Holland's encounter with Spain means a reunion with a number of familiar faces for the Dutch skipper, who is preparing for the last match of his career.
In four years with Barcelona, Van Bronckhorst got to know Spain's midfield terrors Xavi and Andres Iniesta extremely well, and even shared a room with Carles Puyol on away trips.
The 35-year-old remained in contact with them after he quit the Nou Camp in 2007, with the common bond of a Champions League triumph the previous year ensuring the ties will always remain.
There has even been contact in South Africa as the respective sides maintained their progress in the competition.
But the texts have been silenced as with a World Cup to win there is no time for pleasantries.
"I still have contact with Carles Puyol, Xavi and Andres Iniesta," said Van Bronckhorst.
"I used to share a room with Carles before Barcelona games and we saw a lot of each other away from the football club.
"We have actually already been on the phone offering each other best wishes and it will be nice to say goodbye on Sunday face-to-face.
"But my boyhood dream is something more important so they will have to make do with a silver medal this time."
Van Bronckhorst is full of admiration for the trio, adding: "Carles is normally a very quiet boy but when he goes onto the field it is like pressing a button.
"He is a guy who always gives everything, a real Gladiator. And that radiates forward to his team-mates.
"When I was Barcelona, Xavi was one of the leaders of the group. He always had an opinion, whereas Andres was very quiet.
"I have thought about those guys a lot recently. But now I have the opportunity to be a world champion."
That chance itself is surprising enough given Holland were not amongst the first half-dozen favourites at the start of the competition, even though they posted a 100% record in qualifying.
The fact Van Bronckhorst had already announced he would end his career once he returned from South Africa makes the feat even more amazing.
There could surely be no better way to end a career that included three excellent years at Rangers and two injury-ravaged ones at Arsenal in between two spells at Feyenoord.
"My last match turns out to be the match that I dreamed of," said Van Bronckhorst.
"It is wonderful that I have the opportunity to win the World Cup as my final stop, far better that dying in the group stage.
"Everything has converged at just the right moment. It is fabulous that this World Cup will be the pinnacle of my work."
Understated coach Bert van Marwijk is expected to make just a single change to the side that beat Uruguay in a five-goal semi-final thriller on Tuesday.
Manchester City's midfield enforcer Nigel de Jong has served his suspension, so the 25-year-old is expected to partner Mark van Bommel at the expense of Demy de Zeeuw.
0 comments:
Post a Comment