By ROBERT MILLWARD, AP Football Writer
Saturday, July 3, 2010 at 1:07 p.m.
/ AP
Netherlands head coach Bert van Marwijk speaks to journalists during a post-match press conference at Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, South Africa Saturday, July 3, 2010. The Oranje are preparing for their World Cup semifinal match against Uruguay on Tuesday, July 6. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
— AP
Dutch players jog during a Netherlands national soccer team training session at Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, South Africa Saturday, July 3, 2010. The Dutch team is preparing for its World Cup semifinal match against Uruguay on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
— AP
Dutch players jog during a Netherlands national soccer team training session at Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, South Africa Saturday, July 3, 2010.The Dutch team are preparing for their World Cup semifinal match against Uruguay on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
— AP
Dutch players jog during a Netherlands national soccer team training session at Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, South Africa Saturday, July 3, 2010. The Dutch team is preparing for its World Cup semifinal match against Uruguay on July 6.(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
JOHANNESBURG ?
The win over Brazil touched off wild celebrations, and left only Uruguay standing between the Netherlands and the World Cup final.
The Dutch have twice reached the title game and are considered the best team never to have won it. Now they face a Uruguayan team hit by suspensions and injury problems after a penalty shootout victory over Ghana.
“The euphoria back home is incredible,” Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk said. “It’s a shame that we cannot experience it.”
The Dutch may a little taste of it when they arrive in Cape Town for the semifinals, because about 20,000 of their citizens have settled in the southwest coastal city over the years.
The South Africa-based fans will surely swell the Dutch cheering section to more than the 5,000 who were at Friday’s quarterfinal win over Brazil at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Between now and then, many of them will be sweating out the health of striker Robin van Persie.
The Arsenal forward injured his left arm against the Brazilians and went to the hospital on Saturday for a scan. He was joined by defender Joris Mathijsen, who injured his right knee in the warmup ahead of the Brazil match and had to pull out of the game.
“They are both at the hospital to have a scan,” said Van Marwijk, who hopes to know the results on Sunday. “Robin has an arm problem and Joris a knee problem. I don’t know what it is, that’s why they are at the hospital. I don’t think it is serious.”
The victory over the five-time champion Brazilians has given the Dutch renewed hope that they can finally capture the prize they came so close to winning twice in the 1970s.
The Dutch lost to the Germans in the 1974 final in Munich and to Argentina in ‘78 in Buenos Aires, but played with a style that rivaled the brilliant Brazilians.
Although Van Marwijk has a wealth of attacking talent in Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Van Persie, he is not trying to emulate that style.
“Why does everyone want the coach to make changes all the time?” Van Marwijk said Saturday. “You have to have more courage not to change. Yesterday I told the players, ‘You have to be yourselves, play your own game.’”
Even if Van Persie and Mathijsen come back, Van Marwijk will be forced into some changes for Tuesday’s match against Uruguay. Midfielder Nigel de Jong and defender Gregory van der Wiel are both suspended for the game after collecting second yellow cards of the tournament.
While Van Persie and Mathijsen went for their scans Saturday, the rest of the players who beat Brazil practiced in a gymnasium away from the eyes of the media.
Uruguay will be missing at least striker Luis Suarez, who was sent off against Ghana for handling the ball on the goal line in the final minute of extra time.
Even though Uruguay came through a long and tough quarterfinal match, Van Marwijk doesn’t think his team has an easy route to the final.
“I think the next game will be very dangerous,” he said. “This is the moment we have been waiting for two years. When we beat Brazil we were in the last four of the World Cup. Coming up next is Uruguay.
“Uruguay is a strong side and we will have to be very concentrated. They are fighters, survivors.”
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