Dutch attacker Arjen Robben will likely figure very large in the semifinal against Uruguay. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Day 27

Uruguay vs. Netherlands, semifinals

Date and location

Tuesday, July 6, Green Point Stadium, Cape Town

Broadcast details

Live on CBC and CBCSports.ca (1:30 p.m. ET). Consult CBC's full broadcast schedule.

What's at stake

A berth in the World Cup final against the winner of Germany-Spain, to be contested in Soccer City in Johannesburg on July 11. Loser drops to the third-place game against the loser of Germany-Spain, to be contested in Port Elizabeth Stadium in Port Elizabeth on July 10.

Player to watch for Uruguay

Diego Forlan — Uruguay needed some magic to even its quarter-final tie against Ghana. Fittingly, it came from Forlan's boot on a free kick in the 55th minute, his third goal of the tournament. He also scored the opening penalty kick in the shootout to get La Celeste off and running. He will need to be better than ever against the Dutch, as Uruguay is missing its other top scoring threat, Luis Suarez, who picked up a red card against Ghana and is suspended.

Player to watch for Netherlands

Arjen Robben — He carried his club side, Bayern Munich, to the Champions League final this past season, and now he's doing the same for the Dutch in the World Cup. Robben shredded and infuriated Brazil's defence in the quarter-final, forcing a substitution from Brazil when Michel Bastos couldn't contain him, and inciting Felipe Melo to pick up a red card later, which salted away the win. It's a safe bet he will figure large in the biggest game of his life.

Key matchup

Robben and Wesley Sneijder vs. Mauricio Victorino and Diego Lugano — Can Uruguay do what Brazil's imposing defence couldn't, and contain two of the most dangerous attackers in the tournament? Centre backs Victorino and Lugano have a monumental task, which could be made more difficult if Lugano is still hampered by the injury that forced him out of the match against Ghana in the first half.

Injury update

Injuries have hit Uruguay hard. Skillful midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament because of a broken foot. Centre back and captain Diego Lugano is also a big injury worry for Uruguay, as he had to leave the quarter-final against Ghana because of a knee problem and is fighting to be fit for the match against the Dutch. Fellow starting defender Diego Godin is also dealing with injuries, having missed the game against Ghana because of a thigh injury, but looks like he'll be fit to play in the semifinal.

Netherlands striker Robin van Persie has been cleared to play, as he's recovered from an elbow injury suffered in the quarter-final against Brazil. Centre back Joris Mathijsen has been declared fit to play after missing the victory over Brazil with a knee problem.

Suspension watch

Two big suspensions could seriously hamper Uruguay's chances of advancing to the final, though one got La Celeste here in the first place. Star striker Luis Suarez, he of the quick hands, won't be available for the semifinal because of his now infamous game-saving handball against Ghana at the end of extra time. He received a red card, but Ghana missed the ensuing penalty kick, and the rest is history. Suarez will be serving the automatic one-game suspension because of the red card.

Also suspended for Uruguay is first-choice left back Jorge Fucile for accumulating too many yellow cards, which could give coach Oscar Tabarez the biggest headache, as he was slated to shadow the ever-dangerous Robben.

Right back Gregory van der Wiel and defensive midfielder Nigel de Jong are both suspended for the Dutch because of yellow card accumulation.

The Uruguayan perspective

"They play an excellent passing game and you can tell they are determined to win the trophy for the first time for the Netherlands. It's going to be really tough." — defender Diego Lugano

The Dutch perspective

"We already had that feeling before the tournament, that on our day, we can beat every country in the world." — midfielder Dirk Kuyt

World Cup head-to-head

The two sides have met once at the World Cup. In 1974, the Netherlands defeated Uruguay 2-0 in the group phase.