The Dutch have quite often flattered to deceive at major tournaments with numerous exits in the knock out stages after peaking too early. The only event that they have triumphed in was the 1988 European Championships whilst they lost in the final at the 1974 and 1978 World Cups. The team qualified with ease for the 2010 tournament after a qualification campaign which they ended with eight wins from eight. They have also been placed in a relatively comfortable group including Japan, Denmark and Cameroon. Should they qualify they are seeded to face Brazil in the quarter finals which would really test their credentials to the limit.

The new Holland home shirt design is predominately orange with a white pinstripe running down both sides. Other details include a black round neck collar and a small faint black patch on the edges of both sleeves. There is no manufacturer logo yet as this is only a design whilst the outline of the national badge is present in the top left.

Netherlands

Denmark

Cameroon

Japan

With a large hoard of creative players at their disposal, very few would write the Netherlands off from going all the way at South Africa 2010. However, the Dutch have never actually won the biggest tournament in World football despite possessing some of the best players of all time throughout their history. A major reason for this is that the expansive football, that looks so easy on the eye, is often their downfall when they meet the more resolute teams in the latter stages.

The Netherlands quite often peak early at tournaments so there seems to be no danger in them exiting the World Cup in the group stages, especially with Denmark, Cameroon and Japan providing the opposition. The Danes will pose the biggest threat as they are a competent and solid team. However, Cameroon are very weak defensively whilst Japan’s record outside of Asia is dire.

Should they top their group, the Dutch are most likely to face Paraguay in the second round. They would be expected to breeze past the South American outfit if they’re on top form. However, the Netherlands would then be likely to come up against another South American team in the quarter finals, this time in the shape of Brazil. With Holland’s defensive fralities tending to show against the stronger teams, they will have to be at their best to dispose of the bookies favourites.

Netherlands Squad

During their perfect qualification campaign, the Dutch tended to frequently pick from the same group of players. Without injuries to key players, they have a chance of lifting the World Cup for the first time in their history. Below are the players who are likely to make the squad if they avoid injury.

Goalkeepers

Maarten Stekelenburg

Michel Vorm

Defenders

Giovanni Van Bronckhorst

Johnny Heitinga

Edson Braafheid

Joris Mathijsen

Khalid Boulahrouz

Midfielders

Orlando Engelaar

Ibrahim Afellay

Mark Van Bommel

Nigel De Jong

Rafael Van der Vaart

Wesley Sneijder

Arjen Robben

Forwards

Dirk Kuyt

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar

Robin Van Persie

PREDICTION

With a vast array of attacking options all over the pitch, the Netherlands will surely be one of the most entertaining teams in South Africa 2010. However, it comes as no coincidence that they have never won the biggest prize in football when you look at the lack of world class defenders in their ranks. The national team are still relying on the same names that have failed at previous European Championships and World Cups. As a result, they will most probably be knocked out by the attacking prowess of Brazil in the quarter finals.

The Dutch have quite often flattered to deceive at major tournaments with numerous exits in the knock out stages after tending to peak early. The only event that they have triumphed in was the 1988 European Championships whilst they lost in the final at the 1974 and 1978 World Cups. The team qualified with ease for the 2010 tournament after a qualification campaign which they ended with eight wins from eight.

The new Netherlands away shirt for the 2010 World Cup is predominately white with a blue round neck collar. A large red V runs from both shoulders towards the centre of the torso. Directly below a blue V runs from both underarms towards the centre of the chest. Manufacturers Nike place their blue “tick” logo in the top right of the shirt whilst the national badge is situated in the top left. Other minor details include a small blue stripe on the bottom of both sleeves.

In recent times, the Dutch have set alight the international tournaments with their brand of total football. However, much like Arsenal, they have struggled to turn these performances into major trophies as they quite often seem to peak too early.

The Netherlands were drawn into the final qualification group which contained a team less than all the others. Their opponents were Scotland, Norway, Macedonia and Iceland. This looked like one of the easier groups around although they would need to beware for a recently resurgant Scotland side and some of Norway’s danger men.

Even so, the Dutch kicked off their campaign in scrappy style with a 2-1 away victory over Macedonia. Two goals in the first half from Johnny Heitinga and Rafael Van der Vaart were enough to secure a tricky win. This was followed up with a comfortable 2-0 home victory against Iceland that didn’t raise any eyebrows. At this point, it looked as if the Netherlands were crusing to top spot as Scotland and Norway were dropping points whilst nearest rivals Macedonia were never going to continue their early run.

