Party-poopers Uruguay prepare for Holland

It's safe to say that the neutral fan will be praying for a Dutch victory in tonight's semi-final clash between Holland and Uruguay. While this generation of Dutch players haven't been playing the 'Total Football' of their predecessors, they've still played a more attractive brand of football than the South Americans – and they've done it without blatant cheating.

The manner of Uruguay's win over Ghana in the quarter-final will linger long in the memories of all those who witnessed one of the most cynical fouls in the history of the tournament. In case you need reminding: in the last minute of extra-time, Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez punched a header from Adiyah of the line, preventing the Africans from taking their place in the semi-finals. Though the referee dismissed Suarez, Asamoah Gyan missed the resultant penalty and Uruguay went on to win the penalty shootout.

Perhaps what most outraged the world was the Uruguayan reaction afterwards. While newspapers back home praised Suarez for his quick-thinking, the player himself showed no contrition. On the contrary, he seemed rather pleased with what he'd done. "I made the save of the tournament," crowed Suarez. "There was no alternative but for me to do that and when they missed the penalty I thought 'It is a miracle and we are alive in the tournament'."

And Suarez's coach, Oscar Tabarez, was also guilt-lite, telling reporters:  "Saying we cheated Ghana is too harsh a word to use. Yes he stuck his hand out but it's not cheating. It was instinctive."

The furore is a shame for it's taken the gloss of Uruguay's best performance at a World Cup since 1970, the last time they reached the semi-final stage.  Back then they were overshadowed by fellow South Americans, Brazil, who thrashed Italy 4-1 in the final, but in 2010 Uruguay are the only non-European country left in the competition. Not bad for a country with a population of 3.5m (compared to Brazil's 190m).

Though the likes of Suarez (who was outstanding for Uruguay in their last 16 win against South Korea, scoring twice) and former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan have grabbed the headlines, it's coach Tabarez who deserves the most credit for producing a steely Uruguay side. "The thing is, because of our history, there's always a lot expected of Uruguay," said Tabarez, refering to Uruguay's World Cup successes of 1930 and 1950. "We'd prefer not to be compared to the teams from 1930 and 1950, but we're still in with a chance of matching their feats. So, of course, I understand why back home people see this as our most important game in decades, but I don't see that as added pressure."

In some ways the pressure will be all on Dutch shoulders. Having won all their pool games, and seen off Brazil in the quarter-finals, Holland are on a roll that stretches right back through the qualification phase for the World Cup. They were unbeaten in qualification and there is a belief among the Dutch public that they are finally going to get their hands on the trophy. They reached the final twice in the 1970s – their golden decade inspired by the likes of Johan Cruyff and Johan Neeskens – but lost to Germany in 1974 and Argentina four years later. The 2010 team has Wesley Sneijder as its figurehead, but what it lacks in the artistry of Cruyff it makes up for in rugged defence, epitomized by Mark Von Bommel.

"Holland will be very difficult - but not impossible," said the 64-year-old Tabarez. "This generation is a little different to the traditional Holland - they are a very balanced side. At the back they give nothing away, they link well. That's an aspect that other Dutch sides, while they didn't neglect that side of things, they didn't ascribe it such importance." ·