The Netherlands are strong favourites to reach their first World Cup final since 1978 tonight, with Luis Suarez suspended for La Celeste

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Before the tournament, many people were anticipating that Tuesday’s semi-final in Cape Town would be contested by England and Brazil. Sadly, the Three Lions failed to get anywhere near their potential to the extent where Fabio Capello’s team couldn’t even win Group C, while the Selecao crumbled after conceding a sloppy equaliser to the Dutch on Friday.

It means that the Netherlands stand on the verge of reaching the 2010 World Cup final at Soccer City, with the bookies offering a best price 4/6 (Coral) that they beat another south American team at the Greenpoint Stadium. The Oranje rode their luck when 1-0 down against Brazil in Port Elizabeth, although an own goal from Melo and a header from Wesley Sneijder helped turn the match around.

Sneijder now has four goals to his name in this tournament and has continued the great form that helped Inter lift the Champions League last season. He’s on offer at 6/1 (bet365) to open the scoring against Uruguay and has found the net three times already in South Africa. It’s likely that he and Arjen Robben (11/2 Ladbrokes) will find some gaps in a defence that played 120 gruelling minutes of football against Ghana on Friday night.

Even so, the Uruguayans also showed tremendous character to come from a goal down to beat the last remaining African team in the competition, even if they massively rode their luck after Luis Suarez handled in the final minute of extra-time and Asamoah Gyan contrived to miss the subsequent spot kick. Oscar Tabarez’s team might feel it’s their destiny to win their third World Cup and you can get a massive 6/1 (Bet Fred) that La Celeste win in normal time.

Indeed, it seems that people are going a little overboard about Holland’s team, considering that they were second best against Brazil before Julio Cesar’s error of judgement. Although Uruguay will have Suarez rightfully suspended, Diego Forlan illustrated against Ghana that he can strike a mean free-kick and the forward is 10/1 (Paddy Power) to break the deadlock against Dutch opposition.

If you think that Uruguay can make their first final for sixty years, Paddy Power offer 5/2 that they go through and they would probably take a penalty shoot-out if it was offered to them before the match. Paddy offer 10/1 about either side going through on spot kicks, although the Dutch will try to make their class tell well before that possibility arises.