Playmaker Wesley Sneijder inspired Netherlands to a 3-2 victory over battling Uruguay on Tuesday that sent them back to the World Cup final after a 32-year wait where they will play in an all-European clash.
Sneijder, scorer of both goals in the 2-1 quarter-final win over Brazil, was on target in the 70th minute to put the Dutch 2-1 ahead before Arjen Robben got a third three minutes later.
Maximiliano Pereira grabbed a second goal for Uruguay in added time but despite a late spell of pressure from the South Americans it was too late to stop the Dutch marching on.
Netherlands progress to their third World Cup final with the win setting up a showdown with either Spain or Germany.
"First final since '74 and '78, that came up in my mind in the second half," said Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk. "It's so very special and as a small country we can be so proud."
"After the second and third we should have scored a fourth. That would have prevented that final phase. But this is a World Cup. It doesn't matter how you do it it's all about the result."
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez told a news conference: "I'm very proud of my players... our opponents were better when it came to scoring goals against us. We went very far, no one expected that, so that helps the sadness of the defeat."
Midfielder Egidio Arevalo added: "We had a good World Cup. A lot of years have passed since we've done so well."
Uruguay last reached the World Cup semifinal in 1970.
The first half at Green Point Stadium ended 1-1 after superb long-range strikes from left back Giovanni van Bronckhorst for Netherlands and forward Diego Forlan for the Uruguayans.
The matches
Uruguay 2-3 Netherlands
Germany-Spain, 7 July, Durban, 20.30
The big game
Germany-Spain
Much has changed in the two years since a Fernando Torres goal put a Michael Ballack-led Germany to the sword in the final of EURO 2008. With the injured Ballack watching from the stands and Torres still struggling to recapture his goalscoring touch, it is the youthful Germans and not the Spanish who have been catching the eye with their high-tempo football. Coach Joachim Low has unleashed a new generation of talented tyros including Thomas Muller and Mesut Ozil, two of the spearheads of a squad with an average age of only 24.9. Low can also count on a rejuvenated Miroslav Klose. Little used last season by Bayern Munich, the veteran forward is closing in fast on Ronaldo's all-time FIFA World Cup scoring record.
Not to be outdone, Vicente del Bosque can call on a lethal finisher of his own in Barcelona new boy Villa, the leading marksman at South Africa 2010 with five goals in all. And while the Spaniards have yet to move the ball around with their customary élan, they still carry a threat too potent for most teams and boast an exceptional supporting cast that includes the livewire Pedro, whose services could be called upon if extra time beckons. Whether this game is decided in 90 minutes or not, there should be plenty of goals and entertainment in store.
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