Hate to say we told you so, but fans of the Unofficial Football World Championships aren’t surprised to see the Netherlands, some say Holland, reach the World Cup semi finals. The Dutch are already Unofficial Football World Champions, and have been since November 2008. Since then they’ve been unbeaten in a record-equalling 20 UFWC title matches. Official Champions Italy flew home from South Africa last week. But Unofficial Champions the Netherlands are still there and could well go on to achieve the magnificent feat of becoming both unofficial AND official champions by winning the World Cup.

But how did we get here? Over the course of the World Cup so far this website has attracted a lot of new visitors (around 100,000 of them), so it seems right to offer a quick recap on what the UFWC, how it works, and how the Dutch came to be champions.

The first thing to say is that, whatever happens, the UFWC will continue after the World Cup, so please do keep visiting us here at www.ufwc.co.uk, or get updates by following us on Twitter (@UFWC_Football) joining our Facebook group, signing up for our newsletter, joining our Forum, or maybe all four. (I also tweet UFWC updates and comments on Twitter – I’m @realpaulbrown.)

So what is the Unofficial Football World Championships (UFWC)? Basically it’s an alternative way of working out the best team in the world. It works in a continuous boxing-style title match system, where winners of title matches become title holders and champions, and move up the rankings. The UFWC goes right back to the very first international match in 1872, 58 years before the first World Cup. Every FIFA accredited A match counts in the UFWC, including friendlies. So, when the World Cup finishes, the UFWC will continue to roll on. For more on the history and background of the UFWC see the About section and the FAQ.

The UFWC as an organisation has been around since about 2002. We’ve got a trophy – the CW Alcock Cup – although it’s currently a virtual trophy only. (We’re looking for a sponsor to help us create and present a real version to the winning teams!) We even have a mascot – Hughie the UFWC dinosaur. As you can probably tell, we don’t take ourselves too seriously, and the main aim is to make football even more fun and enjoyable than it already is.

So how did the Netherlands get to be UFWC champions? Basically, they defeated the previous champions Sweden 3-1 in November 2008. As previously noted, they’ve remained undefeated since then – either a win or a draw means the team retains the UFWC title. A win gets them a ranking point and moves them up the ranking table. The Dutch are currently 4th in the all-time table, but could go 3rd if they win the World Cup. (Oddly, Scotland top the rankings table, mainly because they dominated the UFWC in the early years of international football when there weren’t many teams involved.)

So now we know that current UFWC champions and title holders the Netherlands will play Uruguay in the World Cup semi finals on Tuesday. (We’ll preview the game on Monday.) If the Netherlands win, they will retain the title and take it into the final. If Uruguay win, they will steal the title and become the new unofficial champions. Whatever happens, at the end of the tournament there will be a unification of the UFWC and WC with one side walking away as both unofficial and official champions.

So, exciting times for the Unofficial Football World Championships and football in general. We’ve no doubt that existing UFWC fans are loving this, and hope that those new to the UFWC will enjoy it too. The UFWC is all about the fans, aiming to make football even more fun and exciting than it already is. Good luck to the Netherlands and Uruguay, and remember that on Tuesday they will be playing for a place in the World Cup final AND the Unofficial Football World Championships. Enjoy.

UFWC News Netherlands, Uruguay

NETHERLANDS 2-1 BRAZIL, Port Elizabeth, 02/07/10
Sneijder 53, 68; Robinho 10

The Netherlands mounted a stunning second-half comeback, as they defended their UFWC title and booked a place in the World Cup Semi Finals, sending one of the tournament favourites crashing out.

The first half belonged to Brazil, as they looked like world-beaters for the majority of the 45 minutes. And it looked like they could wind up winners by a good margin, as they got the ball in the net twice in the first 10 minutes. Even though the first one was ruled out for offside, the second one most definately was not. A magnificent pass from Felipe Melo from half way found the run of Robinho, who latched onto the ball and hit it to the left of the Dutch goalkeeper, giving the Brazilians a dominant start.

This goal was shortly followed by a decent effort from Dirk Kuyt for the Netherlands, but for the most part the champions failed to get into the match, as the Brazilian defence stood firm and smothered out any attacks as they came. Brazil could easily have doubled their lead in the 25th minute, as a cross in from Daniel Alves found Juan in the box, but under pressure from the defence he could only hit the ball over. And Kaka had his own chance of a goal after 30 minutes, as he curled a shot towards the top corner, only for a save from Maarten Stekelenburg to deny him.

The Netherlands’ first half performance was summed up by their attempted ‘sneaky touch’ corner which failed miserably, as they seemed to lack any fresh ideas, with even Arjen Robben struggling to get past the defence.

However a moment of luck for the Dutch early in the second half was enough for them to spark an incredible revival. A cross in from Wesley Sneijder from a free kick had the Brazilian defenders confused, and while Julio Cesar missed the ball, it found Felipe Melo who headed the ball into his own net (a goal which would later be awarded to Sneijder), giving the Netherlands a free pass back into the match. And they were more than happy to take advantge of it, as they stepped it up a gear against a visibly shaken Brazil. And after some decent chances, they eventualy took the lead. A corner, taken by Robben, found an unmarked Dirk Kuyt at the front of the box, who flicked it back into the mass of bodies, where Wesley Sneijder was on hand to head the ball passed Cesar to the delight of the Dutch fans.

But things were about to get worse for Brazil. In a moment of madness Felipe Melo stamped on Arjen Robben after fouling him, forcing the referee to give him a straight red card, making Brazil’s almost impossible mission even harder. But neither side took their foot off the pedal, as both sides went in search of another goal to help their cause. However even though they had the lead it was the Netherlands who looked most likely to score, as Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Kuyt both had golden chances of putting Brazil out of their misery, but failed to convert.

The result comes as a major surprise as Brazil, one of the pre-tournament favourites, were also favourites to overthrow the Netherlands as UFWC champions. It also means that this incredible reign by the Netherlands is now the joint-longest in terms of title defences, a record which they will break if they make it to the World Cup Final.

Their next UFWC title match will be against the winners of the Quarter Final match between Uruguay and Ghana, on July 6th.

Match Reports brazil, Netherlands