Holland braces for smoking ban

30 June 2008 Dutch cafes, restaurants and coffee shops are bracing themselves for a feared exodus of patrons when a public smoking ban for the hospitality industry enters into force on Tuesday.
The notorious Dutch coffeeshop faces a unique conundrum under the ban: its patrons can still light up their cannabis joints but no longer if blended with tobacco. As The Netherlands follows the example of other European Union members in curbing smoking for public health reasons, it finds itself in a singular position as the only one to allow, since 1976, marijuana use in licensed cafes. The smoking law does not prohibit cannabis use in coffee shops, but owners are having to come up with new strategies to stay afloat in a country where users traditionally prefer their dope mixed with tobacco. As the government warned Friday that the ban would extend to tents erected outside the premises of bars and restaurants, the Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority said it would start immediately with inspections.
AFP

Understanding the Netherlands' marijuana policy
Cannabis is technically an illegal substance in the Netherlands, although you won't get arrested for buying or smoking it in a coffee shop. The Dutch have adopted a policy of "gedogen," or blind eye, to its sale and use since 1976. The government distinguished between so-called "soft" cannabis drugs and "hard" drugs such as heroin or cocaine. That's when coffee houses sprang up to sell and let people smoke.
In 1996, the Dutch government began to crack down on cannabis cafes. It now licenses them, bans them advertising their product, prohibits sales to anyone under 18, and limits sales and possession to 5 grams a day per person. Before, people could possess up to 30 grams. Since then, the number of shops in the country has fallen by about half -- to 720 in the country. Last year, shops were forced to choose between serving alcohol and cannabis. Most chose cannabis. The sales aren't subject to tax. However, owners pay taxes on the income they make from selling it.
More at USA Today

Low country highlights: Limburg

26 June 2008

From www.limburg.nl:
Limburg is both a Dutch province and a European region with a highly distinct character. The social and economic trends which affected the province in recent decades generated a process of change and renewal which has enabled Limburg to transform the drawbacks of its national peripheral location into advantages inherent in its European settings. Today, Limburg is a European province par excellence and is the metaphorical hand which the Netherlands extends towards Europe.
Limburg takes its name from the fortified castle known as Limbourg, situated on the small river Vesdre in the Ardennes. It was the seat of a medieval princedom which extended into the Meuse region north of Liège. After the Napoleonic era, the great powers united the region with the new Kingdom of the Netherlands, of which Belgium was also part. The first King, William I, gave the region the name of Limburg. After Belgium gained its independence, Limburg was split and divided between the two countries in 1839. For centuries, Limburg's strategic location made it a much-coveted region among Europe's major powers.
The Second World War cost the lives of many civilians in Limburg, and a large number of towns and villages were destroyed by bombings and artillery battles. Various cemeteries, too, bear witness to this dark chapter in Limburg's history. Almost eight and a half thousand U.S. soldiers who perished during the liberation of the Netherlands lie buried at the American Military Cemetery in Margraten. A cemetery was also constructed in IJsselstein in the Municipality of Venray for the 31 thousand German soldiers who lost their lives.

Tourism
outh Limburg's enchanting landscape with such features as the Vaalserberg, the highest point in the Netherlands at 321 metres, the green Meuse valley in Central Limburg interspersed with numerous lakes, the De Peel region and the extensive wood and heathland characteristic of North Limburg, all contribute to the wide variety of landscape types unique in the Netherlands, rendering Limburg ideal for tourism and leisure activities.
Valkenburg aan de Geul, dotted with numerous marlstone caves and famous for its small-scale "mountainous" landscape, is the oldest tourist centre in the Netherlands. Singularly peaceful areas are the nature reserves known as Meinweg. De Groote Peel and De Hamert. The majority of the 15 to 20 million overnight stars registered in Limburg each year, are concentrated in several large, long-stay holidaycentres (bungalow parks) in North and Central Limburg. The Meuse lakes near Roermond, encompassing more than 2500 hectares, are the most important locations for day tourism. The Meuse and its tributaries provide the province with numerous water sports facilities, and marinas have been constructed at various locations.
The Castle Gardens at Arcen are an attraction with a very special ambience. Laid out in ancient parkland, they constitute one of the largest permanent exhibitions of flowers and shrubs in the Netherlands. Further tourist and leisure facilities in Limburg include ten golf courses and two thermal baths, at Valkenburg and at Arcen. Last but not least, Limburg's culinary reputation is one in which typical regional dishes and haute cuisine go hand-in-hand. The extensive choice offered by restaurant menus bears witness to Limburg as the home of asparagus and mushroom cultivation in the Netherlands. Guests can even order a glass of genuine Limburg wine from, say, the slopes of Maastricht's St. Pietersberg.

Much more at Limburg.nl

More low country highlights
Groningen
Friesland

The beautiful game revisited

24 June 2008 Disappointing end to Holland's campaign from the Daily Record
What a desperate and sad way for the party to end. Holland had brought so much colour and life to Euro 2008 but ultimately they left the tournament on Saturday night in the most tragic of circumstances, having failed to show up to face the Russians for a one-sided quarter-final. This was not the Holland we had marvelled over in the group stages as they romped to back-to-back wins over Italy and France - complete with those family celebrations and the euphoric dressing room aftermatch parties to the thumping dance anthems of self-appointed DJ Wesley Sneijder.
That all ended last Wednesday when full-back Khalid Boulahrouz was rushed away from a training session to the local hospital in Lausanne where his wife and newborn child were fighting for their lives. The black armbands worn by each of Marco van Basten's players in Basel on Saturday night told an awful story.
But even though the brave Boulahrouz chose to play on despite the loss of his baby daughter Anissa, the Dutch were a far more sombre and reserved group at St Jakob's Park where they were outplayed and outdazzled by a rampant Russian side. This was not the way it was meant to be but Holland were helpless to prevent Guus Hiddink's side trampling all over their dreams.
And afterwards shell-shocked Celtic striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink - who watched his team unravel from the bench - was just one of many Oranje left grasping for answers. He said: "We lost and we have to go home. We can go back to our families and that's the only positive thing we can say right now. "Everyone knows what has happened in our camp this week and how difficult it has been. But there was no cloud over us. We had to focus after the terrible things that had happened. We tried to play with courage but we were playing a really good Russian team with some fantastic players. If anything, we wanted to do it for Khalid. We wanted to get a result to give everyone a positive feeling again. But it didn't happen and we are very disappointed. All of us are devastated to be out. We felt we would be involved in this tournament for a long time and I still can't believe we're out."
Read more here

