Oranje-Boom! Holland march into World Cup final
URUGUAY (2) vs HOLLAND (3)
HOLLAND survived late Uruguayan pressure to maintain their incredible 25-game winning streak and book their place in the World Cup final.
The Cape Town skyline descended into a sea of orange as Bert van Marwijk’s side remained on course to lift the country’s first-ever world trophy and finally bury the ghost of two heartbreaking final defeats in the 1970s.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst set them on their way with a spectacular 40-yard effort into the top corner, only for Diego Forlan to lead the Uruguayan fightback with a long-range effort of his own four minutes before the interval.
The Dutch were hardly on vintage form as the south Americans continued to press after the break, but Wesley Sneijder put them back in front with a deflected shot from the edge of the box before Arjen Robben’s header sealed victory three minutes later.
Victory seals Holland a final place for the first time since 1978 and also assures a European winner on foreign soil for the first time with either Germany or Spain awaiting them in Sunday night’s showpiece at Soccer City
Cheered on by their Oranje Army, the Dutch started nervously, leaving Uruguay, playing their first semi-final for 40 years, enjoying the lion’s share of possession. But without striker Luis Suarez, sent-off in the quarter-final against Ghana for his last-minute goal-line handball, they lacked that killer instinct and a tepid opening prevailed.
That was, however, until the 18th minute when the ball was fed out to van Bronckhorst on the left flank and the veteran former Arsenal full-back let fly with a magnificent strike which flew past Fernando Muslera.
Holland might have upped a gear at that point, but back came Uruguay and they were
fully deserved of their equaliser, carved out by that man Forlan, whose swerving strike
deceived Dutch keeper Stekelenburg.
Indeed, you got the feeling Holland were there to be got at as they struggled to find their feet at the start of the second half – Forlan testing Stekelenburg with a dipping free-kick.
Then, with 20 minutes left, Holland were handed a lifeline when Sneijder’s shot ricocheted off Maxi Pereira and in off the post with Robin van Persie looking suspiciously offside. Uruguay were fuming but had no complaints three minutes later when Dirk Kuyt’s cross found Robben, who planted his header expertly off the near post.
Pereira sparked a mad dash with a sweet, curling effort in the third minute of added time
but, despite a couple of brief scares, the Dutch held on to keep their World Cup dream alive.