Manager: Oscar Tabarez
Captain: Diego Lugano

Continent: South America
Nicknames: La Celeste
Group: A

World Cup appearances: 10
Best World Cup: Winners; 1930 & 1950
FIFA World Ranking: 18

Uruguay Team Profile

The two time winners of the World Cup, albeit their last crown coming 60 years ago, will be gunning for the hat-trick in South Africa, although they will need to defy the odds. Uruguay haven’t been given much hope by the bookies, perhaps because they weren’t entirely convincing during qualifying after needing a play-off with Costa Rica to finally seal their tickets to Africa. However, the Uruguayans are a dangerous nation as they boast some serious quality in their ranks, and Oscar Tabarez does have an outside chance of guiding Uruguay to a successful World Cup – which would be qualifying for the last sixteen of the competition.

Uruguay had many admirers back when they won the World Cup, twice, as they are one of the smallest nations competing in this summers showcase event and are officially the smallest nation ever to win a World Cup, with an estimated 4Million population. However, all you need for a successful team is one or two decent individuals and Uruguay have that heading into South Africa. However, this will be just their second World Cup in 20 years and there are doubts about whether the players, who won’t be used to the hype and expectations set back home, can handle the spotlight and pressure. They are a nation who have, however, qualified 10 times for a World Cup and have been very consistent in tournaments back in the continent of South America.

Uruguay Key Players

Luis Suarez

I’ve long admired the Ajax forward as he is a quality forward and one that will demand a lot of cash in due course. Suarez has become Forlan’s ample striking parter for Uruguay and the pair have formed a budding relationship up front for their country, with the pair scoring 12 goals between them during qualifying, with Suarez bagging five of them. However, it is Suarez who heads into South Africa in the form of his life as he’s been banging in the goals in Holland for fun, scoring a colossal 22 league goals in 21 league appearances. He has been at the forefront of Ajax’s charge for a craved title, with his deadly finishing and self-made ability to create his own goals why he’s been such a success back in Holland. However, the Dutch league has fallen down the ranks in recent years and it will be interesting to see if Suarez can replicate his club form in South Africa.

Diego Forlan

The Athletico Madrid forward has been an instant hit in Spain and has won the Golden boot award twice while at Madrid, the first coming in 2005 while the second came last season after he scored 33 goals in 32 games for his club. Many of you will remember Forlan from his days at Manchester United where he was often touted as a flop for his dry spells in front of goals. However, he has been a sensation in Spain and has been just as prolific for his country, scoring 22 goals in 60 caps. He is a proper forward in that he has this selfish manner to him but he backs it up with plenty of goals. He is a typical predator in and around the goal, while he also knows how to finish under pressure. Forlan will be a danger, a nuisance if you like, for any defence in Africa.

Strengths

Their best quality would have to be their attacking play, especially as it’s spearheaded by two of Europe’s best strikers in Diego Forlan & Luis Suarez, the latter one of the upcoming stars and a future hit. When Uruguay do get forward, they cause opposing defences all sort of problems as their deadly striking duet know how to exploit gaps in defence and put themselves into scoring positions. They also have players which can strike a ball from anywhere and this Uruguay side does have goals in them.

Weaknesses

Uruguay are a confidence side and if they don’t make a bright start in South African then doubts will start to creep in. They are also very inconsistent and don’t exactly excel away from home. They were also beaten by both Brazil & Argentina twice during qualifying, meaning their credentials when they do come up against the elite nations aren’t flattering as they have proven to be bottlers in the crunch games. A perfect example of this was in Uruguay’s last qualifier when all they needed was a draw to qualify for the finals. Of course, despite Argentina enduring one of their worst spells in it’s prestigious history, Uruguay lost the encounter 1-0, on home soil, and their performance on the night shown everyone that Uruguay still lack the nerve and steel to come up good in the big games.

