Venue: Cape Town

Date: Tuesday, 6 July 2010

Kick-off: 1930 BST

Coverage: Television coverage ITV, BBC Radio 5 Live, live text commentary on this website
TEAM NEWS

Uruguay will definitely be without suspended duo Luis Suarez and Jorge Fucile. Suarez was sent off for handling Dominic Adiyiah's goal-bound header in the quarter-final win over Ghana, while Fucile earned his second yellow card of the tournament in that match. Creative midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro has been ruled out of the tournament with a broken foot, while captain Diego Lugano is struggling with a knee injury.

Netherlands striker Robin van Persie has been cleared to face Uruguay following a hospital scan on an elbow injury. Defender Joris Mathijsen will also return from a knee injury. Gregory van der Wiel and Nigel de Jong are suspended.
MATCH PREVIEW

The winners of the first-ever World Cup take on the country many consider the best team never to have won football's biggest prize in an intriguing semi-final clash in Cape Town.

So often dismissed as football's biggest chokers, the Netherlands' dream of a first world title is within their grasp. This may not be the most spectacular Dutch side in recent memory, but it is the most effective. Friday's quarter-final victory over Brazil saw Bert van Marwijk's side extend their record unbeaten run to 24 matches. They have won all five of their games in South Africa, beating their previous best run of four consecutive wins at the 1974 finals.

That was the year the Dutch introduced Total Football onto the world stage, opening the tournament with a 2-0 victory over Uruguay in West Germany. The Netherlands cruised to the final, only to stumble at the final hurdle at the hands of the hosts. Four years later it was a similar story as Argentina denied them again. The Dutch were the first European settlers in South Africa - will they be the first team to book their place in the 2010 World Cup final?

The glory years of Uruguayan football were a fast-fading memory before Oscar Tabarez's side arrived in South Africa. Winners in 1930 and 1950, La Celeste's last semi-final was 40 years ago and they have only appeared in two of the last five World Cups. But under Tabarez, who also steered them to the last 16 in 1990 in his first stint as coach, Uruguay have been rejuvenated and cannot be written off.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

- The Dutch beat the Uruguayans 2-0 in their opening game at the 1974 World Cup. Johnny Rep scored both goals, while Uruguay had Juan Montero Castillo sent off. Diego Forlan's father, Pablo, played in the match.

- The only other meeting since then was a friendly in Montevideo in 1980 that the home side won 2-0.

- Uruguay also beat the Dutch on the way to winning Olympic gold in 1924 and 1928.
Uruguay

- Uruguay are in the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1970, when they lost 3-1 to Brazil.

- They have conceded only two goals in five games in South Africa.

- Uruguay are unbeaten in their last seven World Cup games, including their last two group matches in 2002 (which were both drawn).

- They won the tournament in 1930 and 1950, though the second of their triumphs did not come in an orthodox "final". Instead they competed in a four-team group stage, overtaking Brazil with victory against them in their final game.
Netherlands

- The Netherlands have won five consecutive World Cup matches for the first time. This beats their previous best run of four in 1974, when they reached the final.

- Van Marwijk's side are on a 24-match unbeaten streak, a record for the Dutch. Their last defeat was in September 2008 (a 2-1 loss to Australia in Eindhoven).

- They have won each of their last three matches 2-1.

- Wesley Sneijder has scored six goals in his last seven internationals.

Match

Holland!!!!!!!

Should be Holland if they avoid complacency.

Go Uruguay. . . . . . rub sh.yte in the face of the EU

RuuDie:

Go Uruguay. . . . . . rub sh.yte in the face of the EU

Ruudie the weirdo. See who u dey support.

Ur way ehn!! Na only God understand.

Holland make una no fall my hand ooh

Holland that's if Uruguay stays off cheating lol,

Lets go Holland lets go!!!
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I for like make Uruaguay win O, b'cos of Diego Forlan tory wey i read today. the tory touch me gaaaaaaaan, but wetin i go do na? holland has always been my favourite for long so make i give am to d ORANGES!!! (Ah, but e go pain me O! i just dey imagine how DF sister go fee to see her Y-brother loose tonite's match. . .sad u know )

Infact i no support anybody again, anybody wey win, na 'em fat luck!

