Orange awesomeness: Dutch team get heroes' welcome

13 July 2010

Video of the canal parade at RTL News (RTL.nl)

Dutch dejection: 3rd World Cup final loss sinks in

12 July 2010

From the Associated Press:
Two fighter jets, one of them orange, escorted the Netherlands soccer team through Dutch airspace Monday, a day after the loss in the World Cup final. The staff at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport formed an honor guard when the plane touched down. The team was whisked by bus to a hotel on the North Sea coast. A series of welcome-home events await Tuesday, including a meeting with Queen Beatrix at her palace in The Hague in the morning followed by a boat tour through Amsterdam's canals and a party in the city's Museum Square. The events may help both players and fans shake off the country's third loss in a World Cup final. The latest one was a 1-0 defeat in extra time to Spain in Johannesburg. Among the headlines in Dutch newspapers was "Not Again" above pictures of dejected Dutch players following the final whistle. The Netherlands also lost to hosts West Germany and Argentina in 1974 and '78. The Algemeen Dagblad daily's headline was "Orange tears."

In Amsterdam on Monday, scores of dejected fans using Dutch flags as blankets woke up on the platforms of the city's Central Station after missing the last trains home. More than 100,000 orange-clad fans watched the match on giant screens at the city's Museum Square but quickly and relatively quietly left after Andres Iniesta's extra-time goal shattered their dreams of finally shaking the tag of the best team never to win the World Cup. Litter left in their wake included trampled orange vuvuzelas, a reminder of the droning soundtrack of the World Cup in South Africa.

Amid the disappointment was pride that a nation of just 16 million had reached the final, knocking out five-time champion Brazil along the way thanks to a 2-1 quarterfinal victory in Port Elizabeth that will likely be remembered as the team's best performance. "Fought like lions," said the front-page headline in best-selling daily De Telegraaf next to a photo of striker Robin van Persie and winger Arjen Robben holding their heads in their hands, Robben on his knees on the Soccer City turf.
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Netherlands live up to 'big game bottlers' billing

11 July 2010

From Goal.com
So the final picture was a familiar one. The Dutch players stormed away, sullen, bickering. At least this time they were bickering at the referee rather than between themselves. But the result was the same. The Netherlands failed to collect the World Cup for the 16th time, the third at the final hurdle. Spain won 1-0, but the Oranje will believe on reflection that they beat themselves. Again. It could have all been so different for Bert van Marwijk’s men. And not because of Howard Webb’s decision not to penalise the combination of Cesc Fabregas and Sergio Ramos for blocking off Eljero Elia’s foray into the box seconds before Andres Iniesta’s winner. Instead, Holland could have won the game in the 62nd minute when Wesley Sneijder’s delightful through ball sent Arjen Robben through one-on-one with Iker Casillas.

It was the kind of chance that their gameplan was made for. They set out to hold Spain wherever possible, shake them up, kick them if necessary (and necessary it was), then take the chance that would inevitably come their way. La Furia Roja had so nearly been upset by a similar approach in their last two fixtures, overcoming the temporary scares presented to Oscar Cardozo and Toni Kroos on their way to a first World Cup final. But Robben’s was arguably the most gilt-edged of them all. And he bottled it.

[This time] it all seemed to be working, despite the brutality with which some of their first half challenges had been exacted, until Robben dithered and dallied and eventually tried to sidefoot past Casillas, who blocked with his foot. Had he been more decisive, he’d surely have rounded the Spain No.1, or even drilled the ball at the first attempt into a near-gaping net. But he didn’t. Minutes later he proved that he’d lost his cool completely, shirking off a Carles Puyol challenge which was reminiscent of a tight end taking out a running back, but panicking once he saw Casillas advance once more. His response was to perform a swan dive and immediately chase the referee around like an overzealous stalker. With that, Robben’s effectiveness waned. As did Holland’s. They were two missed opportunities which typified the Oranje’s night. Nay, their history.
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The day before

