Holland 3-2 Uruguay

NETHERLANDS pushed Uruguay aside with a 3-2 victory on Tuesday to reach their third World Cup final and set up an all-European clash with Spain or Germany.

Two goals in three minutes midway through the second half from Wesley Sneijder, his fifth of the tournament, and Arjen Robben gave Netherlands a 3-1 lead but Maximiliano Pereira gave them some nervous moments with a late goal in time added on.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst had given the Dutch an early lead with a long-range drive before Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan equalised just before halftime, also with a superb strike. European champions Spain play Germany in Durban in the other semifinal on Wednesday with the winners playing Netherlands in Sunday’s World Cup final at Soccer City in Johannesburg.

It will be Europe’s 10th World Cup win in 19 finals but the first by a European side outside their own continent. The Dutch lost both their previous finals in 1974 and 1978 to West Germany and Argentina respectively.

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