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Showing posts with label Match. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Match. Show all posts
Monday, July 12, 2010
The New World Cup Champion Spain
2:27 AM
Iniesta drilled his left-foot strike across goal - but the Dutch were incensed after referee Howard Webb had failed to award their side a corner moments earlier when a free-kick took a sizeable deflection off Cesc Fabregas.
However, Euro 2008 champions Spain, who conceded only two goals during the tournament, deserved their victory after gradually taking a grip on a tense and bad-tempered contest that produced 14 yellow cards with Johnny Heitinga sent off on 109 minutes after picking up a second yellow card.
However, Euro 2008 champions Spain, who conceded only two goals during the tournament, deserved their victory after gradually taking a grip on a tense and bad-tempered contest that produced 14 yellow cards with Johnny Heitinga sent off on 109 minutes after picking up a second yellow card.
The Dutch, who lost in the 1974 and 1978 finals, were bidding to become the first side since Brazil in 1970 to go through World Cup qualifying and the finals unbeaten.
They had a glorious chance to take the lead in the second half but Arjen Robben, comfortably his team's most potent attacking weapon, could find no way past Spain captain Iker Casillas, who slumped to the floor and cried tears of joy after the final whistle.
Sergio Ramos was equally culpable of a glaring miss for Spain when he headed over and substitute Fabregas, as with Robben before him, also failed to convert a one-on-one chance.
But it was from a through ball by the influential Fabregas that midfielder Iniesta struck making Spain the first team to win a World Cup after losing their opening game of the tournament.
Spain also become the team to win to World Cup having scored the fewest number of goals - finding the net eight times in their seven matches. The previous mark was held by three teams including England in 1996.
The dramatic finale at Soccer City was in stark contrast to a hugely underwhelming opening 45 minutes, which was a brutal disappointment after the spectacular opening ceremony and moving appearance by former president Nelson Mandela that had preceded it.
Spain dominated possession in the opening minutes and looked to have the measure of an uncertain Dutch backline. Ramos almost put them ahead after just four minutes but his thunderous header was brilliantly saved by Maarten Stekelenburg.
The Netherlands could not get a grip on the game but were helped by a spate of yellow cards from referee Webb that disturbed the rhythm of the match.
Webb booked five players in the opening 28 minutes, although several crude challenges left him with little option.
Dutch enforcer Mark van Bommel was booked after going through the back of Iniesta, while Nigel de Jong was lucky to escape red after planting his foot in the chest of Xabi Alonso.
Robben did force a decent save from Casillas with a low left-foot strike after cutting inside during stoppage time.
But the match had degenerated to the extent that Alonso opted to shoot with a free-kick on the wrong side of 40 yards instead of a seeking out a team-mate.
Spain defender Joan Capdevila wasted a good chance shortly after the restart, failing to make contact with a Carles Puyol flick-on.
The bookings continued after the break and the contest occasionally threatened to boil over as the tension appeared to affect the players.
But there were also a few moments of real quality, none more so than a sumptuous through ball from the largely anonymous Wesley Sneijder that played Robben clean through on goal.
Robben delayed his shot but, equally, Casillas stood his ground as long as possible and brilliantly saved with his legs.
It was a head-in-hands moment for Robben, but one quickly followed for Spain when a completely unmarked Ramos headed a corner over the crossbar.
Robben's pace troubled the Spanish defence throughout and another burst from the Bayern Munich man unsettled Puyol, who appeared to impinge his opponent. Robben, just outside the penalty area, chose to stay on his feet and Casillas again denied him.
Spain had moved into the ascendancy as the match wore on, with Xavi increasingly influential.
Fabregas replaced Alonso in the 87th minute and quickly made an impression by collecting a superb Iniesta pass, but the Arsenal man could find no way beyond Stekelenberg, who saved brilliantly with his legs.
The complement was returned shortly afterwards but Iniesta opted not to strike from 18 yards and was eventually dispossessed by the excellent Gregory van der Wiel.
Heitinger became the fifth man to be sent off in a World Cup final when he pulled back Iniesta on the edge of the area, giving Webb little choice but to hand him a second caution, and that seemed to spur Spain on for a final effort.
Joris Mathijsen headed over for the Netherlands in what was their only good chance of the extra-time period before Iniesta struck his late and decisive blow.
They had a glorious chance to take the lead in the second half but Arjen Robben, comfortably his team's most potent attacking weapon, could find no way past Spain captain Iker Casillas, who slumped to the floor and cried tears of joy after the final whistle.