Dutch fans back Russia to win it
Marco van Basten and his players admitted they lost to a better team on Saturday night. And now Dutch fans hope that Guus Hiddink and his men go all the way in the European Championship.
The Russians sensationally beat the Oranje in their own game in Basel, creating countless chances before finally winning 3-1 after extra-time to set up a widely anticipated semi-final clash with Spain this coming Thursday. Despite their frustration, the Dutch, a true footballing nation, acknowledged it was a well-deserved victory for Russia and today a poll conducted in the Netherlands by Newcom Research company showed that half the population now want the side which sent the Oranje home to go on and win the trophy.
Two days after their elimination, the Dutch are still struggling for answers. What went wrong? “In extra-time we suffered physically, while they had fit players who were able to overrun us,” Wes Sneijder explained. “We didn’t show the form from our opening three games [in the final phase] and that’s sad. We’re now standing here empty-handed, which is a bad feeling. It’s nice to breeze through the group, but when we had to turn up we didn’t.” Robin van Persie was disappointed too. “I had a feeling that we’d push on and win the title. In our earlier games we showed a lot of potential, there was great support from the fans and everyone was enjoying it, but we couldn’t continue the ride. We started really nervously and couldn’t play freely. The Russians adapted much better and deserved to win, but it’s a real shame to leave like this.”
Van der Vaart, Sneijder and Van Persie are all under 25 and will most certainly have their chance to win something with the national side in the future. But Van der Sar, who played his 128th and last game with the Oranje, saw things from a different point of view. “Hopefully we will see more games like this. We don’t like to see teams play defensively, when even if you are behind you play with nine men behind the ball. This is the start and hopefully we will see some changes,” said the Manchester United guardian, although he must have been disappointed after Sunday’s Italy vs. Spain quarter-final. I think Russia have taken some of their game from the Netherlands and the way they played against Sweden (a 2-0 victory for Hiddink’s troops) is the way forward.”
Goal.com

Defeated. Netherlands vs Russia 1-3

22 June 2008

Russia stuns Netherlands in quarterfinals
After a 1-1 tie after regulation, Russians score two goals in the 30-minute overtime to reach the semifinals and oust the Netherlands, which had scored nine goals in three games without a loss or tie.
It took a Dutchman to beat the Dutch. Guus Hiddink used every bit of his tactical genius Saturday to steer Russia to a 3-1 overtime victory over the Dutch and a place in the last four of soccer's European Championship. The Netherlands had swept through the first round of the quadrennial tournament, brushing aside world champion Italy, as well as France and Romania, and scoring a tournament-high nine goals while conceding only one. But on Saturday the Dutch ran into a Russian team that had been superbly prepared, one that had received a huge infusion of self-belief from Hiddink and one that used its strengths - especially speed and counterattacking ability - to nullify the heavily favored but strangely off-key Netherlands.
The Russians took the lead in the 56th minute when Roman Pavlyuchenko turned Sergei Semak's cross into the Dutch net after beating defender Joris Mathijsen. They were still leading with only four minutes to play when striker Ruud van Nistelrooy rushed in at the far post and stooped to head in Wesley Sneijder's free kick and tie the score at 1-1. In overtime, however, Russia dominated, and goals in the 112th minute by Dmitry Torbinsky from a cross by Arshavin and in the 116th minute by Arshavin himself earned the tournament's youngest team its most famous victory to date. The last time a team from that part of the world advanced as far in a major tournament was when the Soviet Union reached the final of Euro '88 and lost to the Netherlands.
More at LA Times

Hiddink leads Russia to stunning win over Dutch
Dutchman Guus Hiddink led his young Russian team to a memorable 3-1 win in Basel on Saturday over his Dutch compatriots - and into the semi-finals of Euro 2008. Hiddink's skillful side unexpectedly played the Dutch favorites off the park - and won with goals from Roman Pavlyuchenko, Dimitri Torbinsky and the majestic Andrei Arshavin, whose performance earned him the man-of-the match award. Russia were more artful, sophisticated and thoughtful than the bewildered Dutch all night - and should have won without needing extra time.
Dutch coach Marco van Basten praised the Russian performance and said they deserved their victory. He now leaves the national side to take on an appointment with Ajax. It was also an international farewell for Dutch veteran keeper Edwin van der Sar. "That's part of football," van Basten said. "I feel very sorry for Edwin van der Sar because I really wanted to give him a nice final in the national team. He is such a great goalkeeper and he deserves winning a tournament like this. We tried and didn't succeed. We didn't start well and didn't play football like we did in the first three matches. I don't know why. They were a little bit nervous perhaps."
Deutsche Welle

Dutch media laments loss to Russia, hails Hiddink
Dutch media lamented on Sunday the Netherlands' quarter-final exit at Euro 2008 but hailed the Russia team coached by Dutchman Guus Hiddink, saying they fully deserved their 3-1 victory.
"Hiddink knocks out Oranje," top circulation De Telegraaf said in a front-page headline after Saturday's extra-time defeat in Basel. "The dream is in smithereens." "Hiddink sends Oranje home," newspaper AD wrote on its website, praising Russia for their technical superiority and their playmaker Andrei Arshavin in particular. "Russia dominated, brilliant players such as Arshavin created chances. Netherlands had to fall back, made errors and got into tight corners," it said.
De Volkskrant agreed that the best team won, saying on its website: "Guus Hiddink's team was the deserved winner in a match that it dominated much of the time." Some 7.5 million people in this football-mad nation of 16 million watched the game. Nearly four million people then tuned into a post-mortem of the match by sports commentators on Saturday night, ANP news agency reported.
Reuters

Hiddink delighted as Russia squeeze the Oranjes
Russia coach Guus Hiddink was delighted with his side's 3-1 demolition of Holland in Saturday's quarter final. The Dutchman insists his side deserve the victory following an emphatic performance over his fellow countrymen. Russia drew first blood in the second half when Roman Pavlyuchenko fired them into a well deserved lead. It seemed as if Hiddink's men were through as the clock ticked away but Ruud Van Nistelrooy came from nowhere to pounce and cut Russia's early celebrations.
However, the Russian contingent in Basle didn't have to wait that long as two strikes from Dmitri Torbinski and Andrei Arshavin in the second half of extra time rewarded them with the result they deserved. Hiddink was clearly delighted as his side squeezed the Oranjes into pulp with some sublime football.
Goal.com

