2010 World Cup Soccer

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The Netherlands have progressed to the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup with an imposing 3-2 win over Uruguay at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town.

Three goals all off the post by Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben edged out strikes to Diego Forlan and Maximiliano Pereira as the Dutch reached the tournament final for the first time since 1978.

The Netherlands started brightly in the first five minutes as Sneijder’s cross from the right flank needed clearing by Uruguayan goalkeeper, Fernando Muslera.

However, his punch fell straight into the path of Dirk Kuyt, who fortunately for Muslera misfired his shot over the bar.

Yet, after a somewhat lacklustre beginning to the match from both sides, the Dutch took the lead in spectacular fashion in the 18^th minute through a van Bronckhorst wonder strike.

The Dutch captain, who was winning his 105^th cap for his country, took possession well outside the area on the inside-left channel before thumping an absolute thunderbolt that took a helpful touch from the post and into the top corner of the goal.

Indeed, no ’keeper in the world could’ve saved van Bronckhorst’s blistering strike and despite Muslera’s best efforts, the Uruguayan ’keeper couldn’t be blamed for the Dutch opener.

In the 36^th minute, the Uruguayans produced its first shot on target for the match through an Alvaro Pereira strike from outside the box; but Dutch goalkeeper, Maarten Stekelenburg, positioned himself impeccably holding the shot with aplomb.

Nevertheless, instantly following a Kuyt effort two minutes before the break, Forlan’s mazy run towards the Dutch goal ended in a goal as the Uruguayan forward capriciously wheeled onto his left foot before sending a scorching drive into the back of the net.

On replay however, Stekelenburg will feel that he should’ve made the save.

Despite the Dutch goalkeeper getting a strong hand on the curling shot, he couldn’t prevent the Uruguayan equaliser as La Celeste began its ecstatic revelry.

Uruguay smelt blood just before half-time, but Stekelenburg made partial amends for his earlier error saving smartly from a Forlan free-kick that seemed to be bending inside the keeper’s left post.

In the 50^th minute, a terrible back-pass from Khalid Boulahrouz almost found Uruguay’s Edinson Cavani as Stekelenburg scurried off his line to partially clear the danger.

However, with the ball falling invitingly for A. Pereira, his accurate shot found van Bronckhorst, who in sensing the threat, made a timely headed clearance away from the target.

After a short lull in the game, the match exploded into life again as the Oranje scored twice to kill off any chance of a Uruguayan comeback.

Previous to the goals however, another Forlan set-piece in the 66^th minute dipped its way towards the bottom corner of the mark; yet Stekelenburg crucially parried away the strike as he continued to right the wrongs from his prior mistake.

Moments later, a brilliant pass from Robin van Persie released Rafael van der Vaart who immediately rifled a shot on goal; but Muslera foiled the Dutch substitute diving sublimely to his left as a Robben follow-up was blasted over the bar.

Twenty minutes before time though, Holland retook the lead through Sneijder, who scored his fifth goal of the tournament following a string of passes from the in-control Dutch side.

The Inter Milan playmaker’s somewhat enervated attempt took a sharp deflection off M. Pereira; and with Muslera stranded, the ball fizzed its way off the post and into the net.

Furthermore, the match looked to be settled on the 73^rd minute mark following more patient build-up play by the Dutch.

The well-constructed move was finished off by Robben, who bulleted a pinpoint header off the base of the post and into the goal after a precise Kuyt cross found his man.

At 3-1, the game appeared to be dead and buried; but Uruguay had other ideas giving the Dutch a late scare in injury time following a cleverly-worked goal from another Uruguayan set-piece.

Walter Gargano shaped to thrust the ball into the crowded 18-yard box, but instead, directed a short pass for M. Pereira to sidestep his opponent and guide a curving shot home to generate a glimmer of hope for the seemingly defeated Uruguayans.

A hectic finish to the match ensued as the Dutch defence soaked up wave upon wave of Uruguayan pressure.

Nonetheless, it all came too late for the last of the non-European representatives as the Dutch held on to victory amid jubilant celebrations for the Oranje.

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