Sergio Ramos was equally culpable of a glaring miss for Spain when he headed over and substitute Fabregas, as with Robben before him, also failed to convert a one-on-one chance.
But it was from a through ball by the influential Fabregas that midfielder Iniesta struck making Spain the first team to win a World Cup after losing their opening game of the tournament.
Spain also become the team to win to World Cup having scored the fewest number of goals - finding the net eight times in their seven matches. The previous mark was held by three teams including England in 1996.
The dramatic finale at Soccer City was in stark contrast to a hugely underwhelming opening 45 minutes, which was a brutal disappointment after the spectacular opening ceremony and moving appearance by former president Nelson Mandela that had preceded it.
Spain dominated possession in the opening minutes and looked to have the measure of an uncertain Dutch backline. Ramos almost put them ahead after just four minutes but his thunderous header was brilliantly saved by Maarten Stekelenburg.
The Netherlands could not get a grip on the game but were helped by a spate of yellow cards from referee Webb that disturbed the rhythm of the match.
Webb booked five players in the opening 28 minutes, although several crude challenges left him with little option.
Dutch enforcer Mark van Bommel was booked after going through the back of Iniesta, while Nigel de Jong was lucky to escape red after planting his foot in the chest of Xabi Alonso.
Robben did force a decent save from Casillas with a low left-foot strike after cutting inside during stoppage time.
But the match had degenerated to the extent that Alonso opted to shoot with a free-kick on the wrong side of 40 yards instead of a seeking out a team-mate.
Spain defender Joan Capdevila wasted a good chance shortly after the restart, failing to make contact with a Carles Puyol flick-on.
The bookings continued after the break and the contest occasionally threatened to boil over as the tension appeared to affect the players.
But there were also a few moments of real quality, none more so than a sumptuous through ball from the largely anonymous Wesley Sneijder that played Robben clean through on goal.
Robben delayed his shot but, equally, Casillas stood his ground as long as possible and brilliantly saved with his legs.
It was a head-in-hands moment for Robben, but one quickly followed for Spain when a completely unmarked Ramos headed a corner over the crossbar.
Robben's pace troubled the Spanish defence throughout and another burst from the Bayern Munich man unsettled Puyol, who appeared to impinge his opponent. Robben, just outside the penalty area, chose to stay on his feet and Casillas again denied him.
Spain had moved into the ascendancy as the match wore on, with Xavi increasingly influential.
Fabregas replaced Alonso in the 87th minute and quickly made an impression by collecting a superb Iniesta pass, but the Arsenal man could find no way beyond Stekelenberg, who saved brilliantly with his legs.
The complement was returned shortly afterwards but Iniesta opted not to strike from 18 yards and was eventually dispossessed by the excellent Gregory van der Wiel.
Heitinger became the fifth man to be sent off in a World Cup final when he pulled back Iniesta on the edge of the area, giving Webb little choice but to hand him a second caution, and that seemed to spur Spain on for a final effort.
Joris Mathijsen headed over for the Netherlands in what was their only good chance of the extra-time period before Iniesta struck his late and decisive blow.
Netherlands
|
0-1 |
|
FT |
| (HT 0-0) (aet) |
Iniesta, 116 | ||
Team |
|||
Netherlands
|
Spain
|
||
Substitutes:
| Substitutes:
| ||
| |||
Spain
)
Germany finished third at the World Cup 2010 South Africa
1:00 AM
It seemed the three-time champions were set for a comfortable evening when Thomas Mueller capped a period of dominance with a straightforward finish after Fernando Muslera spilled a long-range drive from Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Uruguay forced their way back into proceedings through Edinson Cavani before Diego Forlan put them ahead with an acrobatic volley shortly after half-time.
Uruguay forced their way back into proceedings through Edinson Cavani before Diego Forlan put them ahead with an acrobatic volley shortly after half-time.
But more poor goalkeeping from Muslera allowed Marcell Jansen to equalise and Khedira then capitalised on Uruguay's failure to clear a Mesut Ozil corner to ensure Germany would end their tournament on a happy note.
The third-place play-off is often billed as a match that no team wants to play - but this encounter made a mockery of any such suggestion.
Uruguay exceeded all expectations in reaching the last four and, with a parade through the streets of Montevideo and a date with President Jose Mujica planned for Monday, they were desperate to finish their campaign on a high.
Germany, meanwhile, are a hugely talented young squad who will be together for some years and viewed the meeting with La Celeste as another stepping stone in their development.