Traitor brings down old masters
Guus Hiddink, in his own words, became a footballing traitor last night as he masterminded the shock extra-time elimination of his hotly favoured compatriots, the latest feat of a remarkable career in international management. A tournament full of thrilling twists and turns gained its most unlikely victim as Marco van Basten's seemingly relentless orange juggernaut was halted in its tracks by a fluent Russian side that played Netherlands at its own game and bagged a deserved semi-final place for the first time ever as a single nation.
Hiddink admitted in the build-up to yesterday's clash that he had been "blown away" by the progress of his team, led by quick-thinking playmaker Andrei Arshavin who, following his two-match ban, more than lived up to his star billing when he ripped the ageing Swedes to shreds. Arshavin's eagerly awaited confrontation with Wesley Sneijder was one of several intriguing sub-plots, the Netherlands' high-flying form and the occasion itself presenting a massive challenge for the men in white. Van Basten resisted the temptation to give any of his "B" team another run-out and returned to his favoured starting 11, the one that carved out those impressive three-goal wins over France and Italy.
An estimated 100,000 orange-clad Dutch fans poured into Basel during the day and on a sweltering evening they filled all four sides of the stadium. The small Russian contingent saw their team start impressively, however, carving out the first two chances. Edwin van der Sar had to be at his most alert to turn away a Yuri Zhirkov freekick and Roman Pavlyuchenko wastefully ballooned a free header over the bar.
Anything but overawed, the Russians did their best to keep possession and stop the Dutch getting into their counter-attacking stride. Not always easy. Only a last-ditch block prevented Sneijder from giving the Netherlands the lead while Orlando Engelaar hammered an angled drive just wide. Russia then had a lucky escape when two Dutch players were a fraction away from getting on the end of Rafael van der Vaart's freekick.
Scotland on Sunday

From Russia with Oranges
The Italians couldn’t do it, disintegrating like a pack of cards blown away by a soft breeze. The French colonizers themselves were colonized and whipped off all so easily. The Romanians…..well, they were always the underdogs, weren’t they? But the Russians have done it, not so much as bringing a Dear John letter of love from their nation as presenting a basket of oranges to the Netherlands to nibble while watching the rest of the competition from home.
You see, Russia didn’t just beat the Netherlands, they actually squashed them. Russia didn’t nick it with a last minute controversial goal and neither did they require a Cech-esque blunder to nab it. Instead they cancelled out the Dutch attack and ventured into the Oranje territory to slice out Marco van Basten’s side with a shape knife.
And crushed them like oranges, carefully peeling the layers and then gobbling the flesh. It was the Russians who took the lead in the match and played more effective football in spite of their technical inferiority to the Dutch. It was the Russians who had the obstinacy, energy and legs in extra-time to force the Dutch on the backfoot and make them taste their own medicine of counter-attacking football. Right from the very start of the match, Hiddink’s side did what no one else had done in the competition before: frustrate the Dutch. While Italy failed to stave off the incessant Dutch counter-attacks and France failed to exhibit any creativity, Russia matched the Dutch in every department and actually possessed the audacity to take the game to the Dutch.
And as for the Dutch, well, they didn’t play that badly and the 3-1 scoreline in the end might seem a trifle too harsh on them. But none can deny that against Russia on Saturday, the Dutch players looked out of sorts and their coach Marco van Basten agonizingly short of ideas as he drilled in two desperate second half substitutions to rescue the increasingly sinking ship, not realizing that what the Dutch needed the most under these tiring circumstances were fresh legs and that extra stretch of quality and trickery which the likes of Arjen Robben and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar would certainly have provided. Marco van Basten let his team play on with only Ruud van Nistelrooy upfront with Robin van Persie supplementing him. While he ought to have brought on rapid-impact players, he let the old legs stay on the pitch and this knocked the air out of the Dutch sail and pulled the string to shut up the Euro 2008 cookie shop for the Dutch.
Goal.com

Preview: Netherlands vs Russia

20 June 2008 Netherlands seeks to extend winning run at Euro 2008; Russia wants upset
The assumption was that whoever faced the Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the European Championship would be considered a sacrificial lamb. Russia coach Guus Hiddink has a long track record that he is anything but. "If a team proves it can play great football you must absolutely not be afraid, you must embrace that," Hiddink said, reflecting on Russia's 2-0 win over Sweden on Wednesday. The main plot of Saturday's match was supposed to be the Dutch facing off with one of the greatest Dutch coaches - Hiddink.
Human tragedy struck though, and now all eyes will be on Netherlands defender Khalid Boulahrouz, who lost his prematurely born daughter days ahead of the quarter-final match. He already told coach Marco van Basten he is available for the match despite the pain. "You can count on me," Boulahrouz said.
Van Basten said his team had dealt with the issue and would give its full focus to making its second semifinal appearance in as many European tournaments. "We have one goal and Khalid has said that he is going for it. He has shown his strongest side," captain and goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar said.
If anything, it will further bond the Dutch players. They have already made traditional Dutch bickering a thing of the past and all will be willing to give it their best for the defender.
In three games so far, they have proved to be one of the great oranje sides for the ages. Within one glowing week, it beat world champion Italy 3-0 and dismissed the other World Cup finalist, France, 4-1. And all in a style reminiscent of the halcyon days of the 1970s, when it produced its famed "clockwork orange." With its "B" team, it even handily beat Romania 2-0 when top-status in Group C was already assured and a win would have put Romania in the quarter-finals.
More at The Canadian Press

Netherlands and Russia set for Basel battle
Netherlands lit up the group stages but Russia were not far behind with their classy win over Sweden and the two teams now face a battle in Basel on Saturday (20.45 local time/14.45 EST) to decide who reaches the semi-finals of Euro 2008. A week ago the Dutch looked odds-on to advance to the last four but, though they remain favourites, Russia's sparkling 2-0 victory over Sweden in Innsbruck on Wednesday has altered the balance.
While the Dutch have Ruud van Nistelrooy in attack, Russia can call on the revitalised Roman Pavlyuchenko. Wesley Sneijder will be up against the equally skilful Andrei Arshavin in the middle of the field while on the wing the Dutch have Arjen Robben and Russia counter with versatile midfielder Konstantin Zyryanov. But Dutch coach Marco van Basten is keen to learn the lessons from Spain's 4-1 rout of Russia early in the tournament. "We have to see what the Spanish did against them and take our lessons from that," he said. Many of the Dutch first choice players have had a week to rest and prepare after Van Basten used mostly reserves in the final group game against Romania.
Reuters

