Uruguay could spoil Dutch party

CAPE TOWN - Every piece of good theatre needs a villain, and there is no doubt who will fill that role come Uruguay’s World Cup football semi-final clash with the Netherlands in Cape Town Tuesday.

Many South Africans and neutrals were angered by the way Uruguay knocked out Ghana, Africa’s last representative in the tournament, in the quarter-finals.

A Luis Suarez handball on the goal-line denied Ghana a 2-1 victory in the dying seconds of extra time. Asamoah Gyan missed the resultant spot-kick, and Uruguay went on to win 4-2 on penalties.

Uruguay, who also have a smaller travelling support than the Dutch, can be sure of a hostile reception in Green Point stadium.

The South Americans will be without the suspended Ajax front-man Suarez, who said the red card he received was “worth it,” in their first semi-final appearance for forty years.

Full-back Jorge Fucile is also suspended after picking up his second yellow card of the tournament while there is doubt about the fitness of captain Diego Lugano, who was taken off during the Ghana match.

Coach Oscar Tabarez is less concerned with the crowd than the array of talent in the Dutch ranks.

He knows it will be an uphill battle as the South Americans seek a shot at a third World Cup title, the first two coming in 1930 and 1950.

“The Dutch don’t lose games,” he said. “They are a great team. They don’t give anything away.”

The Netherlands are considered the greatest footballing nation never to have won the World Cup, and are favourites to advance to the final after taking out Brazil to book their semi-final slot.

With the likes of Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Robin van Persie in the team, the Dutch have a wealth of attacking options.

But gone is the carefree flowing football that saw the likes of Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten wow the crowds without ever winning the big prize.

Coach Bert van Marwijk has concentrated on marrying discipline and organization with the desire to go forward. The result has been five hard-fought victories in the tournament - four of them by a single-goal margin.

Uruguay can take comfort from the fact that two players integral to the Dutch solidity are out of the semi-final.

Right-back Gregory van der Wiel and defensive midfielder Nigel de Jong are both suspended after picking up second yellow cards against Brazil.

Nonetheless, Dutch fans are increasingly daring to believe this could be their year.

But Van Marwijk isn’t getting carried away by the growing hopes that the Oranje can finally claim the world title against either Germany or Spain in the final.

“The euphoria in Holland is incredible and it’s nice,” he said. “It’s a pity we can’t experience it, but on the other hand I’m glad we’re here … because I think it may have had a bad influence in the past and we would start thinking everything is easy, and it is not.”