Oscar Tabarez's men signalled their intent by restoring fit-again captain Diego Lugano and star striker Luis Suarez, suspended for the last-four defeat by the Netherlands, to the starting line-up.
Although Germany made five changes from the side beaten by Spain, Philipp Lahm and Lukas Podolski were suffering from a virus, Miroslav Klose had a bad back and coach Joachim Loew was still able to name an enviable line-up.
And it was clear from the opening exchanges that this was no friendly as Mueller saw a strike ruled out for handball, Dennis Aogo escaped with a caution for a terrible studs-up challenge on Diego Perez and Forlan curled a free-kick just over.
It was Germany, though, who dominated the early possession and, after Arne Friedrich had nodded a Ozil corner against the crossbar, they opened the scoring.
Schweinsteiger unleashed a swerving drive from about 35 yards that was spilled by Muslera, offering Mueller a simple finish to draw level with David Villa and Wesley Sneijder on five goals.
Germany might have been expected to kick on from there but instead they sat back on their lead and invited Uruguay forward, while looking to launch the occasional counter-attack of their own.
The two-time champions duly settled into a tidy rhythm, showcasing their ability to turn defence into attack at frightening pace, and were soon back on level terms.
Schweinsteiger, captaining Germany in the absence of Lahm, was robbed of possession by Perez before Forlan fed Cavani and the 23-year-old Palermo striker calmly slotted past Hans Joerg Butt.
Despite persistent rainfall at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Uruguay were passing and moving beautifully and they should have gone ahead before the break when Forlan released Suarez, only for the Ajax frontman to drag a shot wide.
Germany, making a record fifth appearance in the third-place play-off, seemed to have lost their earlier intensity and that allowed the South Americans, full of desire and no shortage of quality, to pick up where they left off in the second period.
Forlan, Suarez and Cavani caused their opponents all manner of problems and, after Cavani and Suarez were denied by Butt, Forlan met Egidio Arevalo's cross with a superb volley to notch his fifth goal of the finals.
Uruguay deserved their advantage and, with Germany showing little potency in the final third, they looked set fair for a fine victory.
But Muslera's unconvincing attempt at claiming a Jerome Boateng cross allowed Jansen to divert the ball into an unguarded net and suddenly the momentum had shifted.
Uruguay, who have still not beaten a European team at the World Cup since 1970, rapidly began to tire and Germany substitute Stefan Kiessling twice squandered opportunities to grab the winner before Khedira made no mistake.
Tabarez's players refused to accept defeat and almost forced extra time, Forlan curled a 92nd-minute free-kick on to the bar.
But Germany held on and their celebrations at full-time showed exactly what this result meant to them.
The third-place play-off is often billed as a match that no team wants to play - but this encounter made a mockery of any such suggestion.
Uruguay exceeded all expectations in reaching the last four and, with a parade through the streets of Montevideo and a date with President Jose Mujica planned for Monday, they were desperate to finish their campaign on a high.
Germany, meanwhile, are a hugely talented young squad who will be together for some years and viewed the meeting with La Celeste as another stepping stone in their development.
Oscar Tabarez's men signalled their intent by restoring fit-again captain Diego Lugano and star striker Luis Suarez, suspended for the last-four defeat by the Netherlands, to the starting line-up.
Although Germany made five changes from the side beaten by Spain, Philipp Lahm and Lukas Podolski were suffering from a virus, Miroslav Klose had a bad back and coach Joachim Loew was still able to name an enviable line-up.
And it was clear from the opening exchanges that this was no friendly as Mueller saw a strike ruled out for handball, Dennis Aogo escaped with a caution for a terrible studs-up challenge on Diego Perez and Forlan curled a free-kick just over.
It was Germany, though, who dominated the early possession and, after Arne Friedrich had nodded a Ozil corner against the crossbar, they opened the scoring.
Schweinsteiger unleashed a swerving drive from about 35 yards that was spilled by Muslera, offering Mueller a simple finish to draw level with David Villa and Wesley Sneijder on five goals.
Germany might have been expected to kick on from there but instead they sat back on their lead and invited Uruguay forward, while looking to launch the occasional counter-attack of their own.
The two-time champions duly settled into a tidy rhythm, showcasing their ability to turn defence into attack at frightening pace, and were soon back on level terms.
Schweinsteiger, captaining Germany in the absence of Lahm, was robbed of possession by Perez before Forlan fed Cavani and the 23-year-old Palermo striker calmly slotted past Hans Joerg Butt.