Van Basten already knows his shootout quintet
Coach Marco van Basten has tried to cover all bases in the event Netherlands go to penalties in Saturday's Euro 2008 quarter-final with Russia in Basel. In their last seven major international tournaments the Dutch have lost four times on penalties, only ending the streak when they beat Sweden in the last eight at Euro 2004. But Van Basten has made sure his players properly prepared for the prospect of a shootout, with the squad practising spot-kicks from the moment they started warming up for the tournament last month. 'I have the five names (for a shootout) already in mind,' Van Basten told a news conference on Thursday. The Dutch lifted the European Championship trophy in 1988, beating the Soviet Union 2-0 in Munich thanks to goals from Van Basten and Ruud Gullit.
ESPN

Dutch Orange craze reaches fever pitch
As Orange fever rises with every goal scored in the Dutch team's Euro 2008 campaign, lawyers, housewives and school kids become crazed wig-wearing fans adorning their homes, bikes and even their pets in the national colour. Normally sedate suburban streets have been transformed into massive canvasses for row upon row of tiny, orange, fluttering flags. Window sills sport orange flowers -- real and fake, and figurines with wild orange hair ahead of Saturday's quarter-final against Russia.
Many a home and office window displays a banner with the words: "Hup (Go) Holland!", and at least one fan has gone to the extent of draping his whole house in orange, according to a newspaper photograph. Cars, bicycles and pet dogs are used to display the Dutch sense of football patriotism with flags, banners, miniature balls and unwitting four-legged fans dressed up in human-sized orange t-shirts. And then there are the hats. Hats in the form of road traffic cones. Hats in the form of huge cheese wedges. Tall hats that come with drum sticks and can be used as musical instruments.
AFP

Russia's golden Guus has countrymen in his sights
The Midas touch Guus Hiddink has on international teams took Russia into the quarter-finals of a major tournament for the first time on a night his adopted team announced their capabilities by claiming the win they needed to progress. Now the man who took Holland to the World Cup semi-finals faces his country in a fascinating tie on Saturday. Hiddink took South Korea to the last four of the World Cup before reaching the finals and the second stage with Australia, and while Sweden needed only a draw to qualify, it was soon apparent the Russians were better equipped, with Roman Pavlyuchenko scoring midway through the first half. The outcome was effectively determined when Andrei Arshavin, back after a two-match ban, capped a fluent display with Russia's second. "This is a huge win for a side still under construction, with lots of young players and some experienced players," Hiddink said. "However, there is still work to be done, and the Dutch will give us some thinking to do."
The Sydney Morning Herald

Dutch set to take green, green grass of Berne home
Berne plans to give Netherlands some of the Stade de Suisse turf as a gesture of thanks for the fantastic atmosphere around the team's three Euro 2008 group matches in the Swiss capital, the mayor said on Friday. An estimated 50,000 Dutch supporters flooded in for each game, turning the city centre orange and encouraging locals to join the party. The Stade de Suisse turf is being replaced by its normal artificial surface and Mayor Alexander Tschaeppaet said the city wanted to donate parts of it to Netherlands, coach Marco van Basten or whoever wanted some.
Reuters

Finally: The Dutch team has never lost a game on June 21.

2-0: Dutch "B" side gets an A

18 June 2008

Forget any talk of a carve-up. Nine Dutch reserves keen to emphasise their credentials for the challenges ahead proved much too good here last night for Romania, who were never close to the victory they needed once Italy took command of the other Group C game against France. The Romanians, whistled by their own supporters at times for such a nerve-ridden performance, were left to rue more than ever the penalty missed by Adrian Mutu near the end of their previous game against Italy.
As they feared, this is a much more complete Dutch team than the one that took only one point off them in two qualifying matches. With a third successive win, incorporating nine goals, the Netherlands established themselves as firm favourites to beat Sweden or Russia in the quarter-final on Saturday. Arsenal's Robin van Persie, hoping to oust Rafael van der Vaart from the central midfield position just behind the main striker, was outstanding even before he thrashed in a late goal to add to Klaas Jan Huntelaar's. The surprise was that Marco van Basten's team took until the 54th minute to score.
More at The Independent

Back to square one for rampant Dutch at Euro 2008
Marco van Basten has warned his rampant Holland squad they must start all over again after completing a glorious romp through the group stage of Euro 2008 by sending Romania home. Second-half goals from Ajax striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar and man-of-the-match Robin van Persie secured a 2-0 win and ensured the Oranje topped group C with maximum points. Their reward was a quarter-final meeting with either Sweden or Russia in Basel on Saturday, and van Basten was justifiably proud of the professional job his second-string side he sent out had done, albeit against opponents who displayed an almost inexplicable lack of ambition. "We have to be very proud and happy that we have won the group and the three games," said van Basten. "We have made a great start. But Saturday is another match altogether and we have to start again from zero.
Van Basten now believes his side can go on emulate the squad he inspired to victory in the 1998 European Championships. "The atmosphere is good. The players are working well together and having a good time. If we continue playing like this I don't know where exactly we are going to end but I hope it is going to take a long time," van Basten said. Although needing to win to be sure of staying in the competition, Romania's only concern appeared to be to avoid the kind of mauling the Dutch had handed out to France and Italy in their first two group matches.
AFP

Marco Van Basten shuffles his pack of aces
It would cause an almighty kerfuffle, but Marco van Basten should consider resigning before Saturday’s quarter-final because his reputation may not get any higher than it is now. The Holland coach is a national hero in two countries after guiding his side’s second string to a straightforward win that cements their position as one of the tournament’s favourites, while helping Italy to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Van Basten already enjoyed legendary status in much of Italy as a result of his goalscoring feats with AC Milan, but his popularity will now extend even to those who loathe the Rossoneri. Of greater concern is how he is perceived in his own country, however, where he could yet surpass Johan Cruyff as the most celebrated Dutch sportsman if he becomes the first man to win the European Championship as a player and a coach. That is no longer the fanciful notion it appeared ten days ago after this demonstration that Holland have the strength in depth to cope with anything. Those Italy and France fans who had conjured up conspiracy theories worthy of a Hollywood CIA blockbuster should have known better. From the moment he achieved an unlikely reconciliation with Ruud van Nistelrooy 12 months ago, Van Basten has infused his players with a professionalism and unity of purpose that has been sorely lacking in previous squads. If not quite playing total football, this Holland team are more than the sum of their parts, with the nine players called upon to start for the first time last night slotting seamlessly into roles usually filled by their supposed superiors.
Holland picked up where they had left off against France, with Afellay and Arjen Robben enjoying the chance to make an impression out wide as Engelaar controlled matters in the middle. Holland have scored nine goals in three matches in the so-called group of death, so it seems churlish to pick holes, but Van Basten’s caution over his team’s chances of winning the tournament is well-founded. For all their wonderful attacking play, pre-tournament doubts about their defensive capabilities remain because they have not really been tested. Van Basten should enjoy his lofty position while he can.
The Times

