Dutch stars are eyeing immortality back home after riding their amazing streak all the way to their country’s first World Cup final in 32 years. Having added some steely discipline to traditional flair under coach Bert van Marwijk, they get the chance to deliver their nation of 11.5 million people their first World Cup at Soccer City in Soweto on Sunday (Monday AEST).
And in the process they can shed unwelcome tags the national team has carried, like beautiful football’s perennial under-achievers when it matters most, and best never to have won the World Cup.
Still searching for top form, they were not entirely convincing in Tuesday’s 3-2 semi-final win in Cape Town against a Uruguay side bidding to reach their first final since 1950.
But superstar winger Arjen Robben made it abundantly clear they knew what victory in the final would mean back home.
“Unbelievable. If you win the final, you make yourself immortal, at least in our country,” said Robben who scored his team’s third goal in the 73rd minute to put them 3-1 up.
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez was gracious in defeat but did note that the Dutch’s telling second goal in the 70th minute by Wesley Sneijder appeared to come from an offside position.
“Their second goal was decisive but it was offside and the match could have been different,” he lamented.
Yet the Netherlands – whose only international title came at the 1988 European Championship – find themselves on an impressive 25-match unbeaten run.
Their last competitive match loss was when they were knocked out of the 2008 European Championship by Russia and they now stand poised to become the first team since Brazil in 1970 to win every match at a World Cup.
“It’s amazing that we have managed to do this,” said van Marwijk, who took over as coach two years ago.
“It’s been 32 years. We can be very proud for such a small country.”
The Netherlands – which lost the 1974 and ’78 finals – were appearing in the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since losing on penalties to Brazil in 1998.
It was Uruguay’s first appearance in the final four since 1970.
“I love attacking and beautiful football, but you have to work together when the opponent has the ball and then you can go a long way,” van Marwijk explained.
The last time Holland made it this far they fell at the last hurdle to hosts Argentina 3-1 after extra-time in 1978.
Van Marwijk will be desperate to avoid a similar fate in the final on Sunday as the Dutch bid to lift the World Cup for the first time in their history.
Despite losing, Uruguay did their small nation proud with Tabarez guiding them to their first semi-final in 40 years.
It was a massive achievement for a country with a population of just 3.4 million, and they must now put their disappointment behind them for a third-place play-off on Saturday.
“This match was worthy of a World Cup semi-final,” said Tabarez, whose country had not graced the final since they upset the odds to defeat Brazil in the 1950 decider.
“I’m proud of my players. We accept defeat against an opponent that was better than us.”
Two goals inside three second-half minutes, from Sneijder and Robben, steered the Dutch into the decider – but not before some nervous moments.
Veteran Dutch captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst, 35, drew first blood in the 18th minute with a stunning 32 metre strike before Uruguay’s Diego Forlan produced an equally memorable goal – his fourth of the tournament – from 23m four minutes before halftime to lock up the scores at 1-1.
The Netherlands then took their commanding hold before a well-taken injury-time goal from Uruguay’s Maxi Pereira made it 3-2, ensuring there was plenty of Dutch nail-biting before their passage to the final could be confirmed.
Most of the jubilant Dutch squad returned to the field 45 minutes after the match to dance and cheer with a group of about 1,000 orange-clad fans cheering and beating drums.
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