The next two matches were fairly significant in the group as victories would basically confirm their place at the tournament after only four games in the eight match group. The double header got off to the best possible start with a vital 1-0 victory in Norway. Three days later Scotland visited Amsterdam in a match that the Tartan Army really needed three points from. However, the Dutch proved too strong with their best performance of the campaign in a 3-0 victory.

Four wins from four and Holland had pretty much unofficially booked their place on the plane to South Africa. Qualification was guaranteed after a simple 4-0 victory against Macedonia and a comfortable 2-1 victory away to Iceland. The Dutch kept their perfect record intact with a 2-0 home victory over Norway giving them 21 points from 21.

The final match of the group saw them pitted away to Scotland. The Scots needed a victory to earn a play off spot whilst the Netherlands were looking for that rare perfect 100% qualification record. Scotland were very unfortunate not to take the lead on several occasions. However, the Dutch showed their cutting instinct with an 82nd minute goal to secure a 100% record and a place on the plane to South Africa next summer.

 Surprisingly, Holland left out key men Wesley Sneijder and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, with the rest of the starting eleven as expected. And, for a while, it showed. Holland were missing a sense of flair, as England started to boss the play. Until the frailness of their defence became apparent, that is. John Terry sprayed the ball out wide to Rio Ferdinand, who tried to lay the ball to Robert Green at a snail’s pace – a clear lapse of concentration. Dirk Kuyt nipped in and rounded Green, before scuffing past a despairing Terry. England were not to be disheartened though, and Frank Lampard almost levelled as Stekelenburg saved with his legs.

 But, as England attacked, Holland countered their every move. Van der Vaart’s hanging cross nearly caught out the hesitant Green, who luckily saved Kuyt’s header, before Robben’s stinging drive was tipped over. As the game became disjointed, Holland almost doubled their lead. Robin van Persie fired just wide after indecision from Barry, who breathed a sigh of relief. Soon after, relief became dejection. Another lazy backpass put Robben clean through, and although Green saved neatly, Van der Vaart was on hand to tap home, justifying his selection. It was defending that made a mockery of claims that England could win the World Cup. Teacup, more like!

Fabio Capello had spoken about his half-time ‘hairdryer treatment’, in this case it needed to be switched on full-blast. And whatever he said, worked. Half-time substitute Jermain Defoe raced on to a clever ball by Lampard, before brilliantly slotting home, albeit via the post. Game on. England started to show a bit of ‘dutch courage’, and the bravery of James Milner, who had replaced the ineffective Ashley Young, almost saw England equalise, but Carlton Cole’s shot just cleared the crossbar. Then came the break England thoroughly deserved. Indecision from the lethargic John Heitinga saw Milner race clear, before pulling the ball back for Defoe to slide home. And England could, and should, have won it. Further chances fell to Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips, but both were deflected wide. England survived the only hairy second-half moment, after Glen Johnson had brought down club-mate Ryan Babel. Luckily, Sneijder’s free-kick could only find the wall.

But the undertone is, England got away with it. There is no need to knock the ball around the back four when under pressure. It leads to conceding. What’s wrong with a traditional hoof, eh?

England, however, will provide a stern test for Holland, despite the hosts being favourites at 6/5. Their reputation as a robust side mustn’t be taken lightly, despite the quality of Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard. Ranked 7th in the world, England are one of the most formidable sides in modern football. The impressive defeat of Croatia cleared the disappointment of the failure of 2008, and with Fabio Capello at the helm, England are on an upward curve.  

Holland squad:

Goalkeepers: Stekelenburg (Ajax), Velthuizen (Vitesse), Vorm (FC Utrecht)

Defenders: Marcellis, Ooijer (both PSV), Braafheid (Bayern Munich), Van der Wiel (Ajax), Heitinga (Atletico Madrid), Mathijsen (Hamburg), Van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord)

Midfielders: De Zeeuw (Ajax), Afellay, Engelaar (both PSV), Sneijder, Van der Vaart (both Real Madrid), Schaars, Mendes da Silva (both AZ Alkmaar), Van Bommel* (Bayern Munich), De Jong (Manchester City)

Attackers: Robben, Huntelaar (both Real Madrid), Babel, Kuyt (Liverpool), Elia* (Hamburg), Van Persie (Arsenal)

*since the announcement of this squad, Van Bommel and Elia have suffered injuries, with both unlikely to feature.

There are always great battles on the pitch. And on paper, these battles look even more exciting.

Heitinga v Rooney

Since he left Real Madrid, Heitinga has rarely featured in the media, but mustn’t be underestimated. Tall and strong, Rooney could have a tough time, although Heitinga is sometimes lethargic. With Rooney such an intelligent player, there may be occasions where he has a clear chance – he must take them, or England collectively will be punished.