Italian media revel in victory, hail Dutch
The Italian press delighted in Tuesday's 2-0 win over France and hailed the Dutch for making the world champions' passage to the Euro 2008 quarter-finals possible by beating Romania by the same score. Victory over France would have been no use to the world champions if the already-qualified Netherlands had lost to Romania.
But Marco van Basten's team emphatically disproved pre-match suggestions that they might not put up too much resistance with a dominant display that enabled Italy to book themselves a last-eight meeting with Spain on Sunday. "Today the Dutch ambassador to Italy should be called and given formal apologies for the air of suspicion that disturbed the eve (of the match)," wrote Candido Cannavo in La Gazzetta dello Sport. "The Netherlands won for themselves, for honesty and, as a consequence, for us."
The Guardian

Watch the game live

17 June 2008 watch the Netherlands vs Romania here

Preview: Netherlands vs Romania

16 June 2008 Dutch show how the game is to be played
If soccer was only played the way the Netherlands has played it so far at Euro 2008, there would never be a complaint about the sport. Quick, organized and deadly around the net, the Netherlands came into this tournament with key injuries, players refusing to play and those who weren't selected, complaining about the coach. Coach Marco Van Basten had already announced he will retire from coaching the national team after this tournament. Not many gave the Dutch a chance of coming out of Group C. Instead, they've already won it, with one game left.
Where did these Dutchmen come from? Nowhere, really. They've always been on the verge of a big breakthrough. They've always had quality players, talent and the ability to win. For whatever reasons, they haven't done it with any consistency when it counted. Unless you are inside the Oranje Crush, it's difficult to assess why the change. But one only need look at striker Ruud van Nistelrooy to understand the changes have been significant. Van Nistelrooy had not played for the Dutch since he and Van Basten argued at the World Cup in 2006. Van Nistelrooy is now a new player. He looks amazingly fit, his work rate is high and he's going things he normally doesn't do, like hold the ball, dribble and distribute it. He's playing happy. During this tournament, Van Basten was asked how he has managed to keep a roomful of egos in check. "Because I'm a very nice man," he said at a press conference. He's a very effective man. And so far he's had the magic touch.
It would be an enormous surprise if the Dutch were able to play at this level for the entire tournament, but there are two teams who hope they carry it through at least one more game. France and Italy need the Netherlands to defeat Romania in the final set of games in Group C. A Romanian win and both Italy and France go home. The Dutch, though, will rest many of their starters and Italy and France have already begun howling about it. Would Italy or France do any differently if they were in this situation? Of course not. That's the Dutch treat for playing the best soccer of the tournament.
More at London Free Press

Romania sure they can beat Dutch to qualify
Romania always thought their best chance of a win in Group C would be against Netherlands and on Tuesday they can seal a quarter-final place at Euro 2008 with a victory over the already-qualified Dutch. The Dutch have already won the group with six points, followed by Romania on two with France and Italy on one apiece, although they have said they would try their hardest to win. But Romania are confident they can beat Netherlands, having won 1-0 in Constanta last October after drawing 0-0 in Rotterdam in March to reach Euro 2008 as qualifying group winners. Having started with a goalless draw against France, Romania have achieved their goal so far and can finish the job against a Dutch side certain to feature changes after winning the group with superb 3-0 and 4-1 victories over Italy and France.
Romanian journalists turned up at the Netherlands' training session in Lausanne on Sunday with flags and team shirts bearing the plea 'Let us win' on the front in Dutch. It was not clear if Netherlands coach Marco van Basten had seen them.
ESPN

World Cup finalists fear Dutch will let Romania seal their fates
Italy have retreated towards the realms of paranoia and dark conspiracy theory while France have been overtaken by despondency and resignation. There was common ground, though, in the emotional jousting before tomorrow night's final and decisive Group C fixtures. Both nations have applied the pressure on Holland to play to their maximum against Romania.
The Dutch are assured of top spot, having beaten Italy and France in their blistering start to the European Championship, and they now have the option of resting players before their quarter-final with Sweden or Russia in Basle on Saturday.
The Italians and French, though, cannot countenance Holland taking it too easy because their own hopes of sneaking through to a quarter-final against Spain in Vienna on Saturday rest on the Dutch getting a result against Romania. If Romania win, both the teams who contested the last World Cup final will be out. A draw, or even a defeat by fewer than three goals, would also suffice for Romania if Italy and France were to draw their game in Zurich.
The Guardian

Dutch ponder who to play or rest against Romania
With group victory and a quarter-final place already secured, the Netherlands are pondering who to play or rest for Tuesday's game against Romania. Cynics were already calculating a loss might have its advantages since it would automatically eliminate potential semifinal opponent Italy, the world champion, and runner-up France. "It is only logical that some players will want to get some rest," said Netherlands goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.
After beating Italy 3-0 and France 4-1, the Dutch are the stars of the championship so far. And in a sense, they do not want to throw away that momentum with a losing performance against Romania."You have to take it 100 per cent seriously," Johan Cruyff, the greatest Dutch player, told NOS network. If not, he said, it would affect confidence and destroy the team's winning mood.
With six points from two games, the Netherlands is already assured of winning Group C. Romania is second with two points while Italy and France have one each. A Romania victory would automatically eliminate the others. Italian and French fans were already fearful the Dutch would field an understrength team to rest all key players for Saturday's quarter-finals.
Canadian Press

Holland will cheat us out, rails French coach
France coach Raymond Domenech believes the Netherlands will lie down for Romania in their final group game, which in effect will knock both his side and Italy out of Euro 2008. France and Italy have both failed to beat the Romanians and lost heavily to the Netherlands, which leaves Euro 2008's Group of Death more delicately poised than anyone would have imagined going into the final round of games tomorrow evening.
Domenech's men must win and hope other results go their way in order to qualify, while Italy may be able to progress with a score draw if results go their way. However, if the Romanians fail to win against the Netherlands, then if Italy-France produces a winner, they will progress to the quarterfinals.
"Our game against Italy will not be decisive. It's the other match that matters," insisted the French boss. "My opinion is Holland will make wholesale changes for the game on Tuesday night and it is already written that Romania will qualify with them from the group."
Goal.com