10 July 2010

From the Washington Times: Can the Netherlands stop Spain?:
A new member will be joining the World Cup champions club. Will it be the Netherlands or Spain? Only seven countries - Uruguay, Italy, Germany, Brazil, England, Argentina and France - belong to that exclusive club. The last member to join was France in 1998. The Netherlands reached the final game in 1974 and 1978, losing both times to Germany and Argentina respectively. Spain, the current European champion, will be playing in its first final. The pre-tournament favorite, will find the Dutch harder to get past than Germany. It could be a very close and cautious game. Like Spain, the Netherlands plays good possession-soccer. The talented Wesley Sneijder, who led Inter Milan to beat Barcelona in Champions League play, is the engine of the Dutch team. Holland's bad boys, Nigel de Jong and Mark van Bommel, will seek to disrupt Spain's stylish game and rattle the Spanish ball-artistry of Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta.

The Dutch have deadly attacking power in Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben, while Spain will look to David Villa and Pedro Rodriguez. A good portion of the Dutch players, have played for Spanish clubs and know what to expect. It's all well and good, to hold possession and string 30 passes, but in the end, you have to try and score. That will be the task for Spain, the masters of the one-goal win in the knockout stage. The Netherlands have scored 12 goals to Spain's seven at these finals. The final pits two of the world's most attractive teams, in terms of attacking style and passing. Spain and the Netherlands have produced so many great stars down the years that they deserve a shot at winning the big one. Spain is hard to beat with its crisp passing. The Spanish have only lost a couple of games since November 2006. The United States ended Spain's record 35-game unbeaten streak, at the Confederations Cup last year. And Spain did slip up in its first game of these finals losing 1-0 to Switzerland. The Dutch are also on a winning streak. The team is trying to equal Brazil's achievement in 1970 of winning every qualifying game and every World Cup match. In South Africa, the Netherlands has beaten Denmark, Japan, Cameroon, Slovakia, Brazil and Uruguay to reach the final game.
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From Monsters & Critics: Van Bronckhorst and Netherlands dream of making football history
Netherlands captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst hopes to realize a life-long dream Sunday by helping his team defeat Spain at Soccer
City to allow him to become the first Dutchman to lift the World Cup trophy. In what will be van Bronckhorst's last game for his country, Holland will be looking to make it third time lucky in a World Cup final after falling at the final hurdle in 1974 and 1978 to Germany and Argentina, respectively. Coach Bert van Marwijk also emphasised the magnitude of the clash against the Spanish, calling it 'the most important match' in his football life so far. 'It's quite something,' he said. 'This applies to all the players too. No Dutch player has ever been a world champion and that is quite special but we are approaching it as a normal game.'
The 58-year-old has a full squad to select from after Wesley Sneijder and goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg both recovered from minor knocks sustained in the semi-final victory over Uruguay. 'All players are fit, top fit even,' he said. A new world champion will be crowned Sunday and van Marwijk said both teams were deserving of the title. 'We beat Brazil and Spain beat Germany and that's why these sides are in the final,' he said. 'I think the two teams are very well organized and play to a specific vision. They are very stable and I also believe that they are two of the best teams, and I would like to emphasise 'team'.' Although van Marwijk said he had always hoped to face Spain since taking over as Dutch coach in 2008 this will be his first match against Vicente del Bosque's side. 'I've been coach for two years and I have thought at times that I would love to play Spain and now it's happening,' he said.
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From the New York Times: For World Cup Final, South Africans put past aside:
Given that the Dutch are former colonial masters and their descendants instigated the harsh racial policies of apartheid, one might think that many South Africans, blacks especially, would not cheer for the Netherlands against Spain on Sunday in the World Cup final. In truth, many will not, but mostly for reasons involving the aesthetics of soccer, not a half-century of state-mandated oppression of blacks. “Loads of us favor Spain, but it is because they have a flair, a quality,” said Lucas Radebe, a black South African who was captain of World Cup teams in 1998 and 2002. “This is all about football. History is history.”