Despite persistent rainfall at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Uruguay were passing and moving beautifully and they should have gone ahead before the break when Forlan released Suarez, only for the Ajax frontman to drag a shot wide.
Germany, making a record fifth appearance in the third-place play-off, seemed to have lost their earlier intensity and that allowed the South Americans, full of desire and no shortage of quality, to pick up where they left off in the second period.
Forlan, Suarez and Cavani caused their opponents all manner of problems and, after Cavani and Suarez were denied by Butt, Forlan met Egidio Arevalo's cross with a superb volley to notch his fifth goal of the finals.
Uruguay deserved their advantage and, with Germany showing little potency in the final third, they looked set fair for a fine victory.
But Muslera's unconvincing attempt at claiming a Jerome Boateng cross allowed Jansen to divert the ball into an unguarded net and suddenly the momentum had shifted.
Uruguay, who have still not beaten a European team at the World Cup since 1970, rapidly began to tire and Germany substitute Stefan Kiessling twice squandered opportunities to grab the winner before Khedira made no mistake.
Tabarez's players refused to accept defeat and almost forced extra time, Forlan curled a 92nd-minute free-kick on to the bar.
But Germany held on and their celebrations at full-time showed exactly what this result meant to them.
Uruguay
|
2-3 |
|
FT |
| Cavani, 28 Forlan, 51 |
(HT 1-1) | Muller, 18 Jansen, 56 Khedira, 82 |
|
Team |
|||
Uruguay
|
Germany
|
||
Substitutes:
| Substitutes:
| ||
| |||
GermanyThursday, July 8, 2010
Carles Puyol brought La Furia Roja to the finals, after defeating Germany through the Dramatic games
1:00 PM
Vicente del Bosque's side won their third straight game 1-0 and will now play the Netherlands in Sunday's final at Soccer City.
Spain deserved their victory after controlling huge periods of the match, but once again it was far from a vintage performance.
Del Bosque's team improved on their scrappy performance against Paraguay in the previous round but still struggled to carve out clear openings.
Spain deserved their victory after controlling huge periods of the match, but once again it was far from a vintage performance.
Del Bosque's team improved on their scrappy performance against Paraguay in the previous round but still struggled to carve out clear openings.
The winning goal came when Puyol showed great determination to atone for a poor first-half miss by heading home Xavi's corner with 17 minutes remaining.
The Euro 2008 champions, who defeated Germany 1-0 in the final of that competition, should have scored a second after striking with the sort of counter-attack that had been a trademark of their opponents' play in this competition, but Pedro failed to pick out a completely unmarked Fernando Torres.
Germany had invited pressure by adopting an increasingly deep defensive line as the match wore on - and may regret not taking the game to their opponents more while it remained goalless.
Joachim Loew's team scored four against both England and Argentina in their previous games and had illuminated the competition with their bold play.
But they had few opportunities to strike on the counter against Spain and so Germany taste defeat at the semi-final stage for the second successive World Cup.
Spain coach Del Bosque chose Wednesday's tie to drop the out-of-form Torres, drafting in Barcelona's lively young forward Pedro and deploying David Villa as a lone striker.
And while Del Bosque's team certainly looked comfortable as they worked the ball around midfield, Germany showed excellent shape and discipline, and were rarely dragged out of position.
Spain did occasionally pick holes in the German defensive structure, with Pedro playing in Villa only for keeper Manuel Neuer to deny him after only five minutes.
Puyol headed over from a firm Andres Iniesta cross, wasting an excellent chance, while a raking cross-field pass from Xabi Alonso found Sergio Ramos in space, only for the Real Madrid full-back to drill his ambitious shot wide.
Germany did not have the opportunity to launch a counter attack until the 22nd minute, but that broke down after a miscommunication between Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski.
Loew's team looked increasingly threatening as the half wore on and had what initially appeared to be a strong penalty appeal in injury-time, after Ozil went down under a clumsy challenge from Ramos.
Ozil was certainly in a very threatening position after collecting a pass from Miroslav Klose and looked to be fouled, but replays suggested the initial contact had been made outside the area.
The start of the second half was a repeat of the first in that Spain passed and probed - but this time they started to seriously threaten Neuer's goal.
Alonso twice shot wide from distance, as did Villa with a low effort he tried to curl across goal, but the impressive Pedro did force a sharp save from Neuer.
