulo.

He is, though, a former Corinthians player, and I gather that Corinthians and Santos (Robinho and Elano's former club) are rivals. Can any of my Brazilian readers (58 visits from there last month) shed any light on this?

City stars in new South American squads

Elano and Robinho are both in Dunga's Brazil squad for their friendly against Estonia in Tallinn on August 12.

There is only one City player in Diego Maradona's Argentina squad, when, of course, there should be two.

Sky: City move for Lúcio

Just popped up on SkySports.com this evening is this:

Skysports.com understands that officials from Manchester City have travelled to Germany in a bid to push through a deal for Bayern Munich defender Lucio...

A City delegation have jetted out to the German capital in a bid to secure the services of Bayern's Brazil international captain.

This story has come quicker and stronger than expected. Maybe we'll know more in a few hours time when we see tomorrow's papers online.

I can only really forsee a move for Lúcio if we fail to get Joleon Lescott and John Terry. I like the idea of one older centre half with one of our younger ones - Vincent Kompany or Nedum Onuoha. And whether Lúcio is the next best option behind Terry and Lescott - I'm really not sure. He's certainly had an impressive career: three Bundesligas, one World Cup and 84 Brazil caps, but he's just turned 31 and from the Brazil games I've watched since we signed Robinho I can't say I've been too impressed. He brings the ball out from the back like no-one else, but he's also rather error-prone and suspect against the very best forwards.

But we'll hear more soon I'm sure.

Brazil knock Italy out of Confeds

World Champions Italy were knocked out of the Confederations Cup this evening, losing 3-0 to Robinho's Brazil.

All three goals were scored in an eight minute period at the end of the second half, with Luís Fabiano scoring two before an Andrea Dossena own goal. The much-vaunted Italian defence could not live with Fabiano's physical presence; he scored his first when no defender stopped him from picking up Maicon's scuffed shot and slotting past Buffon.

Robinho was involved in the second when he broke down the left, found Kaká whose pass was dummied by Robinho to Fabiano, who scored into an open net. And the third was all Robinho's creation: he charged down the left again, and rather than shooting he squared to Ramires. The pass was intercepted, though, by Andrea Dossena who could only slide the ball into the goal.

Robson continued to see a lot of the ball in the second half, but his delivery was never quite as good as it could have been, and the score remained at 3-0.

Elano was on the bench.

Robi puts Brazil up at the break

It's half-time in Brazil's second Confederations Cup match against USA, and they're two nil up. After Felipe Melo headed in a Maicon free kick, Brazil's second goal was scored by Manchester City's Robinho, picking up a pass from Ramires who had surged from his own half after DaMarcus Beasley had needlessly conceded possession.

Elano is on the bench.

I'm going to miss the second half but it's available to UK users on the BBC website HERE.

Elano assists help Brazil to victory

Two assists from Elano set Brazil on their way to a 4-3 win in their opening Confederations Cup game against Egypt today.

The score was 1-1 after goals from Kaká and Mohamed Zidan within eleven minutes before two Elano set-pieces turned the game for Brazil. First, a free kick from forty yards out was met a flick header from Luís Fabiano, sending it into the net. And soon later an Elano corner was headed home by Juan. At half time Brazil were cruising at 3-1 up.

The second half was more even, with Egypt scoring twice quickly to bring the scores level. Elano and City team mate Robinho were withdrawn on 62 minutes, replaced by Alex Pato and Ramires, but Brazil still managed to win the game: Kaká scoring a late penalty after a shameful hand-ball by Ahmed al-Muhammadi.

Robinho scores in Brazil win

City players scored at both ends in Brazil's comfortable 2-1 defeat of Paraguay, which sends the Seleção three points clear at the top of the South American 2010 World Cup qualifying group.

Paraguay went 1-0 up after twenty five minutes. Salvador Cabañas had a free kick from twenty yards out, which deflected off Elano's outstretched foot over Júlio César. It's been given as a Cabañas goal, rather than an Elano own goal, but it could have been either.

Robinho was the second City player to score, four minutes before half time. He was unmarked at the back post, meeting a Dani Alves cross with his left foot to score from close range. A good finish but Brazil weren't particularly good value for 1-1 at half time; neither Elano nor Robinho were really in the game against a very hard working Paraguay side.

Brazil went 2-1 up on forty nine minutes when Nilmar collected a lovely pass from Felipe Melo, to shake off a defender and score.