Uruguay Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: South America
Position: 5th
Win-Draw-Lose: 6-6-6
Goals Scored: 28
Goals Conceded: 20

Uruguay has a largely inconsistent campaign in which one minute they appeared to have slid claims for qualifying only to then ruin their chances. They did bottle their final qualifier in which they would have qualified via a fourth place finish had they of avoided defeat to Argentina. However, their fate was instead left to a two-legged play-off with Costa Rica from North America. Uruguay did, only just mind, beat Costa Rica over two legs after winning the away leg 1-0 before a nervy encounter in Uruguay, drawing 1-1.

World Cup Potential: 3/5

Uruguay have more than quality in their squad to spring a surprise and we feel their huge price tag makes them a more than worthy outside bet. The likes of Diego Forlan & Luis Suarez will be key in their chances to land a surprise World Cup but they’ve proven only recently that the big games just aren’t for them and we could quite easily see Uruguay make an earlier exit than we want nor expected. Still, the potential is there for a few big displays and they will be a dangerous opponent for everyone.

Uruguay World Cup Betting Odds

Uruguay to win the World Cup (Outright): 12/1 Bet365

Before the World Cup the odds on Uruguay were 100/1 

Official Uruguay World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Fernando Muslera (Lazio Roma)

Juan-Guillermo Castillo (Deportivo Cali)

Martin Silva (Defensor Sporting)

Defenders

Diego Lugano (Fenerbahce)

Diego Godin (Villarreal)

Andres Scotti (Colo Colo)

Jorge Fucile (Porto)

Martin Caceres (Juventus)

Mauricio Victorino (Universidad de Chile)

Maximiliano Pereira (Benfica)

Midfielders

Walter Gargano (Napoli)

Egidio Arevalo-Rios (Penarol)

Sebastian Eguren (AIK Stockholm)

Diego Perez (Monaco)

Alvaro Pereira (Porto)

Alvaro Fernandez (Universidad de Chile)

Ignacio Gonzalez (Valencia)

Nicolas Lodeiro (Ajax)

Strikers

Sebastian Fernandez (Banfield)

Luis Suarez (Ajax)

Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid)

Sebastian Abreu (Botafogo)

Edinson Cavani (Palermo)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Uruguay Fixtures – Group A

26/06 – 15.00 – Round of the last 16: Uruguay – South Korea: 2-1

02/07 – 19.30 – Quarter Finals: Uruguay – Ghana: 4-2 on penalties (1-1)

06/07 – 19.30 – Semi Finals: Urugay – Holland

World Cup 2010 Group A - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results

Germany ensured that all of the summer’s major honours went the way of European sides, as a 3-2 win over South Americans Uruguay cemented their place in the finals top three and thus landing them third-place in the 2010 FIFA World Cup behind Holland & Spain.

In what proved to be a pulsating affair in this last intercontinental of what has been an absorbing FIFA World Cup in South Africa, a five-goal thriller ensued but it was the Germans who clinched their fourth third-place finish with a 3-2 win. The Germans made the brighter start to proceedings when Thomas Muller took his summer tally to five goal, thus taking him level with David Villa and Wesley Sneijder and well in with a short of claiming a share of the Golden Shoe, when he was the quickest to react after a fizzing effort from Schweinsteiger wasn’t tamed by Uruguay’s Muslera in goal, with Muller left with the easiest of tasks of sliding home into an unguarded goal. But, however, the South Americans once again displayed the sort of resilience which had earlier seen them reach the semi-finals only to lose to Holland when they grabbed one back to level the scoring at one a piece through Edinson Cavani.

Both sides went into the break with one strike each but it was Uruguay, the underdogs, who came out of the blocks faster in the second period. With just six minutes of the second half on the clock, Diego Forlan, one of the stars of these South African finals, sent Uruguay into the lead for the first time in the game with a sublime volley which had Germany shot-stopper Butt beaten all ends up. It was a goal of real quality and one that took Forlan also to five goal, equalling the earlier feat of Thomas Muller, scorer of Germany’s first goal. However, six was quickly becoming a familiar number in this lively second half as just six minutes later, Marcell Jansen drew Germany level with a header. Muslera was once again at fault as he rushed out of his goal only to get nowhere near the ball, leaving Jansen with the goal at his mercy.