Germany were dropping ever deeper and would have fallen behind but for two near misses. The first saw Villa come within inches of converting a low Iniesta cross, while Ramos was likewise agonisingly close to converting from Alonso's angled pass.
Loew brought on Marcell Jansen and Toni Kroos for Jerome Boateng and Trochowski as he tried to change the game in his team's favour.
And Kroos forced a save after a deep cross from Podolski, but shortly afterwards Puyol struck and Spain were able to close out the match to seal their place in the final and ensure that the World Cup will have a first-time winner in 2010.
The Euro 2008 champions, who defeated Germany 1-0 in the final of that competition, should have scored a second after striking with the sort of counter-attack that had been a trademark of their opponents' play in this competition, but Pedro failed to pick out a completely unmarked Fernando Torres.
Germany had invited pressure by adopting an increasingly deep defensive line as the match wore on - and may regret not taking the game to their opponents more while it remained goalless.
Joachim Loew's team scored four against both England and Argentina in their previous games and had illuminated the competition with their bold play.
But they had few opportunities to strike on the counter against Spain and so Germany taste defeat at the semi-final stage for the second successive World Cup.
Spain coach Del Bosque chose Wednesday's tie to drop the out-of-form Torres, drafting in Barcelona's lively young forward Pedro and deploying David Villa as a lone striker.
And while Del Bosque's team certainly looked comfortable as they worked the ball around midfield, Germany showed excellent shape and discipline, and were rarely dragged out of position.
Spain did occasionally pick holes in the German defensive structure, with Pedro playing in Villa only for keeper Manuel Neuer to deny him after only five minutes.
Puyol headed over from a firm Andres Iniesta cross, wasting an excellent chance, while a raking cross-field pass from Xabi Alonso found Sergio Ramos in space, only for the Real Madrid full-back to drill his ambitious shot wide.
Germany did not have the opportunity to launch a counter attack until the 22nd minute, but that broke down after a miscommunication between Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski.
Loew's team looked increasingly threatening as the half wore on and had what initially appeared to be a strong penalty appeal in injury-time, after Ozil went down under a clumsy challenge from Ramos.
Ozil was certainly in a very threatening position after collecting a pass from Miroslav Klose and looked to be fouled, but replays suggested the initial contact had been made outside the area.
The start of the second half was a repeat of the first in that Spain passed and probed - but this time they started to seriously threaten Neuer's goal.
Alonso twice shot wide from distance, as did Villa with a low effort he tried to curl across goal, but the impressive Pedro did force a sharp save from Neuer.
Germany were dropping ever deeper and would have fallen behind but for two near misses. The first saw Villa come within inches of converting a low Iniesta cross, while Ramos was likewise agonisingly close to converting from Alonso's angled pass.
Loew brought on Marcell Jansen and Toni Kroos for Jerome Boateng and Trochowski as he tried to change the game in his team's favour.
And Kroos forced a save after a deep cross from Podolski, but shortly afterwards Puyol struck and Spain were able to close out the match to seal their place in the final and ensure that the World Cup will have a first-time winner in 2010.
Germany
|
0-1 |
|
FT |
| (HT 0-0) | Puyol, 73 | ||
Team |
|||
Germany
|
Spain
|
||
Substitutes:
| Substitutes:
| ||
| |||
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Uruguay 2-3 Netherlands, Oranje cruised into his third final
7:09 PM
The Dutch looked short of ideas for long periods but still had the quality in front of goal when it mattered to set up an all-European final against Euro 2008 champions Spain or Germany in Johannesburg on Sunday.
After Giovanni van Bronckhorst's spectacular opener, Uruguay were gifted an equaliser when goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg failed to deal with Diego Forlan's long-range shot.
After Giovanni van Bronckhorst's spectacular opener, Uruguay were gifted an equaliser when goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg failed to deal with Diego Forlan's long-range shot.
But Sneijder and Robben again made the difference for the two-time runners-up, who were left hanging on at the end following Maxi Pereira's injury-time reply. However, the Dutch held firm to make sure of their progress.
It was a dramatic end to an often tepid match as Uruguay, who were without the suspended Luis Suarez following his goal-line handball that helped them past Ghana in the quarter-finals, only showed real attacking intent when they fell two goals behind.
Cheered on by an army of Oranje fans, Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk saw his side struggle to find their feet in the early stages, with their only sight of goal being wasted when Dirk Kuyt fired wastefully over after keeper Fernando Muslera had punched Sneijder's cross straight at him.
