Oranje Brilliance Carries Dutch Into World Cup Final With 3-2 Win Over Uruguay

The Netherlands is through to their first World Cup final since 1978 after a 3-2 win over Uruguay. The Dutch got goals from Giovani van Bronckhorst, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben in holding-off the Uruguayans, moving on to Sunday’s final in Johannesburg.

The Dutch pulled-ahead in the 18th minute when van Bronckhorst found net with what looked to be a speculative shot from 30 yards out, even with the left edge of the penalty area. The shot ended-up perfect, going in high off Fernando Muslera’s left post to give the Dutch a 1-0 lead.

Right back Maxi Pereira has scored off a set piece in the 92nd minute to make it 3-2 in the last moments of their semifinal against the Dutch.

A dead ball 30 yards out was rolled to the right for an on-coming Pereira, the right back curling a left-footed shot into the far corner for Uruguay’s second goal.

Any controversy surrounding their second goal will be forgotten if the Dutch maintain the two goal lead given to them by Arjen Robben’s 73rd minute heard, taking a cross from the left flank and putting it near post to give the Netherlands a 3-1 lead.

The header came from near ten yards out, an easy finish even for a man who is not known for scoring with his head. The right winger, near the middle of the area, headed the cross just inside the neat post for the two goal lead.

Robin Van Persie, in an offside position nine yards from goal, did not touch Wesley Sneijder’s shot, but having waved a foot at the passing ball, the Dutch forward may have frozen goalkeeper Fernando Muslera long enough to let the soft shot get past the goalie and onto the far post, going in to give the Netherlands a 2-1 lead in the 70th minute.

Sneijder put a shot toward net from 17 yards out to the left of goal. The ball deflected off a Uruguay defender, losing it’s momentum while headed for t he goal’s far corner. Robin van Persie, barely in an offside position, waved his foot at the bouncing ball but missed it; however, Fernando Muslera’s weight seemed to be on his right foot, frozen by the action instead of moving for the shot.

Diego Forlan’s direct kick from 20-yards out dipped sharply over the Dutch wall and toward the lower-left hand corner of goal, but a great save by Dutch `keeper Maarten Stekelenburg kept the Netherlands drawn 1-1 with Uruguay.

Uruguay earned the kick after having control for most of the second half, and Forlan’s direct kick looked to be the culmination for their ascendancy. Stekelenburg, however, drove behind his wall to make his most difficult save of the match.

Netherlands right back Khalid Boulahrouz tempted fate early in the second half, with a lazy back-pass from near the center line failing to make its way back to goalkeeper Maartin Stekelenburg.

Instead, Uruguay attacker Edinson Cavani, in the 51st minute, got to the ball first and touched it around the hard-charging goalkeeper, eventually playing it to left midfielder Álvaro Pereira, who tried a chip into the open net.

Diego Forlán’s equalizer, off his wrong-foot:

Know that de Zeeuw missed virtually no time:

Two moments of brilliance have speckled an otherwise evenly played first half to take Uruguay and the Netherlands into halftime tied at one.

Giovani van Bronckhorst’s 18th minute goal from near 30-yards out went into the upper-right hand corner of goal, hitting off the top of Fernando Muslera’s left post and going in to give the Dutch a 1-0 lead.

Something from nothing is what players like Diego Forlán gives you, and in the 42nd minute against Holland, that something was a 26-yard goal with his off-foot to pull La Celeste even with the Netherlands, 1-1.

Taking an innocent ball from his midfielders, Forlán cut-in from even with the right post to the middle of goal, 26 yards out. The Uruguayan star let a shot go off his left foot that appeared to curl as it came upon goalkeeper Maarten Stekelengurg, going off the `keeper’s left hand, into the net.

Left back Martin Caceres has had an up-and-down World Cup 2010 debut, but most of his ups have been in defense, as was the case in the 32nd minute when a strong play from the Uruguayan helped prevent a goal scoring chance for Arjen Robben.

The Dutch right wing, in the middle of the pitch (as the Dutch have spent most of the half attacking down the left flank) was the recipient of a Robin van Persie pass that allowed him to turn today the near post for a shot. His first touch put the ball too far in front of him, allowing Cáceres to get between ball and man at 12 yards out, allowing Fernando Muslera to come collect the ball.

Uruguay right back Maxi Pereira has picked up the first caution of the match, booked are a tackle on Arjen Robben saw him go under the Dutch attacker from behind. Referee Ravshan Irmatov booked the right back, on the left side after defending a set-piece, in the 22nd minute.

Now in the 25th minute, Holland remains in the lead, 1-0.

