Feature: The Future’s Bright, The Future’s Orange?

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Euro 08: Netherlands (firo)

And then there were three. Three Orange nails pinned hard and long into what could be the blue coffin of the so-called world champions Italy. Three blows of the hammer that made a mockery of the notion that the Italians have a watertight defence. Three goals that refurbished images of the day all those 30 heavily limping years ago when the Dutch defeated the Italians and marched into the final of the 1978 Argentina World Cup. Could it happen all over again?  

On the face of their 3-0 vanquish of Italy in the first titan clash in Group C, that proverbial group of death, the Netherlands supporters would certainly incline towards the affirmative. After all, it’s not everyday that you pour three past Italy.

And it wasn’t just the scoreline that injected a heavy dose of optimism into a squad that has a terribly good balance between youth and experience; it was the manner of it. Not only did the Dutch defeat Italy, they swept them aside with an old broom borrowed from the neighbour’s maid and thrashed them with a cane stolen the headmaster’s office.  

Absolute Orange Control  

The Dutch were in cruise control right after they had scored their first goal, which has been wrongly relegated to the murky confines of the offside farce. It was offside but only in the sense that every goal is offside for someone who has come to hear the term for the first time. Because if there were 10 Italian stalwarts standing on the pitch, there was one lying behind the goal and that unfortunate but unwilling perpetrator was Christian Panucci who actually played Ruud van Nistelooy onside (as per the rules).  

But even after that, no one can take anything away from the Dutch endeavour. They did start the match somewhat on the backfoot as a dynamic and adventurous Italian side came out of their blocks from the very first minute but what the Dutch did was play intelligently and take their chances when they prostrated themselves at their feet. And they created and invented their own chances as well and more significantly were unstoppable on the counters.  

Counter-attacks  

]The last two of the three bullets from the Dutch gun were rebounded ones, that is, two goals scored in classic counter-attacks. On the first occasion, the Dutch converted an Italian corner into a prospect for their second goal as a long diagonal ball from Giovanni van Bronckhorst arched across to the head of Dirk Kuyt who nodded the ball on a platter for Wesley Sneijder to chisel the ball through a very acute angle.  

If the first goal was a classic example of a classic counter-attack, then the second goal was a double classic example of a double classic counter-attack. The Dutch might as well have borrowed a leaf from Napoleon’s book on how to transmute defence into attack in the twinkling of an eye as Edwin van der Sar‘s fantastic one-handed save of a dangerously curving Andrea Pirlo free-kick was alchemized into a scope of a counter-attack that ended with Gianluca Zambrotta getting the last touch of the ball as it galloped into the back of Gianluigi Buffon’s goal.  

Total Football  

The Dutch defence didn’t look too comfortable, especially during set-plays, and failed to cope with crosses and it was the midfield that shielded them and forced the Italians to lose possession easily. It was Total Football with a subtle edge of steel complementing the innate silkiness in this Dutch side that controlled the midfield and teased the Azzurri with their ball distribution and passing movement.

Wesley Sneijder was the best player on the pitch and demonstrated that celebrating your birthday with a goal and the display of your life is more relishing that a particular heavy night on the booze. The Real Madrid playmaker was everywhere, from defending his own citadel to running rings round the Italian midfield and defence, and for the Dutch to progress coach Marco van Basten needs to continue to build his game around the 5’7” midfielder.  

To gift Sneijder the whole of praise-pie would be to decimate the contribution of the remaining Dutch players. Because while Dirk Kuyt played unusually on the right wing and still managed to perform very well dropping to his own penalty area to save their fort, Ruud van Nistelrooy exhibited just why van Basten was astute enough to embrace him once again.

Because while Rafael van der Vaart demonstrated his selflessness by playing in a deeper role in the midfield position instead in a more attacking position that he does for SV Hamburg, Edwin van der Sar was telecasting just why even at 37 years of age he is still one of the world’s best custodian. Because while Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was not even reckoned as a second half substitute, a still recovering Robin van Persie attested just why the Dutch fans so desperately want to seep him into the starting xi.  

Vulnerability  

The pieces of the jigsaw are all there for Marco van Basten to string together and solve the puzzle. But then again, like Spain, the Netherlands have often flattered to deceive. They play an entertaining, aesthetic football with loads of passes and slickness but often lack the bite and the steel that decide major international championships.

And this time, if their first encounter on Monday was anything to go by, they do seem to have imbibed a slice of that steel but then again their defence remains their Achilles’ heel.  

And we all know what happened to Achilles and the rest of the Grecian army.

Subhankar Mondal