Holland and Uruguay level 1-1 at half-time

A pair of wonder strikes from Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Diego Forlan left the World Cup semi-final between the Netherlands and Uruguay finely poised at 1-1 at half-time on Tuesday.

Veteran Dutch defender van Bronckhorst got the breakthrough on 18 minutes with a stunning 35-yard strike before Forlan did exactly the same on 40 minutes against the run of play.

At stake for both teams is football’s biggest prize, with either Germany or Spain awaiting them in the Johannesburg final on July 11.

Both teams were forced to make changes with players suspended and in chilly conditions at Cape Town’s Green Point Stadium it was the Dutch who adapted the best.

They had a decent chance as early as the third minute when Arjen Robben whipped in a teasing cross which Fernando Muslera punched straight to Dirk Kuyt on the edge of the box, but the Liverpool winger skied his shot.

The dangerous pair created another opportunity soon after when Kuyt sent in a cross that the Bayern Munich star headed at the keeper.

Uruguay’s defence was looking shaky and Wesley Sneijder launched a snap-shot from 20 yards, but it hit teammate Robin van Persie as the South Americans escaped again.

With the pressure on, it was only a matter of time before the deadlock was broken and it was their hugely-experienced captain who did it with a contender for goal of the tournament.

The 35-year-old picked up the ball some 35-yards out and let rip with a stunning drive that tore into the top corner of the net past the outstretched fingertips of Muslera.

It should have been 2-0 on the half-hour when Arsenal’s Robin Van Persie made an excellent turn to pick out Robben on the edge of the box, but Martin Caceres made a potentially goal-saving intervention.

Uruguay were struggling to create openings before Forlan drew then level against the run of play with a left-foot drive that swerved past Dutch keeper Maarten Stekelenburg.