World Cup Semifinal #1

Netherlands vs. Uruguay
2:30pm - ESPN, Univision
Green Point Stadium - Cape Town, South Africa
Winner: Netherlands

Uruguay has played very well in this World Cup and used a combination of strong defending, sharp attacking play from Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez and a lot of luck (Ghana's Gyan missing a penalty in the last minute of overtime after Suarez used his hand to save a shot off the goal line) to advance this far. However, they haven't played a team as strong as the Netherlands and will be missing several key players, including Suarez and captain Diego Lugano. So the Netherlands are the favorite in this one, but that brings with it added expectations, and that has been something that they have struggled with in the past. It's hard to use the well-worn cliche and say that Uruguay will "be playing with nothing to lose," as the World Cup only happens once every four years and there is no guarantee that any of these players will ever make it to the World Cup semifinals, let alone the tournament itself, again. So both teams will be under some pressure, but give the edge to the Netherlands in what should be a tight game. It would be great if there is an early goal, as that would prevent a defensive battle in which both teams are content to play for penalty kicks. Plus, it would be great to keep Dutch legend Ruud Gullit around, as his analysis for ESPN has introduced some great phrases, such as, "If it ain't Dutch, it ain't much," and "he is a happy chappy." Classic.