The South Americans, in their first semi-final for 30 years, were defending in depth and in numbers but that tactic did not help them when Van Bronkhorst broke the deadlock after 18 minutes
The ball was fed out to the left-flank and the veteran Feyenoord left-back had time to look up and use his trusty left foot to spank an unstoppable 35-yard shot into the top corner.
But going ahead did not help the Dutch work out how to break down a well-organised Uruguay defence, and they also seemed unwilling to commit players forward in search of more goals.
Martin Caceres had to hold off Robben as he ran on to Robin van Persie's through-ball, but that was the nearest the Netherlands came to extending their lead.
Uruguay, in the absence of the prolific Suarez, were faring little better at the other end and Stekelenburg did not have a save to make until he had to deal with Alvaro Pereira's bouncing shot after 36 minutes.
That all changed before half-time, however, and it was the Dutch goalkeeper at fault as Forlan notched his fourth goal in six games in the finals in South Africa.
Stekelenburg had a clear view of Forlan's swerving strike from 25 yards out and got a hand to the ball, but was still unable to keep it out.
The Ajax keeper had another nervous moment at the start of the second half when he beat Edinson Cavani to a through ball but failed to make a proper clearance and Van Bronkhorst had to clear Alvaro Pereira's curling shot off the line.
But the game quickly got bogged down in midfield and there were few chances to speak of until Forlan brought a much better stop from Stekelenburg with a dipping free-kick.
The Netherlands had been disappointing up to that point but showed again how they do not have to play well to win games in the tournament with a two-goal burst in the space of three minutes that was enough to give them victory.
Van Marwijk's side showed signs of life when Van Persie latched on to a long ball over the top and played in substitute Rafael van der Vaart, who saw his low shot pushed away before Robben fired the rebound over.
And they were back in the lead after 70 minutes when Sneijder's shot hit the luckless Maxi Pereira and span in off a post, with Van Persie trying but failing to get a touch to help it on its way.
In their next attack, Robben made it 3-1, escaping the attentions of Diego Godin to meet Dirk Kuyt's cross and plant a firm header into the bottom corner.
Uruguay looked exhausted and Robben could have added a fourth when he burst forward on to a Van Persie flick late on, but got his attempted chip all wrong.
Instead the Dutch faced a frantic finale when, in the 92nd minute, Maxi Pereira ran on to a quickly taken free-kick, turned Eljero Ejia and curled a precise shot into the bottom corner of the net.
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez's team had time to launch a few balls into the Dutch box but van Marwijk's side survived and it is they who will go forward hoping it will be third-time lucky for them in a final following their defeats in 1974 and 1978.
It was a dramatic end to an often tepid match as Uruguay, who were without the suspended Luis Suarez following his goal-line handball that helped them past Ghana in the quarter-finals, only showed real attacking intent when they fell two goals behind.
Cheered on by an army of Oranje fans, Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk saw his side struggle to find their feet in the early stages, with their only sight of goal being wasted when Dirk Kuyt fired wastefully over after keeper Fernando Muslera had punched Sneijder's cross straight at him.
The South Americans, in their first semi-final for 30 years, were defending in depth and in numbers but that tactic did not help them when Van Bronkhorst broke the deadlock after 18 minutes
The ball was fed out to the left-flank and the veteran Feyenoord left-back had time to look up and use his trusty left foot to spank an unstoppable 35-yard shot into the top corner.
But going ahead did not help the Dutch work out how to break down a well-organised Uruguay defence, and they also seemed unwilling to commit players forward in search of more goals.
Martin Caceres had to hold off Robben as he ran on to Robin van Persie's through-ball, but that was the nearest the Netherlands came to extending their lead.
Uruguay, in the absence of the prolific Suarez, were faring little better at the other end and Stekelenburg did not have a save to make until he had to deal with Alvaro Pereira's bouncing shot after 36 minutes.
That all changed before half-time, however, and it was the Dutch goalkeeper at fault as Forlan notched his fourth goal in six games in the finals in South Africa.
Stekelenburg had a clear view of Forlan's swerving strike from 25 yards out and got a hand to the ball, but was still unable to keep it out.
The Ajax keeper had another nervous moment at the start of the second half when he beat Edinson Cavani to a through ball but failed to make a proper clearance and Van Bronkhorst had to clear Alvaro Pereira's curling shot off the line.
But the game quickly got bogged down in midfield and there were few chances to speak of until Forlan brought a much better stop from Stekelenburg with a dipping free-kick.