The remainder of the game was enthralling, with both sides going all out for the win. The pair of them were throwing men forward to attack regardless of what the penalty for their enthusiasm may be. It was, though, the Germans who had the final say in this third-place play-off to remember, as Sami Khedira headed home following a scramble in the Uruguay penalty area in the 82nd minute. Uruguay did push for an equaliser and despite the best efforts of Forlan, who with the last kick of the game seen his free-kick thunder off the woodwork, Uruguay were once again a goal short as Germany reigned supreme in Cape Town.

It means Germany claim third place and now have every chance of ending these finals as the tournament’s top scorers with 16 goals in seven games. Thomas Muller and Diego Forlan were also winners, as the pairs goals means they have an outside chance of claiming a share of the Golden Shoe so long as Wesley Sneijder and David Villa fail to score in tomorrow’s final.

Golden Shoe Betting:

David Villa – 5/6 Boylesports
Wesley Sneijder - 12/5 SkyBet
Diego Forlan – 7/1 WilliamHill
Thomas Muller – 7/1 WilliamHill

Uruguay V Germany Preview

Saturday, 10th July – 19:30 GMT
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
World Cup 2010: Third Place Play-Off

Uruguay

The South Americans, despite missing out on the grand final with a 3-2 loss to Holland in the semi-final, have the opportunity to leave South Africa with third place honours as the prepare for their last game of the tournament on Saturday, as the Germans lye in waiting at Port Elizabeth’s Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. Uruguay, currently ranked 16th in the FIFA Rankings, could also take huge strides towards the top ten with another win, so there’s still plenty to play for, although whether or not the players will see it that way is another matter.

You have to feel for Uruguay, who after some spirited efforts found themselves coming up a tad short of qualifying for the final on Sunday in Soccer City. Despite best efforts of Diego Forlan, who admitted after the game that he was carrying an injury into the Holland encounter and may well sit out Uruguay’s final game against Germany on Saturday, and the rest of the Uruguay team, they couldn’t conjure the win needed to book their place in a third FIFA World Cup final, where Spain would have been their opponents. Instead, Germany stand between them and their first ever third place finish. In two previous third place play-off’s, Uruguay have lost both having been defeated in 1956 by Austria and again in 1970 ironically by the Germans. Will lightening strike twice or will Uruguay exact their revenge?

There were two factors to make a note of in Tuesday’s thriller of a semi-final with Holland. The first was how lightweight Uruguay were in the final third without three-goal forward Luis Suarez, whose handball against Ghana in the last-eight encounter saw him given his marching orders. The Ajax man will, though, make his return on Saturday and will be aiming to bolster his tally for the tournament so far, providing coach Tabarez with far more forward options and another dangerous outlet. The bad news was Uruguay’s players looked exhausted, with their courageous efforts throughout the tournament finally catching up with them. They did somehow manage to grab a goal back late on, but the players looked shattered. Their star man and pin-up Diego Forlan admitted after the game that he wasn’t 100% and that he couldn’t play to his full capacity, while it would appear the rest of the team are beginning to feel the strain as well. So, with the Germans next up, it doesn’t bode well for the South Americans that another team who play quick and slick passing football will need taming some way or another.

Uruguay’s defence has been fairly watertight throughout the competition but against Holland there were clear signs that wear and tear were kicking in. Before that clash, Uruguay hadn’t conceded more than one goal in any of their previous four World Cup clashes. So to concede three in one game will have knocked their confidence, while there is a likelihood of them conceding a few more against a rampant German team who will be eager to regain their scoring confidence after failing to find the back of Spain’s net for the first time since their 1-0 loss to Serbia in the group. The only way we can see Uruguay winning this game is by keeping a clean sheet, so a mammoth defensive performance is needed you feel if they’re to claim third place, especially if Forlan doesn’t play any part in proceedings.

