JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, July 8 (UPI) -- Results from semifinal games at the World Cup in South Africa:
Netherlands 3, Uruguay 2
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1 of 5 | Carlos Puyol of Spain celebrates scoring the winning goal during the FIFA World Cup Semi Final match at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, South Africa on July 7, 2010. UPI/Chris Brunskill | License Photo
Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben had second-half goals 3 minutes apart Tuesday, lifting the Netherlands into the World Cup finals with a 3-2 win over Uruguay in Cape Town.
Sneijder sent a low shot into the net in the 70th minute and Robben followed in the 73rd minute, whipping in a head shot, putting the Netherlands in the World Cup finals for the third time.
The Netherlands played in the World Cup final in 1974 and 1978 but lost each time.
The Dutch will play either Germany or Spain, who were to play their semifinal Wednesday, for the 2010 World Cup championship Sunday. Uruguay will meet the Spain-Germany semifinal loser in a third-place game Saturday.
Sneijder's goal was his fifth of the World Cup, tying him for the most in the tournament with Spain's David Villa.
Robben's goal came off a pass from Dirk Kuyt that Robben headed hard into a lower corner.
The teams traded long first-half goals. Giovanni Van Bronckhorst struck first for the Netherlands with a 30-yard shot into the upper right of the goal in the 18th minute with a shot from left of the box that curved inside the far post.
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Diego Forlan answered for Uruguay in the first half with a long shot from the middle of the pitch outside the box that Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg stretched for but wasn't able to get enough of the ball to steer it away.
Uruguay finished the scoring in stoppage time with a goal from Maximiliano Pereira, who bounced a pass past Stekelenburg.
Spain 1, Germany 0
Carles Puyol headed in a corner kick Wednesday, giving Spain a 1-0 victory in Durban over Germany and its first berth in the finals of the World Cup.
Puyol's goal in the 73rd minute allowed Spain to win all three of its elimination games 1-0 and move to Sunday's championship match against the Netherlands.
Germany, which entered Wednesday's match having scored eight goals its previous two games, will meet Uruguay in a third-place game Saturday.
Germany piled up 13 goals -- scoring four times in three different games -- en route to the semifinals but the Spanish defense, anchored by goalkeeper Iker Casillas, limited the Germans' chances throughout the game. Germany didn't have a shot on goal in the first 30 minutes and ended with just five tries, two of which were on goal.
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Spain, however, was piling up the shots at German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, and it was a set play that got the Spaniards into the finals.
Xavi set up for a corner kick to Neuer's right and placed the ball in the middle of the field outside the goal box. Puyol out-jumped everyone and headed the ball cleanly to the left of Neuer's outstretched hand.
World Cup Schedule
(all times EDT)
Third-place game
Saturday
Uruguay vs. Germany at Port Elizabeth, 2:30 p.m.
Final
Sunday
Netherlands vs. Spain at Johannesburg, 2:30 p.m.
