Bottoms up for Robben and the Dutch as Arjen insists: I won't allow us to lose the World Cup final

Aarjen Robben won’t let Holland lose the World Cup final. It’s as simple as that. Caught with his trousers down (see great Getty Images picture) after an epic 3-2 semi-final win over Uruguay in Cape Town last night, Robben has no intention of dropping his guard in the final at Soccer City on Sunday.

Haunted by memories of their two successive World Cup final defeats at Germany 74 and Argentina 78, losing is simply not an option for Robben, who was unable to prevent Bayern Munich going down to Inter Milan in the Champions League showdown seven weeks ago.

Robben, who scored a glorious header to seal last night’s epic semi, said: “This Dutch team is simply a great squad. We had a good look at each other before the game... and I was convinced we'd win.

"We’re nearly there. We need only one more victory now. I’ve already lost a big final with Bayern and I won't let that happen again.

"If Germany turn out to be our next opponent, I'll be even more motivated. I can't afford to lose against Germany, because my team-mates at Bayern will make fun of me all season."

Cape Town’s Green Point Stadium was awash with Orange by the time Robben scored the third goal, his second of the tournament after his late arrival with a hamstring injury. By then Wesley Sneijder and captain Gio van Bronkhorst had already given the Dutch a slender 2-1 advantage after Diego Forlan’s equaliser.

Uruguay pulled back a late goal but by then forlorn Forlan had been recklessly substituted and Uruguay had given up the fight.

Two of the smallest nations in the world – Holland are ranked 134^th in the world on land mass while Uruguay are 90^th – contrived to produce a fitting showdown in Cape Town, the city established by Dutchman Jan van Riebeeck in 1652.

South Africa, boasting over ten million people who still speak Afrikaans or “kitchen Dutch”, were unanimously behind the Oranjes after Uruguay’s cynical efforts had deprived both Bafana Bafana and BaGhana BaGhana of an African representative at this glorious tournament.

The last surviving Latin American nation were at it again last night, diving about, falling over, generally making a nuisance of themselves. But credit to Uruguay, who only qualified for this tournament on a play-off against Costa Rica after finishing fifth in the CONMEBOL qualifying group, they gave it a good shot.

With big guns Brazil and Argentina out, they fought hard to end the Dutch record of 25 successive unbeaten outings. But as I said two months ago, this Dutch side – with Sneijder and Robben the form players in Europe last season – were always a good outside bet at 12-1.

Cape Town, treated to awful 0-0 draws between Uruguay and France followed by England and Algeria early in the tournament, can now boast the highest-scoring venue of this World Cup. And the men in orange, unbeaten in qualifying, have now set a new record of 14 games without defeat in a single tournament, not to mention ten wins on the trot.

Unheralded coach Bert van Marwijk said: “Unbelievable. When I took this job two years ago, I said to the players, “we're on a mission, and we just have to believe in ourselves”. We're only a small country but we're through to the final again after 32 years, that's just unbelievable.”

And perhaps most telling of all, with Brazil lying in their wake and Germany or Spain to come, he added: “I love beautiful football, but I also want to win.”

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez sighed: “It was the right result and it was a match worthy of the World Cup semi-finals. I'm proud of my players. We're disappointed, but we've shown everyone who wrote us off beforehand that we're not very far off the top.

“We gave it our best shot, but it wasn’t quite enough.”

Neal Collins is in South Africa to promote his book A GAME APART. For more details see www.nealcollins.co.uk.

Brazil nuts and Dutch oranges. Plenty to nibble on before Friday's quarter-final

So Brazilian nuts or Dutch oranges. Plenty to nibble at before Port Elizabeth on Friday. In theory, South Africa 2010’s first quarter-final will be about Dutch “total football” versus Brazil’s “beautiful game”.

But hold on a minute. Both sides are under pressure from the critics at home to stick to their traditional flowing style. The touch of pragmatism that Bert van Marwijk and Dunga have brought to their sides has been a vital part of getting to the last eight.

Van Marwijk says: "We are here for one reason. To win the big prize. We have to believe it. Against Brazil, perhaps we might be the underdogs for the first time in South Africa.

“People laughed at us when we said we were capable of winning the World Cup. But you have to show a real mentality, a constant focus. I think we are showing that."