Holland of course. They have what it takes to win the cup, though Germany/SPAIN would be a challenge

Cheats will never win a world cup again. You see maradona have paid dearly for his infamous hand of God in this world cup with a disgraceful exit. I hated FIFA rules on that Ghana/Uruguay match. How proud will Uruguay be if they go ahead to win the cup after using hand to stop a goal bound ball that would have sealed their fate. The referee would have just awarded that goal to Ghana. Afterall his decisions are final in the pitch. I cannot blame Gyan, world class players have been missing penalties since history of soccer. Uruguay should never benefit from this fraud.

philips70:

Cheats will never win a world cup again. You see maradona have paid dearly for his infamous hand of God in this world cup with a disgraceful exit. I hated FIFA rules on that Ghana/Uruguay match. How proud will Uruguay be if they go ahead to win the cup after using hand to stop a goal bound ball that would have sealed their fate. The referee would have just awarded that goal to Ghana. Afterall his decisions are final in the pitch. I cannot blame Gyan, world class players have been missing penalties since history of soccer. Uruguay should never benefit from this fraud.

What is cheating!!? Handball; Penalty + Red Card - Berra blame Gyan oh. . . . . . see Mary, see Bible, if e no get liver shebi e for lef am 4 somebody els ;De

Go URUGUAY - Forlan 4 MVP and then FIFA Footballer of the YEAR. . . . Suarez for Best Goalie!!!

eyoniggar:

Ruudie the weirdo. See who u dey support.

your way ehn!! Na only God understand.

not hard 2 understand man. . . . i just admire d cool, composed, quiet stability of d Uruguayan team. Experienced too. I mean Fucile (left-back) got a yellow early on in d ghana match & still played d match 2 d very end, not 1 moments fear of getting sent-off.

Forlan is hot; their defence is good. . . . I mean, whats there not to admire about 'em. Certainly, d dutch will test 'em hard but dis guys have what it takes 2 scale dis hurdle!

finna watch the dutch courage over the uruguayans. gerrit ? 'dutch courage'

finna watch the dutch rectally relieve the uruguyans. letsssssssssssssssssssssssss gooooooooooooooooooooooooo. get revenge for my ghana brothers for me   sending my nicca gyan home to accra is something i frown on   gyan was just putting his feet up and sippin on some nkomboti. he was just settling in and then he got deported by suarez  

Uruguay wins this most likely !

Oranje for Life, omo, show these urugay (U-R-Gay ) people how football is played, lol, and please no "yakubing" or "Kaitaing" of any kind is acceptable!!

Hup Holland, jullie zijn de beste!

wavemasta:

Oranje for Life, omo, show these urugay (U-R-Gay ) people how football is played, lol, and please no "yakubing" or "Kaitaing" of any kind is acceptable!!

Hup Holland, jullie zijn de beste!

no suarezing neither

I tip Uruguay to win this. I foresee the sort of footie they played during the group stages, pure South American Rythmic football.
I also see them playing cautiously at the back but confidently in the midfield trying to hold most of the ball possesion. This also means they won't be in a hurry to go for goal unless the Dutch start asking too much questions or they score first,

Let's watch and see, hey, forlan no cheating o.k. , so let the game begin

I hope d Neitherlands will avenge for Africa,Uruguay ve done us one 2 many harm.

Wow. Wat a match i see the score line say 0-3  to the dutch

it's so very on now

it is not mathematics, very unpredictable also could go either way ,

Iceugwa:

Wow. Wat a match i see the score line say 0-3 to the dutch

Uruguay wins this most likely !

@Dr K,
Exercise your voting rights to shore up our support for Uruguay

*singing* Go Holland it's your birthday, your gonna party like it's your birthday   winner oh oh oh, winner, winner oh oh oh winner, Holland u don win oh, winner, pata pata u go win forever winner

Holland must win this game. . . . .

Come on ORANGE BOYS. . . . . .


GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

VAN BRONCKHORST. . . . . .WHAT A GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Holland kill these thieves for me
1:0

Van persie is playing Arsenal instead of passing the ball to more experience players .

Goal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Capt  van bronchost