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Uruguay vs Netherlands

July 6, 2010 by · Comments Off on Uruguay vs Netherlands 

Uruguay vs NetherlandsUruguay vs Netherlands:CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) CNN – Netherlands turned the style in the second half to reach her third final of the World Cup – and for the first time in 32 years – with a 3-2 victory over Uruguay on Tuesday.

Wesley Sneijder scored his fifth goal in South Africa and Giovanni van Bronckhorst added one of the goals of the tournament. Arjen Robben also noted that the Dutch never looked troubled despite a late attack twice champions from South America.

“This is unforgettable,” said Sneijder. “It was a tough fight and in the end it complicates things. Sunday play in the World Cup final. I have to get used to that.”

Van Bronckhorst scored with a 35-meter (yard) shot in the 18th minute, but Diego Forlan tied at 41 with his fourth goal of the tournament.

Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk Demy de Zeeuw replaced with Rafael van der Vaart at the break and attack move paid off as Sneijder and Robben scored after the break.

Maximiliano Pereira scored for Uruguay in stoppage time, but the Dutch resisted pressure Uruguayan afternoon, and orange-clad fans at the Green Point Stadium after the final whistle blew.

“This is very special,” said Van Marwijk, who took over as coach two years ago. “After 32 years we played the final again. A country so small. We can be very proud of it.”

Most of the jubilant Dutch squad returned to the field 45 minutes after the game and encouraged to dance with a group of about 1,000 orange-clad fans cheering and drums.

As the players danced, sang the fans, “Holland! Holland! Holland!”

only international title of the Netherlands occurred in the 1988 European Championship, but is now unbeaten in 25 matches and has won 10 consecutive games as it is directed to a World Cup final against Spain or Germany.

Seen as beautiful but low-yield players on the world stage perennial, the Netherlands has played a tougher brand of football in South Africa with the goal of dominating the possession and wait for openings instead of carving open defenses with a touch creative.

“I love the beautiful attacking football, but we must work together when the opponent has the ball and then you can go a long way,” said Van Marwijk.

He has served the team well – the Netherlands is the only team with a perfect record in the World Cup.

“We’re so close,” said Sneijder, who won the Italian league and cup and the Champions League this season with Inter Milan. “There is nothing bigger than the World Cup.”

For Van Bronckhorst, who is finishing his playing career after the World Cup was his first goal of the tournament and only the sixth in her 105-match international career.

He said before the game that the Dutch wanted to play football more beautiful, and Captain Holland led the way with his impressive goal.

After a flowing passing movement, picked up the ball 30 meters (yards) on the left and hit a scorching drive that beat the despairing dive of Fernando Muslera and flew into the net in the post.

Forlan equalizer was another powerful shot from long range, but goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg Netherlands should have saved him.

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said Forlan played the entire game with an injury and was forced eventually to replace it in the 85th minute.

“From the minute we had a problem. I’m not foolish enough to take him out to 3-1 when the match is not lost,” said Tabarez. “He was injured and could not continue.”

The Netherlands put the game out of reach of Uruguay with two goals in quick succession in the second half. Sneijder in the 70th low shot was deflected by Pereira and past Muslera. Robben then rose to head home a cross from Dirk Kuyt left three minutes later.

“The Netherlands can create a goal of any situation,” said Tabarez, whose team had conceded only two goals in the match of the game. “These are fine goals for football, but rather unexpected for us.”

The Netherlands, who lost in 1974 and the final 78 appeared in the semifinals of the World Cup for the first time since losing on penalties to Brazil in 1998. It was the first appearance of Uruguay in the last four since 1970.

Uruguay won the title in 1930 and again in 1950, but reached the semifinals of this year in controversial fashion when Luis Suarez drove the ball across the goal line in the final minute of overtime against Ghana in the quarterfinals.

Lineups:

Netherlands: Maarten Stekelenburg, Khalid Boulahrouz, John Heitinga, Joris Mathijsen Bronckhorst, Giovanni Van, Dirk Kuyt, Mark van Bommel, Wesley Sneijder, Demy de Zeeuw (Rafael van der Vaart, 46), Arjen Robben (Eljer Elia, 89), Robin Van Persie.

Uruguay: Fernando Muslera, Diego Godin, Mauricio Victorino, Martin Caceres, Maximiliano Pereira, Alvaro Pereira (Sebastian Abreu, 78), Diego Perez, Egidio Arevalo Rios, Walter Gargano, Edinson Cavani, Diego Forlan (Sebastian Fernandez, 85).

Watch the game LIVE at Univision here. http://futbol.univision.com/fifacopamundial/calendario

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