FIRST SEMI FINAL - HOLLAND WITHIN TOUCHING DISTANCE OF A FIRST WORLD CUP WIN

Holland took a step closer to their first World Cup crown with a 3-2 win over Uruguay in their semi-final in Cape Town, although the scoreline did not do the quality of the game justice. For long periods, the Dutch looked short of ideas, and it is performances like this which have caused some discontent back in Holland, as many fans aren't content with them 'winning ugly.' Brazil, with their 'joga bonita' (literal translation the beautiful game) can contend with Holland's 'total football' in terms of beautiful footballing philosophies. Hence why the Brazil team of 1982, and the Dutch classes of 1974 and 1978 are so revered, despite none of those teams winning those tournaments. Yet, amazingly, they stand just one victory way from clinching the trophy which proved just beyond Johann Cruyff and teammates such as Johann Neeskens, Johnny Rep and Arie Hann in the 1970s, while strong teams in the last two decades including the likes of Partick Kluivert, Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf and the de Boer brothers never so much as made an appearance in the final. History awaits this crop of Dutch talent, yet to date, they have not hit top form in South Africa. But they had just a little bit too much quality for a Uruguay side who can be ecstatic with their performance in South Africa, although they will wonder what might have been had they been able to partner the suspended Luis Suarez with the excellent Diego Forlan, to give their attack a greater cutting edge when Holland were wobbling. But a first semi-final appearance since 1970, the first time any South American country (other than Brazil or Argentina) has reached the last eight of a World Cup since Peru in 1978, and the first time they've been the best performers from their continent since they last won the thing in 1950, hardly amounts to a disappointing summer. The game started in typically cagey fashion - Dirk Kuyt's shot which flew over the crossbar after Uruguay keeper Fernando Muslera had punched a Wesley Sneijder cross straight to him, was the only noteworthy chance in the opening exchanges. The South Americans were starting to get their game together, when they were hit by a goal of then highest quality. The ball was fed out to captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst on the left wing, 40 yards from goal, and there seemed little on. But the 35-year-old took a touch to get the ball out of his feet, then fired it towards the proverbial 'postage stamp' top corner, which left Muslera grasping at thin air. The predicted Dutch onslaught never materialised, however. Uruguay were content to defend in massed numbers, while Holland were unwilling or unable to break down their well-organised defence. Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez had made a cunning tactical ploy, employing the right footed Martin Caceres at left-back, as he suspected (and was proved right) that Arjen Robben would spend most of the game on the Dutch right wing, trying to cut inside onto his left foot. As the game approached half-time, Uruguay began to come into the game more. Dutch keeper Maarten Stekelenburg had to be alert to save Alvaro Perreira's bouncing shot, but the Ajax stopper was culpable when Uruguay surprisingly levelled four minutes before half-time. There was only one likely scorer, and so it proved. Forlan added another few million euros to his value. Picking the ball up 30 yards from goal, he cut back onto his left foot, and hit a swerving shot which seemed to deceived Stekelenburg, who could only palm the ball into the roof of the net. The shot did move in the air, but the keeper will still be disappointed to have been picking the ball out of the net. Stekelenburg had another nervous moment at the start of the second half. He rushed out to meet a through ball which he was never favourite to get to first, and after challenging with Edison Caveni, the loose ball broke to Alvaro Perreira. However, the winger's lob was cleared off the line by van Bronckhorst. It could have been even worse for Holland if Caveni had been slightly braver in the challenge with the keeper. If anyone looked more like scorers in the second half (and no one really did) it was Uruguay, as Forlan brought a much better save out of Stekelenburg with a dipping, low free-kick. Half-time susbstitute Rafael van der Vaart had started to inject more urgency into Holland, and he went close to giving his side the lead halfway through the second half, but having been played in by Robin van Persie's clever backheel, Muslera made a brilliant save, and Robben could only fire the rebound high into the crowd with his shockingly weak right foot. But with 20 minutes remaining, they did regain the lead, in fortuitous and controversial circumstances. Sneijder's shot from the edge of the area deflected off Maxi Perreira and evaded Robin van Persie, who was standing in an offside position. The ball snuck into the corner, off the post and past a despairing Muslera. Despite the Uruguayan protests, the goal stood as the linesman deemed van Persie to not be interfering with play. That is an odd interpretation of the laws of the game, as the Arsenal striker was right in the eyeline of Muslera - but following the controversy of their quarter-final win over Ghana, Uruguay will find few sympathetic ears for their protests to fall on. Three minutes later, the game was effectively finished as a contest. A flowing move, more like the Dutch off old (or even two years ago) ended with Kuyt whipping over a cross from the left, allowing Robben to score a rare headed goal from the penalty spot. Robben had a chance to completely kill the game off minutes later - but having been sent clear by van Persie down the inside right channel, he again showed his limitations on that side, as his attempted flick with the outside of his left foot dribbled into the grateful hands of Muslera. With five minutes remaining, the imperious Forlan was taken off with a slight injury, and this looked like game over. But the plucky underdogs had one last wind. In the first minute of injury-time, I was in the middle of criticising a 'ridiculous' clever free-kick, given the state the game was in for Uruguay. But after Walter Gargano opted to slip in Maxi Perreira rather than put the ball into the penalty area, the winger took a neat touch inside Dutch substitute Eljero Elia before curling a glorious finish inside Stekelenburg's far corner. But after a nervous final few minutes, Holland could celebrate a first final appearance in 32 years, against even old enemies Germany or fellow underachievers. And on Sunday in Johannesburg, they could end 32 years of hurt.


PLAYER OF THE DAY - Wesley Sneijder.
If there is a more deserving candidate for the World Player of the Year crown, I have not seen him play. The Inter Milan schemer was again imperious as his teammates struggled for ideas against a stubborn Uruguayan defence. And it was his goal (albeit fortunate) which put his country on the way to victory. It was his fifth goal of the tournament, after FIFA awarded Holland's first in their quarter-final win over Brazil to him, and there is now the prospect of a midfielder being the top scorer in the World Cup for the first time. And after his glittering season with Inter Milan, who would bet against him ending in glorious fashion on Sunday?

GOAL OF THE DAY - Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
And indeed one of the goals of the tournament. With the game meandering along in the first half, the Dutch captain decided to liven proceedings up. Collecting the ball on the left touchline, you would have got long odds on the left back even attempting to shot (let alone scoring!) He had previously scored just five international goals in 105 caps, but shoot he did, and he smashed an unstoppable shot into Fernando Muslera's top corner. There was no movement on this shot - it just arrowed into the top corner, and not even Luis Suarez would have gotten close to it!

GAFFE OF THE DAY - Maarten Stekelenburg.
After a solid tournament by the Ajax keeper, he will be disappointed with the error which surrendered the advantage for Holland. True, Diego Forlan's shot was swerving and dipping. But it was not the most powerful shot which will ever come towards him, and he won't be happy that the hand he got to the ball only helped it into the roof of the net. Thankfully for Stekelenburg, it was academic in the end.