Germany

Before South Africa kicked off proceedings on June 11th in Johannesburg, not many anticipated another famous strong German push for the title. A little over three weeks in, and with some comprehensive wins under their belts; including 4-1 and 4-0 wins over England and Argentina respectively, only the brave few were opposing the Germans to land their fourth FIFA World Cup crown. The Spanish, though, had other ideas and a 1-0 loss in the semi-final to the reigning European champions meant Germany’s valiant pursuit of a fourth trophy was in vein despite the likelihood of Germany leaving South Africa as the most impressive teams of this year’s finals.

Joachim Low’s side have accumulated a total of 13 goals after six thrilling games, which is one more than finalists Holland. They are strong favourites to finish the tournament as the most prolific team (1.17 with Betfair to be the Highest Scoring Team), and are firm favourites to leave with the bronze medal. Only Uruguay stand in their way of a fourth World Cup third place finish, while the Germans boast three wins and just one defeat in previous third place play-off clashes, so the omens are in their favour. Our only concern, as like many other punters, is how well the Germans respond to bitterly falling at the semi-final hurdle to Spain. However, one look at their play-off record (3 Win, 1 Defeat) would instantly indicate that Germans are naturally a courageous and defiant bunch, boasting the ability to bounce back straight away following a sour tasting loss.

In our opinion, we don’t see Germany not winning on Saturday and claiming their fourth third place in the competition’s 80 year history. Moreover, were they to justify the early favouritism shown in them by bookmakers, with Germany a general 1.73 shot, with a win they’ll seal their second successive third place finish following on from their 3-1 defeat of Portugal on home soil in the 2006 finals. The players, though, will need to cast any thoughts of a brisk post-tournament holiday on hold for now, as while they’ve done remarkably well to defy the poor opinion bestowed on them before the tournament, supporters back home will not appreciate a loss on Saturday one little bit. Third place is the minimum German fans now expect and is down to the players, those who have performed stoutly throughout the competition, to put in one final courageous effort in order to ensure the team leaves South Africa with their pride firmly in tact and glowing.

Joachim Low is characteristically keen to finish South Africa 2010 on a high and will be aided by the return of one of the stars of the tournament in Thomas Muller. The Bayern Munich play-maker missed the semi-final defeat to Spain through suspension but will return on Saturday to face Uruguay knowing a couple of goals could see him claim the Golden Boot award. The same applies to Miroslav Klose, who with four goals to his name is hot on the heels of David Villa for his second Golden Boot success, as well as Ronald’s (Brazil) all-time scoring record of 15 goals in 4 World Cup’s. Despite pre-season looming large, we expect the core; Schweinsteiger, Ozil, Muller, Klose, Mertesacker, all to start against Uruguay, as Germany look to cap a promising campaign off with style.

Uruguay V Germany Betting Tip

Our Prediction (who will win): Germany to WIN – 1.73 SkyBet

Anything less against a tiring Uruguay would be a shock in our opinion, as would it be back home in Germany. Joachim Low will shown no signs of letting up on Saturday and will field a strong team against the South Americans in a bid to finish on a high note. There will be a number of players looking to impress and hungry for goals, so we see no reason why Germany won’t turn up and perform, and more importantly score goals, against a Uruguay team which could be on the brink of capitulating following an enduring campaign and a bitter semi-final loss to Holland.

Despite the ruggedness at which Uruguay tend to defend, there’s goals in this game for Germany. Miroslav Klose, a player who will be well aware that South Africa is his final World Cup and so his last chance to surpass or at least the great Ronaldo’s World Cup scoring record of 15 goals, is the stand out player bet on Saturday to find the back of the net, as there’s no doubt the rest of the German team will strive to ensure Klose gets chances at least to beat Ronaldo’s record.

