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Dutch into third final at Uruguay's cost
Source: Agencies |
July 7, 2010, Wednesday
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NETHERLANDS took a giant step yesterday towards the World Cup trophy that eluded their great sides of the past by defeating South America's sole survivor Uruguay 3-2 in the first semi-final.
Seeking to erase painful memories of two World Cup final defeats in 1974 and 1978, the Dutch will now face Germany or Spain on Sunday at Johannesburg's Soccer City.
"It is so very special and as a small country we can be so proud," said coach Bert van Marwijk after Netherlands' 14th consecutive World Cup win including qualifiers.
The result means a European team is guaranteed to lift soccer's greatest prize for the first time on foreign soil.
It also means South American dominance at the start of the tournament -- when big names like Italy, France and England were falling -- has reverted back in favour of Europe.
Uruguay's coach and former schoolteacher Oscar Tabarez, nicknamed "El Maestro" (The Teacher), calmly congratulated the Dutch. "We went very far, no one expected it, so that helps the sadness of the defeat," he said.
Two of the tournament's best goals graced the first half in front of more than 62,000 people in the magnificent Green Point stadium in Cape Town.
First, Giovanni van Bronckhorst smashed home a 30-metre shot out of the blue, before Diego Forlan equalised for Uruguay with another spectacular long-range strike.
In the second half, Netherlands ran ahead 3-1 through goals from Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben. Uruguay's Maximiliano Pereira snatched one back in extra-time, but it was too late for the South Americans, playing in a first semi-final since 1970.
The Dutch players, who won every game en route to the final, hugged and jumped for joy at the final whistle, as did their hordes of orange-clad fans, some wearing clogs.
The Uruguayans looked downcast, knowing they had lost the chance to repeat past glories for their nation of just 3.5 million people which won the World Cup in 1930 and 1950.
"PSYCHIC" OCTOPUS GOES FOR SPAIN
In the second semi-final on Wednesday, Germany play Spain in a clash of two talented and attacking sides.
Worryingly for the Germans, an octopus that has been correctly predicting the result of all their matches so far on Tuesday tipped their opponents.
Paul the "psychic" octopus, who lives in an aquarium in western Germany, makes his prophecy by picking food from containers marked with the flags of the two teams.
Perhaps to counter the octopus, Germany coach Joachim Loew is refusing to change his trademark blue sweater on the touchline because staff and players think it brings them luck.
Africa's most successful team at the tournament, Ghana, were deservedly feted on Tuesday after reaching the quarter-finals only to go out in an agonising penalty shootout with Uruguay.
"Although you did not bring the cup home, you have won the hearts and minds of fair-minded people in Africa and the rest of the world," President John Atta Mills told the Black Stars players at a lunch reception in their honour.
The players, who each won a $20,000 bonus, were met by thousands of vuvuzela-blowing and drum-banging fans when they flew home to Accra on Monday night.
Ghana were the only one of six African teams to reach the last 16, matching the feats of Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002. Had they converted a penalty in the dying seconds of extra time, they would have reached the semis in a first for Africa.
The good vibes for Ghana contrasted with Nigeria's shame.
The Super Eagles went home after coming bottom of their group in the first stage. They were greeted with disgust by much of the population and then got caught up in a dispute between FIFA and their government.
President Goodluck Jonathan withdrew his punishment of barring them from international competition for two years just in time to beat an ultimatum by world soccer body FIFA which takes a strong line against political interference.
He said on Tuesday that hundreds of posts on his Facebook page had helped sway him.
"To Suleiman Musa, Nwanze Francis Uchenna and Ifade Udunayo Peter and the hundreds of Nigerians who appealed to me on this page, I have listened to your voices," he said.
Seeking to erase painful memories of two World Cup final defeats in 1974 and 1978, the Dutch will now face Germany or Spain on Sunday at Johannesburg's Soccer City.
"It is so very special and as a small country we can be so proud," said coach Bert van Marwijk after Netherlands' 14th consecutive World Cup win including qualifiers.
The result means a European team is guaranteed to lift soccer's greatest prize for the first time on foreign soil.
It also means South American dominance at the start of the tournament -- when big names like Italy, France and England were falling -- has reverted back in favour of Europe.
Uruguay's coach and former schoolteacher Oscar Tabarez, nicknamed "El Maestro" (The Teacher), calmly congratulated the Dutch. "We went very far, no one expected it, so that helps the sadness of the defeat," he said.
Two of the tournament's best goals graced the first half in front of more than 62,000 people in the magnificent Green Point stadium in Cape Town.
First, Giovanni van Bronckhorst smashed home a 30-metre shot out of the blue, before Diego Forlan equalised for Uruguay with another spectacular long-range strike.
In the second half, Netherlands ran ahead 3-1 through goals from Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben. Uruguay's Maximiliano Pereira snatched one back in extra-time, but it was too late for the South Americans, playing in a first semi-final since 1970.
The Dutch players, who won every game en route to the final, hugged and jumped for joy at the final whistle, as did their hordes of orange-clad fans, some wearing clogs.
The Uruguayans looked downcast, knowing they had lost the chance to repeat past glories for their nation of just 3.5 million people which won the World Cup in 1930 and 1950.
"PSYCHIC" OCTOPUS GOES FOR SPAIN
In the second semi-final on Wednesday, Germany play Spain in a clash of two talented and attacking sides.
Worryingly for the Germans, an octopus that has been correctly predicting the result of all their matches so far on Tuesday tipped their opponents.
Paul the "psychic" octopus, who lives in an aquarium in western Germany, makes his prophecy by picking food from containers marked with the flags of the two teams.
Perhaps to counter the octopus, Germany coach Joachim Loew is refusing to change his trademark blue sweater on the touchline because staff and players think it brings them luck.
Africa's most successful team at the tournament, Ghana, were deservedly feted on Tuesday after reaching the quarter-finals only to go out in an agonising penalty shootout with Uruguay.
"Although you did not bring the cup home, you have won the hearts and minds of fair-minded people in Africa and the rest of the world," President John Atta Mills told the Black Stars players at a lunch reception in their honour.
The players, who each won a $20,000 bonus, were met by thousands of vuvuzela-blowing and drum-banging fans when they flew home to Accra on Monday night.
Ghana were the only one of six African teams to reach the last 16, matching the feats of Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002. Had they converted a penalty in the dying seconds of extra time, they would have reached the semis in a first for Africa.
The good vibes for Ghana contrasted with Nigeria's shame.
The Super Eagles went home after coming bottom of their group in the first stage. They were greeted with disgust by much of the population and then got caught up in a dispute between FIFA and their government.
President Goodluck Jonathan withdrew his punishment of barring them from international competition for two years just in time to beat an ultimatum by world soccer body FIFA which takes a strong line against political interference.
He said on Tuesday that hundreds of posts on his Facebook page had helped sway him.
"To Suleiman Musa, Nwanze Francis Uchenna and Ifade Udunayo Peter and the hundreds of Nigerians who appealed to me on this page, I have listened to your voices," he said.
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