On the other hand, many black and mixed-race South Africans are rooting for the Netherlands, along with white Afrikaners, who are of Dutch descent. Radebe said that 16 years after the fall of apartheid, this represented a sign of progress, a recognition of deep historical and cultural connections, and a confirmation of Nelson Mandela’s belief in the healing power of sports. In 1995, a year after being voted president, Mandela famously wore the jersey of the Springboks, the national rugby team largely supported by whites and resented by blacks, as South Africa won the world rugby championship here. “We forgive and forget,” Radebe said. “You’ve got to live in the world and you want to do it in peace. Mandela said we had to tolerate each other. Somebody has to give in so we can make our way forward. Sport has the power to unite people and change individuals.”
soccer connection has existed between the Netherlands and South Africa for more than half a century. The first black South African soccer player to play professionally in Europe was Steve Mokone, who joined the Dutch team Heracles in the late 1950s, a decade after apartheid had been codified in 1948. In 1999, a Cape Town team in South Africa’s Premier League took the name of Ajax and began operating in a joint venture with the renowned and powerful Amsterdam club.
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Netherlands on to World Cup Final

06 July 2010

Museumplein, Amsterdam after the first goal. (NOS)

From the Associated Press: Netherlands into World Cup final, 3-2 over Uruguay:
A Dutch treat: The Netherlands is in the World Cup final. Long wasteful with its soccer talent, the Netherlands sure has has found the right touch in this tournament. Dutch stars Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben scored three minutes apart in the second half as the Netherlands beat Uruguay 3-2 Tuesday night to advance to their first championship match since losing in 1978 to Argentina. Winners of all six games in South Africa, the Oranje will face either Germany or Spain in Sunday's title game at Soccer City in Johannesburg. The Netherlands lost its other appearance in the final, to West Germany in 1974. Both of those title-game defeats came during the golden period of Dutch soccer, and in the opposition's homeland. No such worries this time, and no country outside of Africa has had as much fan support as the Netherlands.

Sneijder's goal came somewhat unexpectedly because Uruguay had shut down the Dutch offense for much of the second half. His left-footed shot from just inside the penalty area barely ticked the leg of defender Maximiliano Pereira and, with Robin van Persie almost deflecting it again, it skidded past goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. Then Robben sent a cross from Dirk Kuyt past a flat-footed Muslera with a brilliant header as Robben was leaping away from the net. His teammates piled on in an Oranje Crush celebration, and Robben came up from it with mud on his forehead, a smile on his face — and the knowledge that Netherlands was ahead 3-1 and likely headed to the championship match. For good measure, Robben blew kisses to the fans. Pereira scored a late goal for Uruguay but the Netherlands' defense held up for the final few minutes and the party was on.
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Preview: Netherlands vs. Uruguay

05 July 2010

From BBC Sport:
Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk has warned his players to keep their feet on the ground ahead of Tuesday's World Cup semi-final against Uruguay. The Dutch arrive as favourites after beating five-time champions Brazil but Uruguay will be confident following their victory over Ghana on penalties. "Uruguay are a team of fighters," said Van Marwijk. "They battle and survive - it will be a very dangerous match. "We must not underestimate them otherwise things will go wrong for us." The Netherlands are through to their first World Cup semi-final since France 1998 and remain in contention to lift the trophy for the first time in their history.

"I told the Dutch Football Association two years ago that I was not going to this tournament just to take part in it," stated Van Marwijk, who took over from Marco van Basten after Euro 2008. "I'm a sportsman and if I go somewhere, I want to win. People might think that's arrogant but we have proven we can beat Brazil, one of the best teams in the world. We're going for it [the trophy] but I will make it very clear to my team - we have still got two matches to play and the next match is the most important. We will have to really concentrate."
Read the full article here

From ESPN: The final four
About the Netherlands squad:
After coming from behind to beat Brazil 2-1 to run its World Cup record to a spotless five wins, zero losses, the Netherlands has to be considered the odds-on favorite to defeat Uruguay and make it to its first World Cup final since 1978. The attacking trio of Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder, and Robin van Persie is clicking and all 11 players have shown the willingness to run and tackle for the full 90 minutes to get a result.