Recommended Bet: Miroslav Klose FGS – 5.50 Bet365

Current Uruguay v Germany Odds:

Less than a week ago, I made the point that Germany were being underrated by the bookmakers despite thrashing England 4-1 in Bloemfontein, with Sporting Bet offering Die Mannschaft at 7/1 on the outright market before they taught Argentina a footballing lesson on Saturday. Since Fabio Capello’s team were knocked out of the World Cup, there has been much criticism levelled at the players, manager, set-up and the fact that too many foreign players feature in the Premier League. The English media seem to be missing an obvious point – they were beaten by superior opponents.

Germany are now 21/10 (Paddy Power) win the World Cup for the first time since they became a unified nation and it would be apt considering how united the team have been over the past fortnight. They have produced three outstanding performances to score four goals against Australian, English and Argentine opposition, while they were the victims of a bad refereeing decision when losing their second game of the tournament to Serbia.

These odds are roughly the same as the price you will get for Spain or Holland to win their first ever World Cup and they both possess some excellent individual players. However, there’s only one team were the sum of parts is greater than the individuals on show and that’s Germany. Joachim Loew’s team defend with two rows of four players when they haven’t got the ball, while Lukas Podolski, Mesut Ozil and Thomas Muller are all quick to support Miroslav Klose in attack.

Spain are 2/1 (Blue Square) to win the 2010 World Cup and it’s set to be an intriguing encounter between themselves and Germany on Wednesday night. There seems to be persistent rumours that many members of the Spanish squad are feeling the burn after a long season, especially as Andres Iniesta and Fernando Torres were injured in the lead-up to the tournament. While it hasn’t stopped David Villa being brilliant in every match, one wonders about how the slow defence of La Furia Roja can stop the Germans flowing forward in numbers, with Gerard Pique appearing to be a liability.

Then we have the Netherlands, a team that were trading at 25/1 on betfair when trailing 1-0 to Brazil at half-time of their quarter final match. Wind the clock forward three days and they are now trading at 9/4 (Victor Chandler) to win the World Cup with Uruguay an opponent that appear to be there for the taking. However, an improved second half performance against the Selecao can’t disguise the fact that this Dutch team have flattered to deceive all tournament and that previous performances against Slovakia, Cameroon, Denmark and Japan were all winning ones without playing well.

If the Uruguayans stop Robben, then they might have some joy and Diego Forlan will be hoping to see plenty of the ball, with Gregory van der Wiel and Nigel de Jong missing for the Dutch. They are carrying the flag for South America and Paddy Power offer 12/1 that La Celeste win the World Cup.

We started the 2010 World Cup with thirty-two teams from all over the planet, although just four remain after 60 matches of football. On Tuesday night, the first place in the final is up for grabs, with Holland facing Uruguay at the Greenpoint Stadium in Cape Town.

It’s likely to be a huge betting contest and many bookmakers have special offers for the game which is well worth checking out. Over at bet365, they continue to run their ‘Penalty Payback’ promotion for the 2010 World Cup, where they’ll refund losing outright bets on any team that gets knocked out on penalties.

So far, bet365 have got away with only refunding losing stakes on Japan and Ghana, not two of the well-backed teams in the competition. However, it’s possible that at least one semi-final this week could go to spot kicks, not to mention the final. Spain are 15/8 favourites, Germany are 2/1, Netherlands are 21/10 and Uruguay are 10/1 with this firm.

Bet365 also have their 0-0 cashback offer available on the Holland v Uruguay and it’s likely that the south Americans will be looking to keep things tight. All losing first goalscorer, last goalscorer, anytime goalscorer, correct score and half-time / full-time bets will be refunded if the game is goalless after ninety minutes. Paddy Power and Blue Square are doing something similar for this game.