The Netherlands had been disappointing up to that point but showed again how they do not have to play well to win games in the tournament with a two-goal burst in the space of three minutes that was enough to give them victory.
Van Marwijk's side showed signs of life when Van Persie latched on to a long ball over the top and played in substitute Rafael van der Vaart, who saw his low shot pushed away before Robben fired the rebound over.
And they were back in the lead after 70 minutes when Sneijder's shot hit the luckless Maxi Pereira and span in off a post, with Van Persie trying but failing to get a touch to help it on its way.
In their next attack, Robben made it 3-1, escaping the attentions of Diego Godin to meet Dirk Kuyt's cross and plant a firm header into the bottom corner.
Uruguay looked exhausted and Robben could have added a fourth when he burst forward on to a Van Persie flick late on, but got his attempted chip all wrong.
Instead the Dutch faced a frantic finale when, in the 92nd minute, Maxi Pereira ran on to a quickly taken free-kick, turned Eljero Ejia and curled a precise shot into the bottom corner of the net.
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez's team had time to launch a few balls into the Dutch box but van Marwijk's side survived and it is they who will go forward hoping it will be third-time lucky for them in a final following their defeats in 1974 and 1978.
Uruguay
|
2-3 |
|
FT |
| Forlan, 41 Pereira, 90+2 |
(HT 1-1) | Van Bronckhorst, 18 Sneijder, 70 Robben, 73 |
|
Team |
|||
Uruguay
|
Netherlands
|
||
| Substitutes:
| ||
| |||
Monday, July 5, 2010
David Villa scored to bring Spain into the semi-finals
2:07 PM
Villa's goal after 82 minutes - his fifth of the tournament- struck one post, rolled across the goal-line and hit the other, before finally nestling in the net and came seconds after substitute Pedro had also hit the woodwork.
It was heartbreaking for a Paraguay side that had never reached the quarter-final stage before, and who earlier wasted a superb chance to take the lead when Oscar Cardozo's spot-kick was saved by Iker Casillas.
It was heartbreaking for a Paraguay side that had never reached the quarter-final stage before, and who earlier wasted a superb chance to take the lead when Oscar Cardozo's spot-kick was saved by Iker Casillas.
That came after 57 minutes - and before the tie reached the hour mark Spain had also been awarded a penalty by referee Carlos Batres.
In a truly remarkable passage of play, Xabi Alonso scored his first effort but the retake, which came because Spanish players encroached into the area, was saved.
Goalkeeper Justo Villar then appeared to foul Cesc Fabregas as he scrambled to collect the rebound but a third penalty award was not forthcoming, while Sergio Ramos pounced on the loose ball but his shot was blocked on the line.
In truth, it was a brief flurry of excitement that was largely out of kilter during a game that saw relatively few other opportunities.
Spain may have reached a World Cup semi-final for the first time - their fourth place in 1950 was after a round-robin stage - but they will surely need to improve if they are to defeat in-form Germany in Durban on Wednesday.
Their famed passing game was largely absent, while the out-of-form Fernando Torres was withdrawn after 56 minutes.
Paraguay started at a decent pace, certainly settling much quicker than Spain, and created some promising openings.
Jonathan Santana forced a saved with a low strike inside 60 seconds, while Spain consistently struggled to deal with crosses from wide areas.
Sunderland-bound Cristian Riveros headed wide, while Antolin Alcaraz and Santana both peeled away from their markers with far too much ease but could not quite make the decisive contact.
Nelson Valdez, one of six changes from the side that defeated Japan in Pretoria, slotted home from close range shortly before the break but the effort was ruled out by a marginal offside decision.
The Borussia Dortmund forward certainly appeared to be onside but there was a doubt over Cardozo, who attempted but failed to head the cross that eventually fell to Valdez.
At one point Spain looked as though they were starting to gain a measure of control in midfield but Paraguay, who would have topped South America's World Cup qualifying group if they had won their final game, slowed the match down at every opportunity.
Gerardo Martino's team also worked extremely hard to thwart Spain's passing game and looked extremely dangerous on the counter, with the lively Valdez wasting a decent position with an atrocious shot just before the interval after a sharp break.
Xavi went close for Spain with one piece of brilliance, deftly flicking the ball up with one touch before shooting on the turn in a manner reminiscent of a goal Thierry Henry once scored for Arsenal.
However, the midfielder's shot flew narrowly over and it was a slightly disjointed and frustrated Spain that left the field to regroup at the break.
