Netherlands 3-2 Uruguay
Was that a damp squib of a definitive result in 90 minutes? I certainly think so, and this is with that fantastic thrash by Giovanni van Bronckhorst which seared into the Uruguayan net on around 20 minutes and the better-then-it-looked equaliser from Diego Forlan twenty minutes later. There was plenty of Dutch huff and puff, but Uruguay were definitely missing Luis Suarez, but then if he hadn't handled when he did and where he did, it would have been Ghana playing here tonight.
Before the second goal for the Netherlands, the second half was going nowhere - a little like Clive Tyldsley's commentary without his usual stooge / sidekick Jim Beglin. Get well soon Jim, Clive was all at sea without you - not that I'm fussed, there is no way on this Earth or Fuller's that I'd watch a big game on ITV when it's also available on the BBC. That said, if it's Jonathan Pearce on the BBC... Oh yes, I'll press the red button and listen to the Radio 5 commentary, even better! Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes, the second half... going nowhere... until Wesley Sneijder, inexplicably voted as Man of The Match by those watching on ITV live when Boulahrouz was much better, curled a right foot effort towards the goal. As far as I could see, Van Persie was / had been in an offside position, but was either deemed as not interfering or not offside as the ball went through him and in off the post. At last the Netherlands seemed to be able to relax - something that they didn't do after going ahead the first time and a great cross from Kuyt on the left just screamed at Robben to bury it in the back of the net, which he did.
It was as if Uruguay couldn't rouse themselves for a final fling. I think that their exertions in coming back from the dead against Ghana were too much for them; and with their best player and a candidate for player of the tournament, Diego Forlan going off they really did look finished. But they did manage to get the ball in the back of the net from Maxi Pereira's effort with 30 seconds remaining. The Netherlands were tired themselves, but the tournament was finally over for Uruguay some 3 minutes later as the ref almost doubled the 3 minutes that he had said that he'd add. So that was it, 32 years after the last of their two consecutive appearances in the final and the Netherlands are there again.