Netherlands captain Giovani van Bronckhorst was given space from 28-yards out for a speculative shot, but hit perfectly against the upper part of the far post, the left back has put the Netherlands up 1-0 in the match’s 20th minute.

The Dutch had strung together a number of passes about 35 yards from goal, working the ball from the right flank to the middle, where Demy de Zeeuw laid-off a simple pass to the oncoming van Bronckhorst. The left back put his left boot to the ball for a perfect goal, giving Holland the early lead.

In the tenth minute, Dirk Kuyt and the Dutch made their way through the right side of the Uruguayn defense, eventually playing an inquisitive cross from the left flank. Left back Martín Cáceres read the cross well but misplayed the cross, lofting a ball toward the touch line, forcing center half Mauricio Victorino to go to the by line an play a ball back in lest Uruguay conceded a corner kick.

Victorino’s headed ball found Kuyt, and with the Dutch not having to worry about offside (for Victorino’s position), Kuyt nearly found Arjen Robben making a run at the near post. Center half Diego Godin won the aerial challenge, killing the Dutch threat.

The match’s first chance, albeit a half one, came to Dirk Kuyt in the third minute, when a poor punch from Uruguyan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera gave the left winger a chance in the left side of the penalty box.

Arjen Robben broke through Martín Cáceres on the right side of attack but could only put an attempted cross off a defender. The blocked ball came out to Wesley Sneijder who lofted a cross to the middle of the Uruguayan penalty area. Muslera came early for a punch that was awkwardly hit to the left side of the box. Kuyt was there for a half-volley back at the disorganized goalkeeper, though his shot went over the bar.

There were no surprised in Bert van Marwijk’s starting XI, with Khalid Boulahrouz and Demy de Zeeuw slotting into the team for their suspended teammates.

Boulahrouz resumes his once customary place at right back, where he replaces the suspended Gregory van der Weil, while de Zeeuw replaces Nigel de Jong, also suspended.

Óscar Tabárez, missing one of this two prominent goal scorers, has switched from a three forward attack for Uruguay’s semifinal against the Dutch.

Instead, Uruguay will go 4-4-2 (4-4-1-1), bringing Walter Gargano into the midfield, a move that could make Uruguay even more conservative than they’ve already been in this tournament. Whereas before they were playing a 4-3-1-2 with a conservative back seven, now Uruguay starts personnel to play two lines of four at the back.

A worldwide legion of Dutch fans have started to rejoice in this year’s World Cup success, their win over Brazil on Friday giving them license to feel the first twinges of accomplishment. Those feelings have allowed a paradox to be temporarily set-aside. The reason so many across the world fell in love with Dutch soccer - their free-flowing, idealistic approach to the game - is gone. Holland has reached the semifinals - their first appearance at this depth since 1978 - by eschewing idealism for practicality.

Bert van Marwijk is playing two defensive midfielders, being relatively conservative with his wing backs, and is employing a worker bee (Dirk Kuyt) in one of his attacking roles. This leaves the Dutch attack reliant on three players: right wing Arjen Robben, attacking midfielder Wesley Sneijder, and forward Robin van Persie. Fortunately for the Dutch, those players are amongst the best in the world at their positions.

After the first match of the tournament, Uruguay switched to an attack featuring three forwards: Luis Suárez, Edinson Cavani, and Diego Forlán, who has played in a deeper role. Forlán’s positioning allows coach Óscar Tabárez to play his three midfielders deep, enabling La Celeste to go five World Cup matches allowing only two goals: a set piece conversion by South Korea and a jabulani-aided 40-yarder from Ghana.

With Suárez suspended and the Uruguayans taking a step-up in quality for today’s semifinal, Tabárez may be tempted to add another midfielder in Suárez’s place, shifting the formation from a 4-3-3 (4-3-1-2) to a 4-4-2 (4-4-1-1). In both formations, Forlán will be the most important player, providing the link between the deep midfield and attack. Uruguay has no other player who can be relied upon to carry or pass the ball into attack, through the area of the pitch which will be occupied by Mark van Bommel and Demy de Zeeuw.

Uruguay may also be missing captain and center half Diego Lugano, who had to leave the quarterfinal at half time with a knee injury. His partner, Diego Godín, is expected to return to the lineup having missed time with a thigh injury.

Players To Watch, Uruguay: With Suárez suspended, Edinson Cavani will have to have more of a presence in attack. To this point, his greatest contribution has been allowing Diego Forlán to drop deeper to help the link-up play, and while it is tempting to say Forlán could merely move back into a striker’s role, that would leave a huge gap between Uruguay’s three, deep midfielders and their forwards. Those midfielders, specifically Diego Pérez, will have their hands full with Sneijder, Robben, and van Persie. It may be a bit much to ask them to start playing more ambitiously.