Van Basten insists Dutch will not roll over
Holland coach Marco van Basten has promised his team will be fully focused on beating Romania tomorrow - even though a Dutch defeat would see 2006 World Cup finalists Italy and France dumped out of Euro 2008. The Oranje have been hugely impressive in their opening two pool matches, storming to a 3-0 win over the world champions before following that up with a 4-1 thrashing of Les Bleus to secure top spot in the 'Group of Death' with a game to spare. As Van Basten's players could face the runners-up again in the semi-final if both win their last-eight ties, it could be in Holland's interests to send big guns Italy and France home early. But the former AC Milan star will not allow his side to approach the game with such thoughts on their mind.
"It's an interesting match because we are in the good position of having already qualified," he said. "Nevertheless, I think we want to play a good game so we are taking it seriously."
The Irish Times

4-1: It's a Dutch oven and the French are toast

14 June 2008

Brilliant Robben underlines value and leaves fragile French reeling
Total football from the men in orange. Total embarrassment for Les Bleus. They do say that Arjen Robben saves his best moments for the big tournaments and on the evidence of a stunning substitute's cameo from the former Chelsea man, this one has been worth waiting for.
There is no team that had proved itself more emphatically in Euro 2008 thus far than Marco van Basten's Dutch team who have dispatched Italy and France within the space of five days to win Group C and a place in the quarter-finals. Robben was outstanding last night, scoring once and embodying the counter-attacking spirit of the Dutch while Dirk Kuyt, Robin van Persie and Wesley Sneijder scored the rest of the Netherlands' goals. They are the team to beat.
On Tuesday, France and Italy meet in Zurich for a game that they hope will decide the second qualifying place in the group, but the intriguing aspect of this group is that Romania will make it to the quarter-finals regardless of that result if they beat the Dutch in Berne. Given that the Netherlands may have to face one of their Group C opponents again in the semi-finals it would be much to their advantage if it was the Romanians who came through in second place. How hard will the Oranje be trying on Tuesday?
The Independent

Total domination provides Dutch treat for Oranje Army
Yesterday afternoon, the good citizens of Bern got a taste of the Oranje Army. Some locals came out to gawk at the tens of thousands of Dutch supporters who were, of course, dressed all in orange. Others tried to go about their business, but the army was impossible to ignore. The Dutch took over the town, resplendent in vibrant colour and alive with joy. Who would want to go shopping or go back to work when the biggest party was in town? One felt sorry for those French fans, dryly ironic in their French team shirts, berets and big plastic baguettes. They were certainly cute and rather sweetly self-deprecating, but they've got nothing on the Oranje Army. It is emphatically orange, enormous and united. Like the Dutch team, this time. And France got a sharp, shocking taste of the Dutch style of soccer here in last night. They were given a master class in dazzle, the sort of freewheeling, always-in-search-of-a-goal soccer that the Dutch suddenly epitomize again. At this tournament, the Netherlands has now defeated both the World Cup champions Italy and runners-up France, with stunning ease. It has qualified for the next round, with a game to spare.
Why is the Orange Army so enormous and why do the Dutch play in that flowing, expressive and beautifully co-ordinated style? For the same reasons, really. This particular Dutch team, more so than the last few incarnations, is rooted in the style of the original Dutch invention, Total Football.
It involves everyone moving constantly, supporting the entire team in a collective, attacking-and-defending effort. A player who moves out of position is automatically replaced by another from his team, whether it's a striker stepping in to defend or vice-versa. It's ceaseless and fluid and confounds the opposing team. A defender assigned to mark a striker is suddenly marking defender who has gone on the attack. For the team playing Total Football, unity and intuitive collective understanding is everything.
The potential for Total Football is obvious - it bedazzles the crowd and baffles the opposition. But it depends entirely on a certain mentality. The players have to be deeply skilled to switch positions easily, or be endlessly drilled in multi-tasking. In other soccer cultures it's all unthinkable. A player does his job as well as possible but an Italian defender is not going to spring forward into an attacker's position and expect his striker, in return, to instantly shift to the back four.
And the Oranje Army? That's so Dutch, the massive crowd of 50,000 or 60,000 people joining together to support the team, no matter what. Travelling and flowing like a river of people. And all in orange. Some are orange cowboys. Some are orange Elvis figures. Some are little Dutch girls in pigtails. Some are Marilyn Monroes. But all in orange, always. That's collectivism, individualism and ingenuity, right there. And entertainment, too.
Globeandmail.com

Devastating Dutch dismantle feckless French
Five days ago, the Netherlands were the side many predicted might be the fall guys in the mother of all Groups of Death. Instead, it was France who joined Italy at the bottom of Group C last night as Scotland's opponents in the 2010 World Cup clinched three more remarkable points to reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 with a game to spare.
If the 4-1 win was slightly harsh on France and not always as convincing as that which dispatched the world champions, also by three goals, on Monday, it was a sublime display of counter-attacking football by Marco van Basten's team and turned the tournament on its head, with the 2006 World Cup finalists now in serious danger of elimination.
Van Basten wasn't completely satisfied, however. He said: "We didn't play as well we did against Italy. We started well but in the middle of first half, we didn't play very good football and had a few a problems with their pressure. Luckily we were able to defend quite well and in the second half I made a couple of changes which thankfully worked.
"If you ask me if I expected to be in the quarter-finals after two matches, of course I would have to say no. Today if truth be told we were a little bit lucky but scoring goals at the right moment helps a lot."
The Scotsman

Sensational stuff as Holland hammer France
It was brilliant stuff in Berne as Holland hammered another four goals to qualify for the next round as group winners, at the expense of France who must now beat world champions Italy to have any chance of progressing. A fabulous match started with a pulsating first-half that saw Holland deservedly go in 1-0 ahead through a Dirk Kuyt header from a corner as they continued in the groove they found so fluently against Italy earlier in the week. But France, although still looking out of touch, were a whole lot better than against Romania and were certainly offering more of a threat as the half progressed.
But whereas Ruud van Nistelrooy was offering a productive focal point for the Dutch at the head of the attack, Thierry Henry for France was looking somewhat isolated and his team-mates were struggling to bring him effectively into play. After the break though, France came out bristling with intent and had the Dutch on the ropes early in the second-half, creating chances that threatened an equaliser. But just when Les Bleus looked at their most dangerous, Holland produced another example of breathtaking counter-attacking football to double their lead, Robin van Persie being the executioner on the end of a great team move.
Goal.com