My laptop crashed soon after this, and given that it was game over by then and about 03.35, I couldn't be bothered to restart it and get Sopcast going again. So I don't know what Elano and Robinho did in the game's closing stages, but I'm sure if you look hard enough you can find it.

City stars play in Brazil win

Manchester City's Brazilian stars Robinho and Elano both played at least seventy minutes in Brazil's comfortable 3-0 defeat of Peru on Wednesday night.

Brazil set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, the three made up of Kaká on the left, Robinho through the middle and Elano on the right, albeit with much scope for interchange. They impressed swiftly, cutting through the Peruvian defence and creating chances for lone frontman Luís Fabiano. Elano probably outshone Robinho in the opening stages; a constant threat with his passing and running, linking well with his full back Dani Alves.

Neither City player was involved though in the opening goal - as Kaká was fouled in the box on eighteen minutes, and Luís Fabiano hit the penalty into the bottom corner. Robinho almost doubled Brazil's lead five minutes later, getting past his defender with a pedalada but shooting over with his left foot.

Elano was involved in Brazil's second goal on twenty seven minutes - combining with Alves down the right wing, whose cross from deep found Luís Fabiano unmarked in the box. Fabiano chested the ball down and finished well, his sixth goal of the World Cup qualifying campaign. For the remainder of the second half Brazil continued to throw men forward - the front four were always helped out by the two attacking full backs (Kléber and the unstoppable Dani Alves, comfortably the best player on the pitch) and it was only poor final ball and finishing which kept the score at 2-0 at the break.

The second half started in much the same vein: wave after wave of Brazilian attacks, but with no third goal. Elano hit a free kick into the wall on fifty one minutes. Four minutes later Robinho worked himself some space on the right but flashed his shot across the face of goal. Brazil's next good chance was created by Elano: his curled cross from the right was headed towards goal by Fabiano but tipped over the bar. When Brazil did score their third, on sixty four minutes, it was from an unlikely source: Felipe Melo won two tackles in midfield, raced up the pitch and slotted home.

On seventy minutes, Robinho came off for Alex Pato. It was a good performance from Robinho, although he may have wanted to do better given that it was a home game against poor opposition. And on seventy-six minutes, Elano came off for Ronaldinho. The last few minutes passed by largely without incident, as Brazil stuck with their three goal lead.

This win puts Brazil back in second place in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying group. It was a fantastic team performance, and while Elano was very good individually, Robinho didn't quite reach the levels of influence he's capable of. Regardless, it should provide both of them with a much needed confidence boost. Which could be rendered meaningless if neither of them start on Saturday...

Elano and Robinho play in 1-1 draw

City's Elano and Robinho played in Brazil's fortuitous 1-1 draw away to Ecuador. They both started behind Luís Fabiano in Brazil's 4-2-3-1 (Ronaldinho was the other attacking player), anchored by holding midfielders Gilberto Silva and Felipe Melo (with whom City were recently linked).

But Ecuador were much the better side throughout the first half, pressing Brazil and denying them any time on the ball. Elano and Robinho saw very little of the play; the most active City player on the pitch was Felipe Caicedo, who led the line for Ecuador with good help from the very able Christian Benítez. Big Phil could even have scored one or two in the first half, putting a header and a low shot narrowly wide. The frustration got to Elano, as it often does, and he was booked late in the first half.

The second half was similar: Ecuador were again the better side, and Elano was replaced by Josué to firm up the Brazilian midfield after 61 minutes. But it was another Brazilian substitution which turned the game: with nineteen minutes remaining Ronaldinho was taken off for Júlio Baptista. With Baptista's first touch he laid the ball wide to Robinho and continued his run. Robinho returned the ball to Baptista, whose shot cannoned off the post, onto the back of Ecuador keeper José Cevallos and into the net. 0-1 Brazil, 'smash and grab' doesn't quite cover it.

But Ecuador continued to press; Caicedo went close once or twice but could never quite get on the end of balls into the box. He was substituted on 92 minutes, but not before Ecuador scored their much deserved equaliser. In the last minute of normal time, the impressive Benítez shot from close range and Júlio César (without doubt Brazil's best player) could only palm the ball into the path of Christian Noboa, who scored from three yards out. 1-1 wasn't exactly fair, but at least Ecuador got a point.

Maybe Dunga now knows what Hughes has done for a while: that building a team around Elano and Robinho is fantastic for home games, but when you go away to a physical side - it's not always so good.