Football Club

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez has warned Germany that his side will “fight to the death” in Saturday’s World Cup third-place play-off in Port Elizabeth.

After missing out on a place in the final, the clash of the losing World Cup semi-finalists is often seen as little more than a glorified friendly.

But Tabarez said: “Yes, fourth position is not the same as others.

“But we will go in with the same commitment and enthusiasm as always. We will prepare to fight to the death.”

Uruguay missed out on a place in Sunday’s showpiece final in Johannesburg after their 3-2 defeat by Netherlands, while Germany crashed out at the penultimate hurdle 1-0 to Spain.

But both camps are insistent that they will resist the temptation to take their foot off the pedal at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

“For us, this World Cup is anything but over,” said Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff. “We will be 100 percent focused and dedicated (on Saturday).

“We want to play with the same fresh, free-flowing football we have shown so far here.”

Tabarez added: “At the moment, Germany and Uruguay have both secured fourth place by reaching the semi-final.

“But the challenge for Uruguay is to finish third in the World Cup. I know Germany and they will make it very difficult for us, so we must fight hard to win.”

La Celeste have already surpassed expectations by reaching the last four, despite winning the tournament twice before (in 1934 and 1950) largely thanks to the inspired form of frontman Diego Forlan.

The 31-year-old has scored four goals in the tournament so far – but his hopes of winning this year’s Golden Boot may well be scuppered by a thigh injury that affected his performance in the semi-final defeat by the Netherlands.

He hopes to be fit, but should he miss out on selection Uruguay can at least recall a natural successor in Luis Suarez – the Ajax forward available again after being suspended for the semi-final thanks to his controversial last-minute handball in the quarters against Ghana.

Germany may also have selection issues up front, with another Golden Boot contender – Miroslav Klose – struggling with a bad back.

Lukas Podolski and Philipp Lahm are also battling to shake off flu, but Thomas Mueller looks certain to be recalled after he too was suspended for the semi-final.

Either way, it is likely that Germany will give an opportunity to some of those players yet to make their mark in the tournament.

“Last night, some flu virus hit us hard, maybe to do with the flights, air conditioning and maybe the disappointment (of losing to Spain),” said Bierhoff, who revealed manager Joachim Loew was one of those suffering with the virus.

“Loew has a serious case of flu, but we are trying to get him fit and on the bench for Saturday.

“It remains to be seen if Klose will play, likewise we don’t want Lahm to get injured and then carry that into the new Bundesliga season.

“Sometimes it is good to field unspoiled players for this sort of match.”

Uruguay may consider themselves fresher given the advantage of having had an extra day off with their semi-final having been played on Tuesday.

And Tabarez, in his second spell in charge having guided Uruguay to the last 16 in 1990, said: “To use a term that is common in the team – we have to bury this match and get over our sorrow.

“We must give a good image like the one we delivered against the Netherlands on the pitch to show people in football that Uruguay wants to play at an equal level with others.

“We want to show that this is a team with pride, despite our limitations, and this third-place play-off match is important for this reason.”

Two goals in three second-half minutes by Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben helped to see off a resolute Uruguay side and put the Netherlands into a World Cup final for the first time since 1978.

The Dutch looked short of ideas for long periods but still had the quality in front of goal when it mattered to set up an all-European final against Euro 2008 champions Spain or Germany in Johannesburg on Sunday.

After Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s spectacular opener, Uruguay were gifted an equaliser when goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg failed to deal with Diego Forlan’s long-range shot.

But Sneijder and Robben again made the difference for the two-time runners-up, who were left hanging on at the end following Maxi Pereira’s injury-time reply. However, the Dutch held firm to make sure of their progress.

It was a dramatic end to an often tepid match as Uruguay, who were without the suspended Luis Suarez following his goal-line handball that helped them past Ghana in the quarter-finals, only showed real attacking intent when they fell two goals behind.

Cheered on by an army of Oranje fans, Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk saw his side struggle to find their feet in the early stages, with their only sight of goal being wasted when Dirk Kuyt fired wastefully over after keeper Fernando Muslera had punched Sneijder’s cross straight at him.

The South Americans, in their first semi-final for 30 years, were defending in depth and in numbers but that tactic did not help them when Van Bronkhorst broke the deadlock after 18 minutes

The ball was fed out to the left-flank and the veteran Feyenoord left-back had time to look up and use his trusty left foot to spank an unstoppable 30-yard shot into the top corner.

But going ahead did not help the Dutch work out how to break down a well-organised Uruguay defence, and they also seemed unwilling to commit players forward in search of more goals.

Martin Caceres had to hold off Robben as he ran on to Robin van Persie’s through-ball, but that was the nearest the Netherlands came to extending their lead.

Uruguay, in the absence of the prolific Suarez, were faring little better at the other end and Stekelenburg did not have a save to make until he had to deal with Alvaro Pereira’s bouncing shot after 36 minutes.

That all changed before half-time, however, and it was the Dutch goalkeeper at fault as Forlan notched his fourth goal in six games in the finals in South Africa.

Stekelenburg had a clear view of Forlan’s swerving strike from 25 yards out and got a hand to the ball, but was still unable to keep it out.

The Ajax keeper had another nervous moment at the start of the second half when he beat Edinson Cavani to a through ball but failed to make a proper clearance and Van Bronkhorst had to clear Alvaro Pereira’s curling shot off the line.

But the game quickly got bogged down in midfield and there were few chances to speak of until Forlan brought a much better stop from Stekelenburg with a dipping free-kick.

The Netherlands had been disappointing up to that point but showed again how they do not have to play well to win games in the tournament with a two-goal burst in the space of three minutes that was enough to give them victory.

Van Marwijk’s side showed signs of life when Van Persie latched on to a long ball over the top and played in substitute Rafael van der Vaart, who saw his low shot pushed away before Robben fired the rebound over.

And they were back in the lead after 70 minutes when Sneijder’s shot hit the luckless Maxi Pereira and span in off a post, with Van Persie trying but failing to get a touch to help it on its way.

In their next attack, Robben made it 3-1, escaping the attentions of Diego Godin to meet Dirk Kuyt’s cross and plant a firm header into the bottom corner.

Uruguay looked exhausted and Robben could have added a fourth when he burst forward on to a Van Persie flick late on, but got his attempted chip all wrong.

Instead the Dutch faced a frantic finale when, in the 92nd minute, Maxi Pereira ran on to a quickly taken free-kick, turned Eljero Ejia and curled a precise shot into the bottom corner of the net.

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez’s team had time to launch a few balls into the Dutch box but van Marwijk’s side survived and it is they who will go forward hoping it will be third-time lucky for them in a final following their defeats in 1974 and 1978.