Meanwhile, Bet Fred are offering to refund all losing first/last goalscorer, correct score and scorecast bets on Holland v Uruguay if Dirk Kuyt scores in the game. The Liverpool striker likes to get forward and it’s not a bad offer at all.

Similarly, Stan James have used their imagination to create a Diego Forlan special for Tuesday night’s game. If the Uruguay striker scores at any point during the 90-minutes on Tuesday night, then the firm will refund all losing first/last goalscorer, anytime goalscorer and hat-trick bets placed on the game.

There’s been plenty of money for the Netherlands in the build-up to the match in Cape Town and it’s possible that Coral’s 4/6 won’t last until kick-off. Other bookmakers have been running for cover as a major gamble takes place on Bert van Marwijk’s team, with punters clearly being swayed by that victory over Brazil in the quarter final. Sporting Bet are now as short as 4/7 (Sporting Bet) about a Dutch win.

It’s good to see that Ladbrokes have also been giving their punters extra value throughout the World Cup and it’s worth checking out their Enhanced Doubles currently available on the World Cup semi-finals. You can back Holland and Spain both to win at odds of 10/3 or alternatively go for the 9/1 that Uruguay draw and Germany win.

The Magic Sign also have goalscorer doubles available and offer 3/1 that Robin Van Persie scores on Tuesday and David Villa finds the net on Wednesday. A Diego Forlan x Lukas Podolski double is on offer at 9/1.

Uruguay V Holland

Tuesday, 6th July – 19:30 (GMT)
Green Point Stadium, Cape Town
Semi-Final

Uruguay

As Uruguay prepare themselves for the opportunity of a lifetime – to appear in their third World Cup final (Boasting a 100% record in finals as well) – coach Oscar Tabarez contemplates a nerve racking Tuesday night without a number of influential figures. Luis Suarez is the biggest name to miss this last-four clash with Holland, after it was his handball which saved Uruguay from quarter-final exit only to receive a well deserved red card for his troubles. Jorge Fucile, one of the more impressive full-backs in South Africa 2010, will also miss out through suspension while fellow defenders Diego Godin and Diego Lugano are injury doubts.

At this rate Uruguay won’t have a defence to field, but Diego Lugano, the Uruguay skipper, has pledged his support and commitment to this semi-final cause by saying he will play through the pain barrier just to play his part on Tuesday. That’s just what Uruguay need at theis moment in time, some courageous souls, as they’ll need to produce something special if they’re to overhaul favourites Holland in Cape Town. In Diego Forlan, a player primed for games such as these, Uruguay have a born and breed match winner. His three goals in five games, including the equaliser against Ghana in the previous round, has aided Uruguay significantly in their best performance in a World Cup since 1970.

With all these injuries and suspensions, it’s difficult to envisage Uruguay having enough quality, as well as enough in energy reserve, to oust Holland from the final. In fairness, they haven’t been that great in these finals and have enjoyed a pleasant run up till now; topping a Group A which failed to live up to all the hype, then seeing off South Korea in the Round of 16 before later edging past Ghana in the quarter’s. Holland will be their toughest assignment of these finals and this encounter looks all the more like it could be their last. Their defence is depleted and understrength while the absence of Luis Suarez means they now lack a striker of genuine World Cup calibre. The latter has three goals to his name in South Africa and we don’t see either his former striking partner, Edinson Cavani, nor Sebastian Abreu having the same impact as the Ajax forward, while the onus is now well and truly on Diego Forlan to raise his game further and bolster his scoring tally of three goals with another which could potentially win this last-four encounter.

If Uruguay are to produce the shock of the round, they’ll need to defend resolutely and like heroes throughout. The Dutch will come at them from all corners, with the likelihood of shots raining down on Fernando Muslera’s goal. The Uruguayan shot-stopper had kept three successive clean sheets in the group stage but has since seen his goal breached on both occasions in the knock-outs. The Lazio keeper will need to somehow find the form which seen he keep out France, South Africa and Mexico if Uruguay are to progress into an historic final, as it’s unlikely the South Americans will score more than two goals in this contest and so will need to keep Holland’s scoring to a minimum.