The tie exploded into life with the back-to-back penalties and all the shenanigans that surrounded them.
There was little doubt that Gerard Pique fouled Cardozo for the first when he clung onto the Benfica forward, but the Paraguayan's subsequent penalty was struck at a good height for Casillas.
From the very next attack Alcaraz was adjudged to have brought down Villa, with Alonso comfortably slotting home first time around.
Replays did suggest referee Batres was correct to order a retake - and the prayers of Valdez, who was on his knees just outside the penalty box, were answered when Alonso saw his effort saved and Spain failed to score.
But there was nothing Valdez could do to prevent the prolific Villa from equalling Emilio Butragueno's Spanish record of five goals at a World Cup finals, which was set in 1986.
Villar saved from Iniesta shortly after Spain's goal, but Paraguay did have a chance to equalise late on only for Casillas to block substitute Roque Santa Cruz's effort.
The Paraguay keeper denied Villa as Spain threatened on the break in the final seconds but a second goal would have been harsh on the South American side, who conceded just twice in their five games in South Africa.
In a truly remarkable passage of play, Xabi Alonso scored his first effort but the retake, which came because Spanish players encroached into the area, was saved.
Goalkeeper Justo Villar then appeared to foul Cesc Fabregas as he scrambled to collect the rebound but a third penalty award was not forthcoming, while Sergio Ramos pounced on the loose ball but his shot was blocked on the line.
In truth, it was a brief flurry of excitement that was largely out of kilter during a game that saw relatively few other opportunities.
Spain may have reached a World Cup semi-final for the first time - their fourth place in 1950 was after a round-robin stage - but they will surely need to improve if they are to defeat in-form Germany in Durban on Wednesday.
Their famed passing game was largely absent, while the out-of-form Fernando Torres was withdrawn after 56 minutes.
Paraguay started at a decent pace, certainly settling much quicker than Spain, and created some promising openings.
Jonathan Santana forced a saved with a low strike inside 60 seconds, while Spain consistently struggled to deal with crosses from wide areas.
Sunderland-bound Cristian Riveros headed wide, while Antolin Alcaraz and Santana both peeled away from their markers with far too much ease but could not quite make the decisive contact.
Nelson Valdez, one of six changes from the side that defeated Japan in Pretoria, slotted home from close range shortly before the break but the effort was ruled out by a marginal offside decision.
The Borussia Dortmund forward certainly appeared to be onside but there was a doubt over Cardozo, who attempted but failed to head the cross that eventually fell to Valdez.
At one point Spain looked as though they were starting to gain a measure of control in midfield but Paraguay, who would have topped South America's World Cup qualifying group if they had won their final game, slowed the match down at every opportunity.
Gerardo Martino's team also worked extremely hard to thwart Spain's passing game and looked extremely dangerous on the counter, with the lively Valdez wasting a decent position with an atrocious shot just before the interval after a sharp break.
Xavi went close for Spain with one piece of brilliance, deftly flicking the ball up with one touch before shooting on the turn in a manner reminiscent of a goal Thierry Henry once scored for Arsenal.
However, the midfielder's shot flew narrowly over and it was a slightly disjointed and frustrated Spain that left the field to regroup at the break.
The tie exploded into life with the back-to-back penalties and all the shenanigans that surrounded them.
There was little doubt that Gerard Pique fouled Cardozo for the first when he clung onto the Benfica forward, but the Paraguayan's subsequent penalty was struck at a good height for Casillas.
From the very next attack Alcaraz was adjudged to have brought down Villa, with Alonso comfortably slotting home first time around.
Replays did suggest referee Batres was correct to order a retake - and the prayers of Valdez, who was on his knees just outside the penalty box, were answered when Alonso saw his effort saved and Spain failed to score.
But there was nothing Valdez could do to prevent the prolific Villa from equalling Emilio Butragueno's Spanish record of five goals at a World Cup finals, which was set in 1986.
Villar saved from Iniesta shortly after Spain's goal, but Paraguay did have a chance to equalise late on only for Casillas to block substitute Roque Santa Cruz's effort.
The Paraguay keeper denied Villa as Spain threatened on the break in the final seconds but a second goal would have been harsh on the South American side, who conceded just twice in their five games in South Africa.
|
0-1 |
Spain
|
FT |
| (HT 0-0) | Villa, 82 | ||
Team |
|||
Paraguay
|
Spain
|
||
| Substitutes:
| ||
| |||
Paraguay
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