Van der Vaart v Young

In the absence of Steven Gerrard, Ashley Young will want to impress. But only moments of magic tonight will get past Van der Vaart, Holland’s midfield maestro. The Dutchman’s tight reign of the midfield will limit opportunities for Young, and with the Aston Villa winger largely ineffective so far during his International career, England may have to take a more narrow route to score. 

Van Persie v Terry

A tough one. With many battles between them in the past, they should cancel each other out. But one magical moment or one crucial tackle could decide it, and don’t be surprised if these are involved. Terry’s sheer immensity or Van Persie’s powerful shooting? Only the game will tell.

Comparative stats:   

        Bert van Marwijk madethree changes from the side that eased past Macedonia last month. Gregory van der Wiel being replaced by John Heitinga at the back, whilst a re-shaped front six featured Rafael van der Vaart and Robin van Persie, with Wesley Sneijder and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar making way as a result. The team he sent out lined up as:

Stekelenburg

                  Heitinga                 Ooijer                Mathijsen     van Bronckhorst             

 van Bommel            de Jong

van Persie                       van der Vaart                       Robben

        Kuyt

        A largely one-sided match, with a mirrored result, looked in the offing as Nigel de Jong lept high, if unopposed, to meet van der Vaart’scross with a powerful header. The next chance to come their way almost resulted in a second, as some determined play by Heitinga down the right allowed van Persie to tee Arjen Robben up for the volley, but the winger drilled his attempt into the side netting. A second did come, however, just seven minutes after the deadlock was broken. Taking fans back to the “total football” of the ’70’s, Mark van Bommel finished off a good move with a low shot from 20 yards which buried itself in the bottom corner.

        Rafael van der Vaart was next to test Gunnleifur Gunnleifsson in the Iceland goal. Some fantastic wing play by Robben, ending with a square ball which was dummied by Dirk Kuyt on the edge of the area, was met with a decent effort by a van der Vaarton the slide. The shot was parried over the bar. Holland though they had the game won when van Persie’s effort had the ‘keeper standing and watching, but the ball struck the post.

        Robben then found himself one on one with Gunnleifsson following arguably the best move of the match. The Oranje were popping the ball about in style with the most mesmerising one touch football, when the Real Madrid winger couldn’t get enough air to lift the ball over the goalkeeper. The save meant the away side would go into the break with just two goals to show for their near dominance.

        After such an entertaining first 45 minutes, the prospects for the second half were tanterlising. The football, however, failed to live up to the tempo of the first half, and the Dutch players could evidently sense how close they were to the finish line and qualification for South Africa 2010. Robben found himself in a similar position to his last chance early on, but the angle was tighter than the last time, and the result the same.

        Sensing an element of lethargy had snuck into the bodies of Holland’s players, Bert van Marwijk decided to bring on Huntelaar for Kuyt to try and put the game to bed. The game looked like fizzling out into a tedious affair, with the Dutch coach resting key players de Jong and van der Vaart. That was until Kristjan Sigurdsson pulled one back in the 87th minute, giving the Icelanders hope. Huntelaar almost restored the Oranje’s two goal cushion late on with a free-kick which he rifled against the cross-bar, but the match ended 2-1 to the visitors. The Netherlands have now taken eighteen points from six games, and will grace South Africa’s stadiums next summer.

&border=0&rel=0&egm=0&color1=0x666666&color2=0xefefef' /> ]]> http://holland.footballblog.co.uk/iceland-1-2-holland.html/feed 1 http://holland.footballblog.co.uk/iceland-v-netherlands-preview.html http://holland.footballblog.co.uk/iceland-v-netherlands-preview.html#comments Sat, 30 May 2009 16:47:12 +0000 juandeful http://holland.footballblog.co.uk/?p=61 Having taken maximum points from their opening five matches in Group 9 of World Cup qualifying, Holland go into their next match with Iceland knowing that a win would guarantee progression to the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa. Bert van Marwijk’s side currently top the group which also involves Scotland, and they will be eager to secure qualification as soon as possible.

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Netherlands	5	5	0	0	12	1	+11	15
Scotland	5	2	1	2	4	6	?2	7
Iceland	5	1	1	3	5	8	?3	4
FYR Macedonia	4	1	0	3	2	7	?5	3
Norway	3	0	2	1	2	3	?1	2

Head-to-Head

        In the nine times the two nations have met, Holland have come out on top on eight occasions, with a hitherto unbeaten record drawing the other; also putting an impressive total of 31 goals past the Icelanders and conceding just three times. The Netherlands maintained that record the last time the teams met with a 2-0 victory at De Kuip. Joris Mathijsen and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar got the goals for the Oranje that night.

