The Netherlands are celebrating after reaching their first FIFA World Cup™ Final in 32 years. FIFA.com rounds up the numbers that matter from the first of South Africa 2010's semi-finals.
goals in the FIFA World Cup was the landmark reached when Arjen Robben headed the Netherlands into a 3-1 lead in Cape Town.
minutes were on the clock when Diego Forlan scored Uruguay's equaliser – the only goal at this time in the entire tournament. There had been one previous goal in the 18th minute when Giovanni van Bronckhurst struck the Netherlands' spectacular opener – also scored by a Dutchman, Arjen Robben, in the Round of 16 game against Slovakia. Eighty-nine minutes is the time at which most goals – five – have arrived so far, while four goals have been scored in the 79th minute.
years elapsed between the last Uruguay-Netherlands fixture and tonight's Cape Town semi-final. On that occasion Uruguay won 2-0.
years and 342 days was the average age of the Dutch starting line-up, the oldest team to start a FIFA World Cup match for the Oranje since 1978.
years and 107 days was the average age of the Uruguay starting XI – their youngest at the FIFA World Cup since 2002.
goals at the Green Point Stadium make the Cape Town venue the highest-scoring of South Africa's ten venues. Durban, which hosts the Germany-Spain semi-final, is unlikely to overtake it with only 13 goals so far but Johannesburg's Soccer City, which stages Sunday's Final, could yet surpass Cape Town given its current tally of 20.
consecutive wins is the Netherlands' run in this FIFA World Cup campaign (qualifiers and tournament), which sets a new record.
games at the FIFA World Cup in charge of Uruguay saw Oscar Tabarez set a new benchmark for his country, moving ahead of Juan Lopez, who steered La Celeste to the world title in 1950 and fourth place in 1954. Tabarez was previously in charge in 1990, when Uruguay were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Italy.
semi-finals have been played between European and South American teams, and the win for the Netherlands was only the third for the Old Continent. Italy beat Brazil 2-1 in 1938 while Hungary won 4-2 against Uruguay in 1954.
successive wins by the Netherlands will put them in good heart for Sunday's Final. Tonight's defeat was Uruguay's first in 10 games.
successive wins have been achieved by the Dutch at South Africa 2010 en route to the Final. The only other time so many wins were racked up prior to the Final was by Brazil in 2002.
FIFA World Cup goals make Diego Forlan Uruguay's second-top scorer in this competition. Also on five – three goals behind leading marksman Oscar Miguez – is Juan A 'Pepe' Schiaffino and Pedro Cea.
wins was the Netherlands' record in FIFA World Cup semi-finals before today. When they reached the 1974 and 1978 Finals, it was after finishing top of their group in the second round. Their only previous semi-final ended in a penalty shoot-out defeat by Brazil in 1998.
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