Few arrests as Dutch fans double Berne's population (Reuters)
Dutch fans paint the towns and trains of Switzerland orange (The Telegraph)
Van Basten praises defenders (ITV)
Dutch team has everything, says France's Coupet after loss (AFP)
Bold Dutch rewarded as France left on brink (The Times)
Deadly Dutch turn on style to thump France (Reuters)
Holland show the way forward (BBC)

Preview: Netherlands vs France

12 June 2008 Preview: Netherlands vs France
Friday evening's encounter between the Netherlands and France is fascinatingly poised. A Dutch victory would seal their place in the knockout stages and put France under severe pressure. It was a case of 'brilliant Oranje' for the Dutch on Monday as a breathtaking display of counter-attacking football proved far too much for a beleaguered Italian side to handle. Victory in their tournament opener gives the Netherlands a superb chance of progressing from the 'Group of Death'. Victory over the French on Friday evening would ensure progression and really lay down a message of intent to the other big nations. Head coach Marco Van Basten, who departs to take over Ajax after the tournament, will be acutely aware that it is not how the Dutch start the tournament but how they finish. Van Basten remains coy regarding his side's chances telling the assembled press after Tuesday's victory that, “We have won just one game. It is only the first step.”
Once again Vas Basten will look to a deadly attacking quartet to slice open the French defence. Van Nistlerooy is a prolific scorer both at club and international level. His poached goal against Italy was a typical predatory effort from the Real Madrid striker. Supporting him will be Rafael Van Der Vaart, Dirk Kuyt and club-mate Wesley Sneijder. If this unit can perform as impressive against France as they did against Italy than the Dutch can be extremely confident of victory.
More at Goal.com

Netherlands have the upper hand heading into clash with France
It was supposed to be vice versa. The Netherlands should have been in trouble by now and France hoping to qualify for the quarter-finals with a game to spare. Instead, a stunning 3-0 win by the Dutch over Italy and a miserly scoreless draw by Les Bleus against outsider Romania has totally turned the tables in Group C. Even worse, instead of the usually quarrelsome Dutch, it is France which has a team dispute ahead of its most important game in two years on Friday.
Despite the euphoric moments after the Italy game, van Basten warns: nothing has been achieved yet. "Don't think we have become favourites after one game," he said.
Yet, the Dutch lead the championship's toughest group with three points, ahead of France and Romania with one each and Italy with none. Italy plays Romania just ahead of the France-Netherlands clash. "It will be extremely difficult to play in the same vein as against Italy. Other team, other players, different style," Van Basten said.
One thing will suit the Dutch just fine - the French have to make play since a draw might not be good enough for them to advance. "Their need for a result is bigger than ours," Van Basten said. Against Italy, the Dutch already proved they are the masters of the counterattack, scoring two on smooth passing combinations and speed. The Dutch were always known to be strong on offence, it was their defence, lacking any big name, which surprised against the Italians.
Canadian Press

Highlights

10 June 2008

Holland fans entered Euro thinking their team was tilting at windmills. After all, the last time we saw the Dutch on a big soccer stage they had just lost to Portugal in their 2006 World Cup quarterfinal, a 16-yellow-card, four-red-card burlesque show that was a black eye for the sport. How ironic then that the Oranje may have just saved Euro 2008 from the borefest of negativity it was quickly becoming. By opening a can of whup-ass on Italy in their Group of Death showdown, the Dutch jolted the tournament with high-voltage soccer and may have just pulled the plug on the world champions.
After warning the world that "The Italians fear us," Wesley Sneijder backed up his trash talk with the first truly great performance of 2008. His goal, the second of the game, was the result of a sweeping box-to-box move that saw the ball travel the length of the field with three lightning-quick touches. Sneijder finished it off with a volley that echoed the one his coach, Marco Van Basten, scored 20 years ago in the Euro final against Russia.
More at ESPN.com

Washed away on a sea of oranje
"Picture the scene - a huge, cavernous underground factory somewhere in the flatlands of Holland populated by industrious and willing orange munchkins. They slave away producing every conceivable clothing item in bright, distinct orange to satisfy the need of a nation's football frenzy. I doubt whether Berne has ever seen anything like what it witnessed on Monday as the Dutch provided a textbook lesson in the fine arts of bringing a major tournament to life.
Orange Elvises, orange mountain maids, orange bears, orange road workers, nuclear plant workers in orange radiation suits - orange variations of any kind of clothing you care to mention rolled into town and sparked a huge, huge party.
By the time the Dutch started their mass march to the stadium, the water in the fountains had turned orange while the age old formula of drinking plenty and allowing yourself to bake in the sun for several hours was coming along nicely."
Read the article at the BBC website.

UEFA supports Dutch goal decision
UEFA has emphasised that the goal scored by Netherlands striker Ruud van Nistelrooy in last night's match against Italy in Berne was valid, and that referee Peter Fröjdfeldt acted correctly in awarding it.
Read the rules here.

3-0: Slick Dutch stun world champions

09 June 2008 The Netherlands ended a 30-year wait for a victory over Italy in emphatic fashion as they began their Group C campaign with a rousing 3-0 win against the world champions in Berne.
Ruud van Nistelrooy side-footed the Oranje ahead in the 26th minute, a lead doubled superbly by his Real Madrid CF colleague Wesley Sneijder soon after. Edwin van der Sar, becoming only the third player to appear in four UEFA European Championships, then kept the advantage intact, leaving Giovanni van Bronckhorst to complete the scoring with a headed third in the 79th minute. The Netherlands can now look forward with confidence to Friday's meeting with France, while Italy must pick themselves up from a worst-ever EURO defeat when they face Romania.
euro2008.com

Holland thrash Italy in Group C: "In the game of the tournament so far, Holland have battered Euro 2008 Group C rivals Italy 3-0. Oranje fans were celebrating in the streets of Bern after their side's emphatic victory over the reigning World Champions. The Dutch were lucky to take a 26th-minute lead after Ruud van Nistelrooy turned in Giovanni van Bronckhorst's effort despite being clearly offside. Wesley Sneijder added a stunning breakaway second on the half-hour mark. Van Bronckhorst completed a stunning evening for Holland by heading past goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon in the 79th minute as the Dutch celebrated their first victory against the Italians since the 1978 World Cup." (ITV)

Dutch bring Euro football to life by slaying world champions Italy: "Holland's 30-year wait for a victory over Italy ended in glorious fashion here on Wednesday as Marco van Basten's side rampaged their way to a 3-0 defeat of the world champions. [...] the Italians found themselves in deeper trouble after a move that suggests Total Football is alive and well in the Netherlands."(AFP)

