By DPA,
Cape Town : It seems like everybody wants a World Cup revenge on Germany.
First, Argentina were looking for victory in the South Africa quarter-final to redress the balance for a defeat at the hands of the Europeans at the same stage in Germany 2006. They failed spectacularly, losing 4-0 to the youthful side.
Now the Netherlands – 3-2 winners against Uruguay in Tuesday’s Cape Town semi-final – want vengeance for 36-year-old upset.
West Germany defeated the Dutch 2-1 in the 1974 World Cup final, and defender Joris Mathijsen believes the players would enjoy the opportunity for some payback. Assuming, of course, that Germany overcome Spain in Wednesday’s semi-final.
“I am hoping we will play Germany,” Mathijsen said after the game.
“If it is Spain that is fine too, but most players are hoping it will be Germany. Then we can finally take revenge for 1974,” he said.
Coach Bert van Marwijk remembers that game well and, like most football pundits, believe that the Johann Cruyff-inspired side should have triumphed.
“We should have won that match, we played wonderfully well,” he said.
But the Netherlands should be careful about wishing for a final against Germany given the occasional defensive frailty they displayed against the South Americans.
Admittedly, they were missing defensive midfielder Nigel de Jong and right-back Gregory van der Wiel through suspension. But the Uruguayans still managed to score twice without showing a great deal of attacking enterprise.
Germany have put eight goals past England and Argentina, proof that they can slice through defences at speed. They would be unforgiving of any lapses in concentration by the Dutch.
Goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg is also a source of concern for the Dutch.
In Cape Town he should have done better with Diego Forlan’s long-distance shot for Uruguay’s first goal and later admitted his positioning was poor.
But the Dutch can compensate for errors at the back with potent goal threats in the shape of Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben – both on target against Uruguay.
Sneijder, a European Champions League winner this season with Inter Milan, is joint World Cup top-scorer with Spain’s David Villa on five goals, albeit two of them coming from lucky deflections.
Against Uruguay he was again voted Man of The Match – hardly a surprise since it was his fourth in six games.
Robben has also been in sparkling form since returning from injury at the end of the group stages.
The duo will be crucial if the Netherlands are to go one better than Cruyff and claim the first world title for one of football’s most-deserving nations.