2010 World Cup semi-final preview: Uruguay v Netherlands
History is written by the winners, and while all of Uruguay will be happy to sit you down and tell you tales of their country’s glorious 1930 and 1950 World Cup triumphs, you won’t find many people in the Netherlands who’ll want to talk about their two final defeats in the 1970s. Now it’s time for the next chapter.
These two weren’t expected to be here.
In another universe it could be England, Brazil or Italy lining up in Cape Town for this semi-final. Perhaps it should be Ghana, but it is Uruguay and the Netherlands, and how they both deserve it.
The Uruguayans have long been regarded as the poorer South American cousins to both Brazil and Argentina, but they’ve outperformed them both at this World Cup.
While many were focussing on Luis Suárez’s goalline goalkeeping in their dramatic win over the Ghanaians, the brilliance of Diego Forlán once again slipped under the radar, and it wasn’t for the first time.
In this country we tend to disregard players who haven’t performed well in the Premier League, with Forlán the finest example of this. Written off by many as just an expensive flop who used to play for Manchester United, there was almost widespread mocking when the forward scored the goals that derailed both Liverpool and Fulham’s Europa League hopes last season, for many didn’t realise just what a good player he’s become.
One hundred and twenty goals in 208 games in Spain’s La Liga – firstly with Villarreal and now Atlético Madrid – prove his qualities, and the forward – whose father Pablo played for Uruguay against the Dutch in the 1974 World Cup – will be spearheading his country’s hopes in their first semi-final for 40 years, especially in the absence of the suspended Suárez.
He’ll be lining up against someone else who has found his best form away from the Premier League.
Arjen Robben cannot be described as being as much of a failure at Chelsea as Forlán was at Old Trafford, but it is true to say that the Stamford Bridge faithful never saw the swashbuckling, flying Dutchman that Bayern Munich fans are now enjoying.
A brief stopover at a pre-Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid, where he was very much the star of the side, was followed by his move to Bavaria, and he virtually dragged Bayern to the Champions League final kicking and screaming last season. Now back from injury, he could be about to do the same with the Dutch in this World Cup.
Not that he’s been the only star.
Wesley Sneijder has arguably been the player of the tournament, profiting from the hard work done by the likes of Dirk Kuyt, Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong.
Manchester City midfielder De Jong is suspended for this one, along with right-back Gregory van der Weil, and so changes will have to be made to what has been a largely unchanged Dutch side, although Joris Mathijsen is fit to return after missing the last 16 victory over Brazil through injury.
Uruguay are without the banned Suárez and Jorge Fucile, while Nicolás Lodeiro has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a broken foot, and captain Diego Lugano is struggling with the knee injury that forced him to limp out of the clash with Ghana. Forlán stands by to take over the armband, but all thoughts have been about Robben.
“[Coach Óscar] Tabárez has been talking to us about Robben and how to stop a player like him,” said Sebastián Abreu, whose dinked penalty sealed victory over Ghana.
“But it's always different when you are on the field. So we know how to do it but whether the actual execution actually comes off is another thing.”
Quite, but if Robben doesn’t get you, then maybe one of the others will.
“We are all so happy and we know how close we are to getting to the final,” said Kuyt, who flicked on a Robben corner for Sneijder to head in the winner against Brazil.
“This is something we have dreamed about our whole lives but we know that we have got to be careful and everyone expects us to get there now. We have got a lot of hard work to do. We have got to make sure we stick together and not get too carried away because the semi-final will be the hardest game we play. But we have got a fantastic opportunity.”
A fantastic opportunity for both.
History awaits to be written. No-one remembers losing semi-finalists.
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