Holland

The Dutch have appeared in two World Cup finals previously and have come out second best on both occasions. If they can grasp this fabulous semi-final opportunity with both hands than this new brand of Dutch footballers will have the chance to make amends for their forefathers shortcomings. It has been a little over 32 years since Holland supporters last entertained the fact they were participating a final of the World Cup, where they lost out to hosts Argentina. You could argue that they probably won’t have an opportunity as golden as this to qualify for their third FIFA World Cup final than on Tuesday night for quite some time when they take on South Americans Uruguay, a team ranked 16th in the world, for a place in Sunday’s grand final.

The Dutch haven’t been their usual free-scoring selves in South Africa, which ironically has proven a positive thing. Instead of focusing solely on their attacking qualities and personnel, which they could of so easily have done considering they have an embarrassment of riches in the final third of the field, coach Bert Van Marwijk has resolved some of the defensive issues which has plagued the national team down the years. Instead of going into games with an all-guns-blazing mindset, trying to outscore every single opponent, it’s been more of a collective performance from Holland. Their defence is far more rugged and resolute – able to withstand more pressure than initially anticipated – while their creative players and forward assets have been more methodical and patient with their attacks. It hasn’t been attractive at times, not the sexy football we’ve come to know and love from the Dutch, but it’s been damn effective and it’s one of the reason why Holland have quickly established a fair few admires, especially in the betting rings.

Holland will arrive in Cape Town following their courageous turnaround against Brazil, where a spirited second half display over roared their Brazilian counterparts and left the footballing world speechless because of their actions. The then tournament favourites, the team a vast majority deemed as the likely winners of South Africa 2010, now dead in the water because of this robust Dutch side. It is a scalp of the high proportion but it will count for absolutely nothing should they come up short against Uruguay on Tuesday in a game many now fancy their chances of winning.

The one and only real worry for coach Bert Van Marwijk is Nigel De Jong’s suspension, although full-back Gregory Van Der Wiel is another serving a one-game suspension after both players collected their second yellow card of the tournament in that 2-1 win over Brazil. Khalid Boulahrouz will be a like-for-like replacement for Van Der Wiel, so nothing to worry about there, but John Heitinga, a centre-half by trade, may well have to fill De Jong’s defensive-midfield boots. It means Andre Ooijer will have to start at centre-back for the second game running although the former Aston Villa man didn’t look out of place against Brazil despite probably being at fault for their opening goal. Robin Van Persie is nursing an arm injury but should lead the line once again aiming to double his tally for the tournament (1 Goal).

Match Odds:

Uruguay – 7.00 Bet365
Draw – 3.70 bWin
Holland – 1.67 Boylesports

Our Prediction: Holland to WIN – 1.67 Boylesports

You cannot underestimate the amount of pressure Holland will be feeling, and they have been a team to falter under the limelight in recent tournaments, but there’s also no getting away from the fact that their opponents are a Uruguay team which have enjoyed an easy route to the semi-final and will be without a number of key personnel. The Dutch do have a few defenders missing but so long as they restrict a now less potent Uruguay, who are without Luis Suarez (3 Goals), they should progress without much of a fuss. If they grab an early goal to calm the nerves then we see Holland running out worthy and comfortable winners.

Recommended Bet: Holland to Score 3 or More Goals – 4.30 SkyBet

Current Uruguay v Holland Odds:

Uruguay V Holland – Tuesday, 6th July (19:30 GMT)

Suspension and injuries have plagued the Uruguay camp ahead of the nation’s biggest sporting event for decades, as Luis Suarez and Jorge Fucile are both ruled out of the Holland contest while Diego Godin and Diego Lugano are both doubts. They still have their heartbreak kid, Diego Forlan, who continues to break hearts with his sublime goals. The Atletico Madrid schemer scored twice against South Africa and a scorching free-kick against Ghana in the last round, and with the majority of the African support now heading Holland’s way, could he once again be Africa’s nemesis? We don’t see it if we’re entirely honest, and with this depleted Uruguay team going face-to-face with Brazil’s conquerors, we see only one winner.

