By Kenneth Tan/Red Sports
We are now down to the last four teams in the World Cup, with three teams from Europe — Holland, Germany and Spain — and one sole South American representative in Uruguay. One European team is guaranteed to be in the final on Sunday, July 11.
Tonight, surprise package Uruguay will take on Holland in the first semi-final. Uruguay were winners in 1930 and 1950 while Holland have never lifted the Cup before.
Kenneth Says: 2-0 to Holland
Uruguay’s fairytale will end here as Holland will prove too strong for them. Despite not displaying their famed ‘Total Football’, Holland have ground out five wins out of five in the competition.
With Arjen Robben’s successful return to the first team and Wesley Sneijder’s goalscoring form, the Oranje’s firepower should be enough despite chief striker Robin Van Persie misfiring. The suspension of Luis Suarez will be a big blow to the Uruguayans as they will have to rely on Diego Forlan and Edinson Cavani for the goals.
Karma will strike today as teams involved in handball incidents do not enjoy a good ending. Remember the Thierry Henry handball that sent France through? France bowed out as early as the first round. Remember Luis Fabiano’s handling in the build-up to his goal against Ivory Coast? Brazil went out in the quarter-finals.
Expect a similar goal from Holland tonight to decide the Uruguayans’ fate and they will go on to set up a dream final against Germany or Spain.
Les Says: 1-0 to Uruguay
If there is any justice, Uruguay should lose tonight for having cheated against Ghana and winning. But then, if you were a Brazil fan, you would say the same of the Arjen “Diver” Robben Dutch team who rode their luck to victory over a Brazil which collapsed inexplicably in the second half.
Since football is half about skill with the ball and half without, Uruguay may have enough shirt tugging, diving and handball skills to grab another unlikely victory over Holland. Robben is not the only player who can collapse when touched by just one toe, you know.
30 minutes into the game, with all the off-the-ball stuff going on, somebody will do something illegal to somebody else and the referee will have to call at least one of those. Let’s see who the unlucky team will be.
Erwin Says: 2-1 to Uruguay
With an octupus and now a parrot correctly predicting World Cup results, I decided to jump on the bandwagon. I took my pet dog, Sepp, out to the garden and placed two juicy bones, one with Arjen Robben’s agonised face and the other with Luis Suarez’s smug mug, in front of him.
I waited in heightened anticipation to see which bone Sepp would bite on, and whether it would correspond to the winning team tomorrow morning. However, all I got were furious growls from Sepp. I think he found the both of them too distasteful.
On a more serious note, the ‘continental curse’ is in danger of being banished. No European team has won the title outside their continent, and with Brazil-beaters Holland, European champions Spain, as well as the team of the tournament, Germany, in the last four, that trend looks to be coming to an end.
A ‘divers vs cheaters’ match is always difficult to call, but I will go with the latter. With their backs to the wall, Uruguay will once again, not unlike in the quarter-finals, find a way to win.
More News and Build-up
Road to Semi-Finals
World Cup heroics hypnotise Uruguayans
Uruguay make plans to stop Robben
ESPN Soccernet’s Preview
Unexpected guests aim to party on
Goal.com: Uruguay Retake Their Place In Football’s Elite
Previous Encounter in 1974 World Cup: Holland 2-0 Uruguay
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