FIFA World Cup 2010: Netherlands - Road to the Final; Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben Dutch Danger-men
The Netherlands have arrived at their third World Cup final (after 1974 and ’78) in what can only be described as a very comfortable path. The team has been nearly flawless throughout the tournament in South Africa, and deserves a lot of credit for what it has achieved.
The group stages were simple enough, with three wins out of three for the Dutch. The tournament started out perfectly, as the first game against Denmark ended 2-0 in favour of the Netherlands. An own goal from Liverpool man Daniel Agger was followed by the first goal of the tournament for another Liverpool player, Dirk Kuyt. The first glimpse at this Dutch side suggested that they weren't like the Dutch teams of old who would go on an all out attack and not worry about defending. This side was very well balanced and organized, and the Danes couldn't find a way past them in the first game.
The second game against Japan proved to be an even closer one. The match eventually ended 1-0, but the Dutch were still comfortable in victory. This time it was Wesley Sneijder who scored, in what was his first of five goals in the tournament before the final. The Inter Milan man has had a phenomenal season for both club and country, and it was no surprise that he found the back of the net and ensured his team's progress to the next round.
With qualification already sealed, the last match against Cameroon was virtually meaningless, but it marked the return of Arjen Robben, who had missed the first two games owing to an injury. The Winger is one of the most dangerous players in the world, and the impact he had on the team was clear. After the game was heading for a draw, the Bayern Munich man came on and excited the crowd with his excellent dribbling skills. It was his shot that led to the second Dutch goal by Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, as Robben's powerful shot rebounded off the post and fell right into the path of Huntelaar, who had an easy task of putting the ball into the goal.
Netherlands played Slovakia in the Round of 16 after a perfect record in the group stages. Having only conceded once, and that too from a penalty, the Dutch were favourites to win against the Slovaks and book their place in the quarterfinals. And that is exactly what happened, as the Dutch emerged 2-1 winners. It was the deadly duo once again, as Robben and Sneijder scored to put the Dutch ahead 2-0. Vittek scored at the end but it proved to be just a consolation for the Slovaks.
The quarterfinal match against Brazil was thought to be the real test of this Netherlands side, with the South Americans touted as strong favourites to beat them and move to the semifinals. It all looked like it was going according to plan, when the Brazilians raced ahead with a one goal lead at half time, but two second half goals from (who else but) Wesley Sneijder proved to be the undoing of the Brazilians. The game finished 2-1, and the Dutch had finally established themselves as serious contenders for the title.
The semifinal match was against another South American team in Uruguay. The match eventually finished 3-2 to the Dutch, who had been leading 1-0 in the first half before Diego Forlan equalized for the South Americans. With the score at 1-1, it was Sneijder who once again came to the rescue of his side and put the Dutch ahead with a deflected shot. Robben made it 3-1 to the Dutch, before a late consolation goal for Uruguay set up a tense finale.
The final against Spain will prove to be a very tough test for The Flying Dutchmen, but if their form in the tournament is any thing to judge this Netherlands team, they have a very good chance of winning their first ever World Cup.
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