Holland

7 Jun, 2010 Robbert Latest

Appearances at World Cup finals: This is Holland’s 9^th appearance at the World Cup finals, having previously partaken in 1934, 1938, 1974, 1978, 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2006.

Best ever performance: Runners-up in 1974 and 1978.

Famous moment in WC history: Plenty to choose from, but the most famous moments arguably are the penalty Holland got 80 seconds into the 1974 final (without any West German even having touched the ball yet), and the astonishing goal Dennis Bergkamp scored in the dying seconds of what appeared to be a deadlocked quarter-final against Argentina. The latter has extra resonance for me personally, as I was there in the stadium, sitting at the very end where Bergkamp scored the goal.

The Lowdown: Former Belgian football commentator Rik De Saedeleer once famously quipped that “fifteen teams go to the World Cup wanting to win it, Holland goes to the World Cup wanting to show the world how well they can play”. With Spain recently having won Euro 2008, that leaves Holland as the official biggest chokers in the world and it’s hard to shake the reputation of being more interested in style than in results.

As for the fans, they are every bit as demanding and as schizophrenic as their English counterparts. In the build-up to every tournament, a big frenzy starts to emerge where they think the team is more than equipped to win it, whilst at the same time fearing for a quarter-final mess-up against a strong team.

The current feeling is that the team is as strong as it’s ever been since 1998, when they finished 4^th. That said, Holland looks to have been drawn in the most difficult part of the playing scheme, and – assuming they get that far, which no-one really doubts – they will likely meet Brazil in the quarter finals, who with their newly-found pragmatism will make a formidable opponent.

Although the forward line understandably attracts the most attention, it’s central midfield that will be the key to Holland’s chances in the tournament. Mark van Bommel is the linking pin between defence and attack, whilst Nigel de Jong sits deeper and protects the – still somewhat feeble – defence. In previous friendlies, the latter twice made ill-informed tackles that by rights should have seen him being sent off. Should de Jong pick up a suspension during the finals, or either he or van Bommel get injured, then Holland’s prospects might well unravel since their back-ups are of significantly lower standard.

Depth is a problem in all areas on the pitch, though. Whilst the starting XI is excellent, the difference between the first teamers and the bench is pretty big, which wasn’t helped by some disputable choices by van Marwijk in defence (Braafheid over Emanuelson, Ooijer over Vlaar), whilst in the forward line most fans would have preferred in-form Jeremain Lens to be picked over Ryan Babel.

Qualification: In a group with Norway, Scotland, Macedonia and Iceland, Holland won all their matches, scoring 17 goals and conceding only 2, in the process becoming the first European country to qualify. It was an uncharacteristically easy qualification for Holland, as they usually struggle to impose their will on weaker, ultra-defensive teams and often drop points there.

Top scorer in qualifying: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Dirk Kuyt – both 3.

All-time World Cup finals top scorer: Johnny Rep – 7 (4 in 1974, 3 in 1978). Perhaps surprisingly, Holland’s all-time top scorer Patrick Kluivert (79 caps, 40 goals) never managed more than 2 goals at the World Cup finals.

The Manager: Bert van Marwijk. As a player, van Marwijk was a classic outside left who managed one cap for Holland in 1975. As coach, he made a name for himself in the late 90’s when under his guidance small-time club Fortuna Sittard (with a squad that included Mark van Bommel and Wilfred Bouma) finished 7^th in the league and got to the cup final. This landed him the Feyenoord gig, with whom he won the UEFA Cup in 2002. After stints at Borussia Dortmund and again Feyenoord, he was appointed national coach in 2008.

Key Player: At the time of writing, it is unclear whether or not Arjen Robben is going to make the finals at all. Should he pull out, much of Holland’s prospects would hinge on Wesley Sneijder. His technique, creativity, directness of play and exquisite set piece taking are pivotal to the team. The giant strides he’s made since leaving Ajax – first for Real Madrid, then onto Inter – make him one of the best players on the scene today.

One to Watch: Following two not wholly satisfying seasons at Real Madrid, Rafael van der Vaart will be looking to prove people – critics and managers alike – wrong. If he manages to retain his form from the World Cup friendlies into the final tournament, he can make a big impact in the tournament.

On the move?: With Jose Mourinho moving to Real Madrid, rumours will be rife of Wesley Sneijder following him, but the player most likely to play himself onto the wish lists of bigger clubs would seem to be right back Gregory van der Wiel. At 22, he seems to have a very bright future ahead of him, with Juventus, Manchester City and Arsenal reportedly already following his progress. A good World Cup might incite the kind of offers Ajax wouldn’t be able to say no to.