GET ON Holland, who have won just one of their five games by more than a one goal margin, to make haste of this nervy semi-final situation and beat Uruguay by 3 Goals or More. SkyBet will generously hand out odds of 6/1 on this scenario, while Holland to Score 3 or More goals in 90 minutes can be had at 7/2 (same firm). See the latter as an insurance bet in case Uruguay, Forlan notably, squeezes in a goal for the South Americans.

Germany V Spain – Wednesday, 7th July (19:30 GMT)

In one corner we have the irrepressible and unstoppable Germans, in the other the not so prolific but more clinical Spanish. With Germany in their current form and finding goals so easy to come by, many are expecting another goal rush. We don’t see that happening, as the Spanish will enjoy far more of the ball than any of Germany’s knock-out victims have done while their defence, one which has been a tad suspect in these finals, has conceded just two goals of which one was very scrappy and the other took a wicked deflection.

WE SAY have a nibble at the 8/1 readily available on the 0-0 (Correct Score) being offered by Bet365, SkyBet and SportingBet. There’s no way Joachim Low will tell his German troopers to go out all guns blazing as that will play right into Spain’s hands. A more cautious approach from the Germans here, while Spain have struggled to break every side bar Honduras down in these finals, although worryingly they have tended to find a way through in the end. Spain are 7/1 with 888Sport to win their third successive game 1-0, but the 0-0 has far more appeal. It’s 1.70 (7/10) there’s no more than 2 goals in this match (bWIn).

The last thing any manager needs is the absence of important individuals before a semi-final encounter with Holland, with the reward at stake a place in the final against either Germany or Spain. Uruguay head coach Oscar Tabarez has little choice but to face up to life on Tuesday without forward Luis Suarez, who handled on the line in the dying minutes against Ghana in their quarter-final tie only to see the resulting spot-kick missed by Asamoah Gyan. Uruguay later went on to record a 4-2 win in a penalty shoot-out, thus qualifying, and as a direct result of Gyan missing the penalty and Uruguay progressing, Suarez was perceived as a national hero back home for taking one for the team. The locals in Africa however see the prolific Ajax striker merely as a cheat and it’s perhaps just as well that Luis Suarez won’t play any part in Tuesday’s proceedings, with Africa now pledging all their support for Holland.

As well as Luis Suarez missing this last-four encounter through suspension, of which FIFA later announced that the forward wouldn’t see the length of his suspension extender for unsportsmanlike behaviour, Uruguay could be without their influential captain, Diego Lugano. The centre-half if nursing a knee injury although is contemplating playing through the pain barrier on Tuesday night. Full-back Jorge Fucile, who has been one of the outstanding full-backs of this tournament, is another who will miss the clash with Holland through suspension. Diego Godin (Defender) looks another major doubt, as Tabarez faces the prospect of fielding a make-shift and unfamiliar back four against the Dutch.

So far, France are the only team to have shut-out Uruguay in South Africa 2010 and despite Uruguay conjuring goals against South Africa (3), Mexico (1), South Korea (2) and Ghana (1) they are a more than generous 1.83 (5/6) to score against Holland with PaddyPower. They are, though, without Luis Suarez (3 Goals) and that may constitute to such an appealing price. Uruguay to hold their nerve and win another penalty shoot-out is 11/1 with SportingBet.

Injury and suspension to crucial players haven’t helped Uruguay’s caused before kick-off, but even so there odds of 6/1 with SkyBet to record a victory over Holland within 90 minutes (+IT) is very attractive, as is their 3.60 (13/5) to qualify for the final with SportingBet.