This Dutch squad does not really follow the model of its slick-passing, total-football predecessors. That's not to say this team can't string passes together and strike wonder goals. It can. It's just that if the Netherlands needs to get nine players behind the ball to defend, it does just that. How tough is this Dutch squad? Its last defeat in a competitive game in regulation time came in November 2007, a 2-1 loss to Belarus. "Some think, because of the Dutch stereotype, that we're lightweight and flighty. Well, we're not," said Sneijder, the Inter Milan star who scored both goals against Brazil. "We may be small, but we have heart. So much heart."
Read the full article about all four semi-finalists here

Powerhouse Brazil bounced from World Cup by Netherlands, 2-1, in stunning upset

02 July 2010

From the New York Daily News:
The Dutch overcame a major obstacle in Brazil in their quest to reach the World Cup finals Friday. The Netherlands came back from halftime deficit, rallying for two second-half goals en route to a stunning 2-1 triumph over the five-time world champions at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Friday. The Dutch, who have never won a championship. reached the semifinals for only the fourth time. They will take on the winner of the Uruguay-Ghana match, which will be played later today. After winning the title in 2002, the Brazilians have been eliminated in the quarterfinals for two consecutive World Cups.

An own goal by Felipe Melo in the 53rd minute and a header by Wesley Sneider in the 68th minute sparked the Dutch to the historic win. Melo had to be the goat of the match for the South Americans as he was red-carded in the 73rd minute, forcing them to play a man down the rest of the match.
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Brazilians fall to Oranje ambush (AFP)
Brazil's dreams of a sixth World Cup title were shattered as the Netherlands came from behind to claim a famous 2-1 win in an enthralling quarter-final here on Friday. An own goal by Felipe Melo - who was to be sent off later - and a Wesley Sneijder header enabled the Dutch to overturn Robinho's early opener for Brazil and completely turn around a match that, at half-time, the five-times world champions appeared destined to win comfortably. The defeat means Brazil's campaign has ended at the quarter-final stage for the second successive World Cup while the Netherlands can look forward to a semi-final against Ghana or Uruguay having avenged their 1994 and 1998 last-eight defeats by the Brazilians. The Dutch cause had not been helped by losing centreback Joris Mathijsen to a knee injury minutes before kick-off. The consequent disruption to their defence was quickly apparent, and Robinho had already had one effort chalked off because of a debatable offside call against Dani Alves by the time he gave the Selecao a tenth-minute lead.

An afternoon that had started so positively for Brazil began to take on a nightmarish tinge when Melo was shown a straight red card for a stamp on Robben with 18 minutes left. Cesar pulled off a fine stop to prevent Sneijder from claiming his second and only a last-ditch tackle ended Kuyt's surge through the Brazilian defence as the Dutch soaked up the late pressure and made their numerical advantage count on the counter attack.
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Dutch will be Brazil’s toughest test yet, 'underdogs' ready for Brazilian challenge

30 June 2010

From the Montreal Gazette:
Now, matters get serious. With all due respect to Chile, a sub-par Ivory Coast and Korea DPR, outside of a dour handshake draw against Portugal with both sides already qualified for the knockout stage, no one has yet possessed the combined ability and authority to put the Brazilians under the screws yet. Friday at Port Elizabeth, a Dutch side that has gone professionally about its business with little fanfare is fully capable of doing just that.

“We know there is always this expectation that Brazil will be the winners, but being the favourite does not allow you to win the World Cup,” cautioned coach Dunga, as the buzz surrounding increases by the game. “Some people doubted that we would perform, but as we go along that confidence is growing and growing and we hope to make it to the final. “Holland have a great World Cup tradition and they are very similar to the South American teams, so we have to be extremely careful. We have to be prepared to deal with extremely technical, excellent players.”
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Dutch 'underdogs' ready for Brazilian challenge (AFP)
The Dutch will be the underdogs for the first time at these World Cup finals when they play five-time champions Brazil in the quarter-finals on Friday, Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk said on Tuesday. The 58-year-old slightly toned down his remarks of Monday when he had said that the Dutch were "almost unbeatable" to declaring on Tuesday that they posed an "enormous challenge". However, van Marwijk said that his side's target was to be crowned champions of the world for the first time in their history after losing in two finals and they would have to beat sides of the quality of Brazil if they were to achieve that goal. "Brazil presents us with an enormous challenge, but we remain dedicated to our goal of winning the World Cup," said the coach.
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Netherlands vs. Slovakia: Oranje are into the quarterfinals, play Brazil next

28 June 2010

From IOL:
The Netherlands moved into the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup at the expense of Slovakia with a 2-1 victory over the tournament debutants in front of 61 962 spectators on Monday. Seeking a place in the final for only the third time after being runners-up to Germany in 1974 and to Argentina in 1978, the Orange XI extended their unbeaten run in international matches to 23, dating back to September 2008 when they lost to Australia in Eindhoven.

