CAPE TOWN // For the third time, Holland are one game away from being world champions. Having lost the 1974 and 1978 World Cup finals with their Johan Cruyff-led golden generation - to West Germany and Argentina, respectively - goals by captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben booked Bert van Marwijk's stylish Oranje outfit their passage to the Soccer City showpiece with a 3-2 victory over a Uruguay side who never gave up.
Holland had to withstand a nervy end to the game as their penalty box was bombarded by the South Americans, who had made it 3-2 in the second minute of injury time, before being able to celebrate reaching the final for the first time in 32 years. The Dutch were unbeaten in 24 consecutive matches going into the match at a mostly-orange Green Point Stadium and they edged the opening encounters. Winger Robben, the centre of Uruguay's pre-game attentions, narrowly failed to convert Dirk Kuyt's left-wing cross in the opening stages.
The revered Dutch pass and move machine was beginning to motor and, with the confident South Americans also intent to play the ball on the floor, an intriguing game was emerging. Then, up stepped Van Bronckhorst - who knew that the game could be his last as he will retire from all football after the tournament - to set the game alight. A scintillating Dutch counter-attack appeared to have fizzled out when Sneijder, under pressure, found Van Bronckhorst, his captain, and the oldest man on the pitch took a touch before rocketing the ball into the top corner of Fernando Muslera's net from 30 yards out. The Lazio stopper, so valiant against Ghana, had no chance.
Demy De Zeeuw, in for the suspended Nigel de Jong, suffered a bloody nose for heading the ball away as Martin Caceress' overhead kick attempt caught him in the face, and he ended up being replaced by Rafael van der Vaart at half time. Just as Holland were really starting to impose themselves, Uruguay equalised. Using Edinson Cavani's meandering run as a decoy, Diego Forlan, Uruguay's talisman, twisted Joris Mathijsen inside and out before firing a bending 25-yard effort goal-wards. Maarten Stekelenburg, the Dutch goalkeeper, was deceived by the ball's spin and the slightest of deflections off the unfortunate Johnny Heitinga's head, and could only palm the ball behind him into the net. It was the Atletico Madrid striker's fourth goal of the tournament.
Van der Vaart's introduction at the break was a bold move by Van Marwijk, but it was Uruguay that threatened first. Stekelenburg did well to reach Khalid Boulahrouz's short back-pass and, with the Holland keeper out of position, Van Bronckhorst got back to head away Alvaro Pereira's floated effort. A cross to Forlan would have been the better option. With the tie on a knife-edge, and it was Holland who assumed control. After Stekelenburg had saved a Forlan free-kick, Robben missed a glorious chance to restore Holland's lead with 20 minutes to go when Muslera parried Van der Vaart's shot into the Bayern Munich winger's path. But Robben's aim was poor and his shot soared over.
It did not matter as moments later, Snjeider, courtesy of a decisive ricochet off Maximiliano Pereira, was more accurate. The Inter Milan midfielder's fifth World Cup goal, which evaded the outstretched dive of Muslera and went in off the post, was not his best of the tournament, but it was his most important. Robben got in on the act to make it three. Kuyt's delicious cross appeared to be behind him, but he adjusted his body superbly and guided a glancing header in off a post.
Forlan exited six minutes from time and the game looked over. Robben should have made it four when one-on-one against Muslera, as Uruguay threw everything at the Dutch, but instead it was Maximiliano Pereira who scored in injury time. A clever free-kick caught the Dutch napping, but with only a minute left it cam just too late for the South Americans. Holland, with 10 straight victories in 2010, reigned supreme. Number 11 will make the perennial underachievers on the game's biggest stage world champions.
emegson@thenational.ae