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World Cup 2010 Comment: Can Holland now win the first World Cup in their history?
Stefan Coerts sees if the Oranje have what it takes to lift the trophy...
3 Jul 2010 11:53:00
In our World Cup 2010 Comment series, individual writers at Goal.com offer their views on the hot World Cup topics of the day with local expertise and a global outlook...
The Netherlands have been a force to be reckoned with in the footballing world ever since the Oranje made it to the World Cup final in 1974 and 1978.
However, despite making a huge impact on how the game has developed, the Dutch have never won the World Cup. Holland haven't really been able to reproduce their superb form from the 1970's and a fourth place finish in 1998 has been their best result ever since.
Ahead of World Cup 2010, Holland's national side was being surrounded by positivism though. The Oranje had qualified for this summer's tournament by recording eight consecutive victories in the qualifying campaign and confidence was even higher after a number of impressive performances in the warm-up matches pre-tournament.
The Oranje might have failed to impress during the group stage of the first World Cup on African soil, but the Europeans certainly had no reasons to complain about their results. Solid victories against Denmark, Japan and Cameroon made Bert van Marwijk's side one of only two teams to progress to the first knock-out round with a perfect record.
In the last 16, Slovakia proved to be a tough test for the Netherlands, but the individual class of Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder, in combination with an outstanding performance from shot-stopper Maarten Stekelenburg, once again helped the Oranje to victory. Brazil were waiting in the quarter-finals and many expected their World Cup dream to come to an end against the Selecao.
After 45 minutes of play, things certainly didn't look good. The Dutch defenders were unable to cope with the threat Robinho provided, while Robben and Robin van Persie struggled to make an impact against Brazil's rock-solid defence. If it wasn't for Stekelenburg, the South Americans would probably have the match wrapped up at half-time.
Nevertheless, the Netherlands finally showed what they're capable of after the interval. They pushed the Brazilians back right from the restart and were rewarded with the equaliser after 53 minutes. From there on, it was only a matter of time until Holland grabbed the lead.
The Brazilian defence all of a sudden looked extremely vulnerable every time a Dutch attacker charged forward. Nigel de Jong and Mark van Bommel dominated in midfield, while Luis Fabiano was nowhere to be seen against John Heitinga and Andre Ooijer. Playmaker Sneijder found the net with a header from close range in the 57th minute and the Oranje could easily have added one or two more in the remainder of the game.
The win against Brazil has only further increased the belief that this could be the Netherlands' time to go all the way, and lifting the trophy on July 11 certainly looks like a realistic option. Holland's next opponent on their way to the final will be Uruguay and the South Americans are definitely a team the Netherlands could beat, even though Nigel de Jong and Gregory van der Wiel will be suspended.
What's crucial for the Dutch is that they play their own game, like they did after the break in their quarter-final against Brazil. They have one of the best attacks out there, an excellent midfield, a decent back-line and a very reliable shot-stopper. Bearing this in mind, they can beat any team in the world on their day, as long as they show the determination to win like they did on Friday.
Confidence in the Dutch camp will be sky high at the moment, as they are currently on an unbeaten run stretching 24 matches. To make history, they need to extend this hot streak by two more games in order to bring the World Cup to Holland for the first time in their history.
No trip to South Africa is complete without a visit to its most beautiful and sunniest city. Durban offers much more than sandy beaches, safaris, casinos and the World Cup, for information on what to do and see, please click here
The Netherlands have been a force to be reckoned with in the footballing world ever since the Oranje made it to the World Cup final in 1974 and 1978.
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However, despite making a huge impact on how the game has developed, the Dutch have never won the World Cup. Holland haven't really been able to reproduce their superb form from the 1970's and a fourth place finish in 1998 has been their best result ever since.
Ahead of World Cup 2010, Holland's national side was being surrounded by positivism though. The Oranje had qualified for this summer's tournament by recording eight consecutive victories in the qualifying campaign and confidence was even higher after a number of impressive performances in the warm-up matches pre-tournament.
The Oranje might have failed to impress during the group stage of the first World Cup on African soil, but the Europeans certainly had no reasons to complain about their results. Solid victories against Denmark, Japan and Cameroon made Bert van Marwijk's side one of only two teams to progress to the first knock-out round with a perfect record.
In the last 16, Slovakia proved to be a tough test for the Netherlands, but the individual class of Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder, in combination with an outstanding performance from shot-stopper Maarten Stekelenburg, once again helped the Oranje to victory. Brazil were waiting in the quarter-finals and many expected their World Cup dream to come to an end against the Selecao.
After 45 minutes of play, things certainly didn't look good. The Dutch defenders were unable to cope with the threat Robinho provided, while Robben and Robin van Persie struggled to make an impact against Brazil's rock-solid defence. If it wasn't for Stekelenburg, the South Americans would probably have the match wrapped up at half-time.
Nevertheless, the Netherlands finally showed what they're capable of after the interval. They pushed the Brazilians back right from the restart and were rewarded with the equaliser after 53 minutes. From there on, it was only a matter of time until Holland grabbed the lead.
The Brazilian defence all of a sudden looked extremely vulnerable every time a Dutch attacker charged forward. Nigel de Jong and Mark van Bommel dominated in midfield, while Luis Fabiano was nowhere to be seen against John Heitinga and Andre Ooijer. Playmaker Sneijder found the net with a header from close range in the 57th minute and the Oranje could easily have added one or two more in the remainder of the game.
The win against Brazil has only further increased the belief that this could be the Netherlands' time to go all the way, and lifting the trophy on July 11 certainly looks like a realistic option. Holland's next opponent on their way to the final will be Uruguay and the South Americans are definitely a team the Netherlands could beat, even though Nigel de Jong and Gregory van der Wiel will be suspended.
What's crucial for the Dutch is that they play their own game, like they did after the break in their quarter-final against Brazil. They have one of the best attacks out there, an excellent midfield, a decent back-line and a very reliable shot-stopper. Bearing this in mind, they can beat any team in the world on their day, as long as they show the determination to win like they did on Friday.
Confidence in the Dutch camp will be sky high at the moment, as they are currently on an unbeaten run stretching 24 matches. To make history, they need to extend this hot streak by two more games in order to bring the World Cup to Holland for the first time in their history.
No trip to South Africa is complete without a visit to its most beautiful and sunniest city. Durban offers much more than sandy beaches, safaris, casinos and the World Cup, for information on what to do and see, please click here
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| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
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