Dutch delight brings Euro 2008 to life: "Now that's what we're talking about. Holland's thrilling, but by no means entirely one-sided, 3-0 defeat of Italy in Berne tonight gave Euro 2008 its first really electric tournament match. Even more unusually, this was a game that left you talking about players rather than systems - and attacking players, too. In the first half, Ruud Van Nistelrooy gave a fantastically single-minded and direct display of centre-forward play. Despite the cutting edge variations on the fashionable 4-2-3-1 formation on view here (Italy's was more like 4-3-2-1), in Van Nistelrooy and Luca Toni this match presented us with two proper centre forwards - big, bustling, buffalo-like centre forwards of the old school." (The Guardian)

Classy Holland stun Azzurri to top group of death: "Holland stunned Italy with a 3-0 victory in Group C of Euro 2008. In the game of the tournament so far, goals from Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Wesley Sneijder, and Giovanni Van Bronckhurst gave the Dutch a shock victory. The win puts Marco Van Basten's side in charge of the group of death, after France's 0-0 draw with Romania earlier." (inthenews.co.uk)

Tonight: Holland vs Italy

09 June 2008 Watch the game live (20.45 hrs local time / 14.45 hrs EST)

Dutch fans eagerly await opening Euro 2008 match
The Swiss city of Bern is slowly turning orange as hundreds of Dutch football fans descend on the city to watch the Netherlands play its first Euro 2008 match. The Dutch squad faces Italy on Monday evening. The Swiss authorities expect around 30,000 Dutch football fans to come to Bern to support their team.
Most of the fans don't have tickets for the match but will follow the action on large outdoor screens throughout the city.

Holland vs Italy preview
World champions Italy begin their bid for Euro 2008 glory in the first heavyweight contest of the tournament. Both sides are missing key players but there will still be a glittering array of talent on show and a tactical battle to savour as Roberto Donadoni pits his wits against former Milan team-mate Marco van Basten. Holland have not beaten Italy for 30 years and Van Basten's preparations have been hit by injuries to the likes of Ryan Babel and Arjen Robben.
Babel has already been ruled out of Euro 2008 and Robben may not be able to play any part in the group stage due to a groin strain. Wigan right-back Mario Melchiot is available after recovering from a pubic bone problem and Arsenal forward Robin van Persie may yet feature following a thigh complaint. Wesley Sneijder is also back in training and Van Basten accepts that it is vital for Holland to make a good start with highly-fancied France and dark horses Romania also in Group C. He said: "Two years ago Italy were world champions and they still have mostly the same players.
Sky Sports

Twenty Years On
Twenty years have now passed since Holland’s one and only major international trophy, when Rinus Michel’s outstanding side won Euro ’88 following a 2-0 final success over the USSR.
In that team was current Dutch manager Marco Van Basten, who scored probably the best goal in European Championship history, with a stunning volley from Arnold Muhren’s raking pass. At Euro 2008 Van Basten, who has already announced that he will be leaving at the end of the competition to take over at Ajax, is hoping to become the first person in history to win the Euros both as a player and as a coach.
However the former Milan striker knows he faces an extremely difficult task even to get through the group stages, having been drawn alongside Romania, France, and Monday’s opponents Italy.
The relatively youthful and inexperienced Dutch struggled at times during their qualification, eventually finishing second in Group G, behind Romania. However their form in 2008 has been good, albeit not against the strongest of opposition. The Oranje have won four of their five matches this calendar year, drawing the other, and in their last warm-up test, defeated Wales 2-0.
Goal.com

Dutch substance over style

06 June 2008 Dutch substance over style
So vivid is the memory of Marco van Basten's European Championship-clinching volley against the USSR in 1988, it is difficult to believe two decades have passed since Netherlands claimed their one and only major international trophy. And, given the imperious style with which the Dutch conquered Europe 20 years ago, perhaps even more surprising is that they arrive at Euro 2008 tipped by many to progress no further than the group stage.
In the Netherlands concern about the national team's rearguard is widespread, but not for the most obvious reason. Oranje conceded on just five occasions in 12 qualification games - no country progressed to the finals with a superior record - but at the other end of the pitch a mere 15 goals were scored - no country qualified with an inferior record. It is only natural to query why the defence should ever be held accountable for a team's shortage of goals - especially a team benefiting from such a plethora of attacking talent - but this is where the Dutch are unique. Their entire footballing philosophy is still built around the principles of Total Football, a concept pioneered by Jack Reynolds at Ajax in the mid-1900s and then implemented to devastating effect by Rinus Michels and Johan Cruyff, most notably en route to the 1974 World Cup final.
The Netherlands prides itself on producing a brand of football like no other country; the Dutch deplore the catenaccio style made famous by Italy and Argentina and abhor the functional method historically employed by Germany.
"There is no better medal than being acclaimed for your style," said Cruyff after watching a Dennis Bergkamp-inspired Holland produce a footballing masterclass to knock Argentina out of the 1998 World Cup, only to then lose on penalties to Brazil.
"For the good of football, we need a team of invention, attacking ideas and style to emerge. Even if it doesn't win it will inspire footballers of all ages everywhere. That is the greatest reward."
BBC

Van Basten seeks to cure Dutch penalty disease
Netherlands coach Marco van Basten has made his squad take penalties in their preparations for Euro 2008 as he bids to cure the Dutch disease of regularly failing to win shootouts. In their last seven major international tournaments the Dutch have lost four times on penalties, only ending the streak when they beat Sweden in the Euro 2004 quarter-finals. The prospect of a shootout has been increased at these finals by a change in the UEFA regulations which means teams could face penalties after their last group match. Van Basten has tried to make sure the Dutch overcome their poor shootout reputation by making each player take penalties until he scores at the end of training sessions. Reuters

Euro 2008 player profiles + 10 reasons to support the Dutch

03 June 2008 Euro 2008 player profiles: Netherlands
A player-by-player guide to the men carrying Dutch hopes at Euro 2008.

Go Team Holland: 10 reasons why we won't be passing the Dutchies on the left-hand side
English newspaper The Daily Mail lists 10 reasons to support the Dutch team. Among which:
2. The 1988 European Championship-winning side of Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and Adrie van Tiggelen was TOTAL FOOTBALL. And who can forget Van Basten's stunning volley against the USSR? Unquestionably the greatest European Championships' goal of all time.
6. They have a slightly musical way of speaking Englissssshhhh that'shhh jushhht fantashhhtic. Obviously English people should be completely ashamed that Dutch people's vocabulary in both languages is larger than theirs . But they don't and they prefer to cover their ignorance with puerile acshent gagsh.
Read the whole article here