As the poster above shows, the odds are quite different for both teams. Uruguay is supposed to be the outsider in this game with the huge odds of 7.00
Meanwhile Netherlands seem to be the vast favorite here with the odds of 1.61. Why you might ask?
The difference between the two teams is not that deep as the odds show, however their way to the semi-finals was.
To get here Uruguay has to beat the team of South Africa, and Mexico in the groups. Then face South Korea in the rounds of 16 where they won with 2:1. Then face Ghana where they won after penalties.
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Meanwhile Netherlands remain unbeaten since September 2008. Oh my god, that’s almost 2 years without a defeat, which is huge. They beat Denmark, Japan and Cameroon in the group stage. Then took on Slovakia in the rounds of 16 and beat down the 5 times World Cup champions Brazil with 2:1, after loosing 0:1.
Obviously those two achievements, staying unbeaten for almost two years and eliminating Brazil, played an important role in the making of the odds.
These two teams have not played against each other before, so there are no head to head stats here. What’s interesting is that Netherlands so far is Ranked 1st in the World Cup 2010 Team List, while Uruguay is Ranked 2nd. Behind them are Argentina, Germany, Spain, Brazil and etc.
What’s expected to happen in this game?
The stakes here are big. The semi-finals are the place where things don’t have to be rushed. It’s much more important to not get a goal, than to score. Both teams will be careful in the first half, then go for the goal in the second.
I expect Holland to be the dominating team here with more opportunities for a goal, while Uruguay to depend on counter attacks. Depending on which team scores first, the game will probably swing in that direction. With a goal ahead, a team can play in a calm manner with more accurate passes and ball possession.
The Betting Verdict?
Under 2.5 Goals @ 1.57 (Bet365.com): Between 1990 and 2010 in all World Cup Semi Finals there have been only two games with over 2.5 Goals, 0 of which in this decade. This seems like a safe and logical bet, since as I said above, in this phase of the tournaments, it’s much more important to keep you goal clean than to score.
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Bookmaker’s list:
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