Lively Lambertus, 58, knows the Dutch have never won “the big prize”, though they reached the final in Germany 74 and Argentina 74. The Brazilians have won five global crowns on four continents – Asia, North America, Europe and at home – and appear destined to win Africa’s first World Cup.

Officially, Holland are the fourth best side in the world. Brazil, in case you’ve been camping in the Antarctic, are the best side in the world.

Head-to-head, it’s surprisingly close. Holland have won two, Brazil three and they’ve fought out four draws in nine games, with the Dutch scoring 13 and Brazil 14.

This is no flowery Brazil side. In rock-hard centre-back Lucio and goal-scoring full-back Maicon, they offer to of the best defenders in the world. Up front we all know about Kaka, Robinho and the rest.

But Holland boast Robin van Persie, Wesley Sneijder and a fit-again Arjen Robben, three of Europe’s form players.

Robben made his first start in the last 16 clash win over Slovakia and scored after 18 minutes. He said: "It was a great feeling to start this game. I think it was also good to feel important for this team. I am not yet at my top level but I was pretty confident."

But despite their fourth consecutive triumph at this World Cup and a record-breaking run of 23 unbeaten games, Dutch experts decried their lack of style and panache. Robben growled: "It was a difficult match. We didn't play our best game but, at the end of the day, it's all about winning.

"I hope we will save our best match for our next game. We want to improve. We know what people have said in the past, that we play well but we don't get to the end. Against Slovakia we were efficient."

Months ago, when I booked my tickets for this tournament, I was lucky enough to get a posh seat for game 57, the quarter-final at the brand new Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, before I head off to talk at the National Arts Festival in nearby Grahamstown. I can hardly wait.

With all four quarter-finals featuring clashes against Latin American opposition, the final word from Dunga, the man who has added grit to the Brazilian flair. He says: "We have already said we are trying to play the open football which everyone wants to see. The players did well and we got forward a lot in our 3-0 win over Chile.

“We know the Netherlands are a very difficult team to beat and they are very able technically, they play their football like South Americans.”

At this World Cup, with Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina also through to the last eight, that might be the only way to play.

Neal Collins is in South Africa to marvel at the South Americans, mourn England... and promote his first novel A GAME APART, the real story behind this World Cup. For more information see www.nealcollins.co.uk.

To see him talk at the National Arts Festival on July 4, go to http://www.computicket.com/web/event/neal_collins_a_game_apart/148367625

Holland 2 Slovakia 1... who will pick the Oranges now they're through to the last eight?

AH the Dutch. So clinical, so perfect, so bloody Orange.

Four games, four wins, seven goals for, two against—and through they go to a quarterfinal against Brazil in Port Elizabeth on July 2.

Dunga's dynamos have to favourites after their emphatic 3-0 win over Chile tonight but with Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder clicking, these Dutch could yet drive Brazil nuts.

Robben, proving he’s completely recovered from a dodgy hamstring, made his first start, and scored the opener after just 18 minutes. Sneijder played him in, and his low shot from 25 yards was pretty unstoppable.

With courageous Slovakia trying to find an equaliser, Sneijder clinched it seven minutes from time by slotting home Dirk Kuyt’s pull-back.

Robert Vittek was left to score a penalty with the very last kick of the match, but that was it from Slovakia, playing in their first World Cup finals since Czechoslovakia split in 1993.

It’s not like the Dutch aren’t in good form. They were unbeaten in qualifying, and are currently on a record-run of 23 games unbeaten.

Just twice Slovakia threatened to upset the orange apple cart in front of 62,000 at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium. Maarten Stekelenburg was needed to tip over a Miroslav Stoch effort, and then he was called in to action from close range to deny Vittek.

Strange then that the ever-increasing orange army here are complaining about their form. Though England, France, and Italy would give anything to be in the last eight, the Dutch feel their side lacks flair.

They have never won the World Cup before, but there is a hankering after the “total football” of the sides that reached the finals in Germany '74 and Argentina '78.

Still, with Sneijder, Robben, and Arsenal’s Robin Van Persie beginning to fire, this could yet be a uniquely orange World Cup.

For an inside look at Soccer City, the World Cup final venue, see action from last night’s Argentina win over Mexico: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOzgJ5i6LkA

Neal Collins is in South Africa to marvel at the South Americans, mourn England... and promote his first novel A GAME APART, the real story behind this World Cup. For more information see www.nealcollins.co.uk.