The Opposition

Iceland go into the game with a lot more pressure resting on their cold shoulders than their Dutch counterparts; really needing a win to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the play-offs. Iceland have never qualified for the World Cup finals, or , in fact, the finals of any major international competition. They are best known for Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, who won over English fans during his six year spell ar Chelsea. They also have players currently playing in England at Bolton, Portsmouth and Reading.

Gudjohnsen should play just off Heidar Helguson

Key Battles

Robin van Persie v Herman Hreidarsson

Despite the presence of Huntelaar, Robin van Persie is the striker in the Dutch team who can really make things happen. He has been absentfor a major part of Holland’s qualifying campaign due to an injury which also kept him out of much of Arsenal’s season. Nevertheless, he will return to face Herman Hreidarsson who could well start at centre-half for Iceland. The commanding 6 ft 3 defender is the most experienced player in the Iceland squad, and will be aiming to thwart van Persie’s influence on the match. If Hreidarsson, and whoever plays alongside him at the back, fail in containing Holland’s attacking forces, they will  be punished…

Andre Ooijer v Eidur Gudjohnsen

This will be a very important battle that could affect the outcome of the match. Many argue Holland’s one major weakness is at the back, and who am I to disagree? Andre Ooijer is still a regular fixture in that Oranje back four, despite the 34 years of life under his belt. Gudjohnsen is 30 himself, but is Iceland’s top scorer in the tournament and poses their biggest threat. If the Barcelona striker is on form, the formula has the potential to be a very dangerous one for Bert van Marwijk.

The Verdict: Those battles will play a part in contributing to the final outcome of the match, no doubt. However, I feel the game will be won and lost in the key key battle: the centre of midfield. Holland’s superior quality in the centre should be enough to see the Oranje to victory. Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder’s ability on the ball, complimented by Nigel de Jong’s strength and excellent cover he provides to the back four, will probably be the deciding factor. My money would be on a 3-1 Netherlands win.

        Bert van Marwijk’s team are now in a position where a win in their next fixture, away to Iceland would guarantee the stature of one of the world’s greatest 32 teams. Holland will be wanting to qualify and put right the disappointments of the two previous World Cup finals’ – 2002 they failed to qualify and 2006 they could not progress further than the second round. Standing in their way are the other four teams in Group 9 – Scotland, Macedonia, Norway and Iceland.

        The Oranje made a decent, if unconvincing, start to the campaign, as they just managed to hold onto their lead as they visited Macedonia. They were having trouble finding the breakthrough as a sturdy Macedonia defence stood strong. However Holland broke the deadlock just after the interval with John Heitinga’s headed effort. The game looked to be won when Rafael van der Vaart got a second, though Goran Pandev gave the hosts a glimmer of hope when he converted from the penalty spot, but Holland managed to hang on to claim the points.

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        The Feijenoord Stadion then played host to the match between the Netherlands and Ireland. Joris Mathijsen put the home team in front after just 15 minutes, and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar doubled the lead mid-way through the second half. Despite the scoreline, it wasn’t all happy news for Marwijk though, as midfield anchorman Nigel de Jong was forced off after just 14 minutes with an injury.

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        Holland then made it nine points from nine with a 1-0 win away to Norway. Neither team were particularly at the races, and some may accuse the match of failing to live up to expectations. Yet one piece of brilliance from Mark van Bommel lit up the tie. And his volley was enough to secure the three points for the Oranje. The team were now in poll position to secure that all important top spot in Group 9.

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        Despite taking maximum points from their opening three matches, there was a sense among the fans that better performances would be required if they were to go into the World Cup finals standing a chance. And the team showed that with an impressive 3-0 defeating of Scotland, putting a dent in their hopes of qualifying. Huntelaar opened the scoring after half an hour, and Robin van Persie gave the Dutch a second in injury time. Gary Caldwell then had a goal disallowed, but was to feel even more hard done by as Dirk Kuyt put the game beyond Scotland from the penalty spot.

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        It was to get even better for Holland, though, as they put four past Macedonia in their next match. Robin van Persie was abscent through injury, but an impressive performance showed they didn’t need the striker. A Huntelaar goal, sandwhiched between a Kuyt brace, gave the home team a 3-0 lead going into the break. Second half substitute van der Vaart then put the Netherlands 4-0 up late on in the match.

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