A goal in each half by the more constructive Netherlands team saw their always in control in a match that never rose to any great heights, while Slovakia's goal came in injury time from a penalty kick converted by Robert Vittek after the Dutch goalkeeper, Maarten Stekelenburg, was adjudged to have brought down late substitute, Martin Sapara. Apart from Robben's goal in the 18th minute of the first half there was little for the crowd to enthuse over, the Dutch making full use of the width of the field against a well-marshalled Slovakian defence in which central defenders Jan Durica and Martin Skrtel, gave Manchester City striker, Robin van Persie, little room to manoeuvre in.

Netherlands virtually clinched the tie in the 84th minute in a breakaway that saw the Slovakian defence in disarray, Kuyt getting a hold of a long clearance out on the left and controlling the ball before setting up Wesley Sneijder who side-footed the ball into an empty net.
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And Samba kings Brazil bludgeon Chile, meaning the Netherlands play Brazil on Friday.

Netherlands top Group E after 2-1 win v Cameroon

24 June 2010

From Yahoo Sports:
Netherlands advanced to a second-round meeting with Slovakia after they did just about enough to beat Cameroon 2-1 on Thursday to make it three wins out of three and secure top spot in Group E. After wins over Denmark and Japan, the Dutch were already assured of progressing and the victory secured with goals by Robin van Persie and Klaas Jan Huntelaar guaranteed they took the honours with Japan second after a 3-1 win over Denmark. The Dutch also had the bonus of a return to action for winger Arjen Robben, who missed the first two games with a hamstring problem but delivered a 17 minute cameo off the bench to add extra zest and invention to their attack.

Netherlands had to be on their mettle in the early stages as Cameroon, somewhat unlucky to lose 2-1 to Denmark, made a positive start but the precise passing of the Dutch always made them look the more dangerous side. Van Persie eventually broke the deadlock in the 36th minute when a quick-fire one-two with Rafael van der Vaart put him through and he slotted the ball through the keeper’s legs. The goal settled the Dutch and they began to fizz the ball around sharply on Green Point stadium’s high-speed surface. Substitute Huntelaar pounced seven minutes from time after Robben made an immediate impact when his shot from edge of the box hit a post and rebounded into the path of the striker who scored to give the Dutch a 100 percent record.

Netherlands, who won all their eight qualifying games, became the first team since Brazil in 1982 to win all their qualifying matches and all their group games.
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Charges dropped in World Cup Dutchie dress row

22 June 2010 From the Wall Street Journal:
Charges have been dropped against two Dutch women who had been accused by soccer federation Fifa of organizing an ambush marketing campaign at a World Cup game by getting a group of women to wear short orange dresses provided by brewer Bavaria NV. Charges against Barbara Castelein and Mirte Nieuwpoort were withdrawn when the pair reappeared in court Tuesday.

The women were arrested last Wednesday and appeared in court later that day, where they were released on bail and had their passports seized. Fifa had accused the pair of breaking its strict marketing rules by organizing a campaign where 36 women wore Bavaria's dresses in the Dutch national team's orange to the match against Denmark earlier in the week. Anheuser-Busch InBev NV's Budweiser is the official beer of the World Cup, and as such secured marketing rights and is the only beer sold at stadiums. Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen had criticized the handling of the incident as disproportionate, while Bavaria Marketing Director Peer Swinkels last week said his company would never have received such attention if Fifa hadn't detained the women. The dresses were sold in cases of beer in the Netherlands, but according to Mr. Swinkels have no Bavaria logo on them.
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Netherlands first to advance

20 June 2010

From the Boston Globe:
The Netherlands is showing it doesn’t have to be flashy to advance at the World Cup.Wesley Sneijder scored the only goal yesterday and the Netherlands beat Japan, 1-0, its second straight win and the second time the Dutch couldn’t produce the kind of offensive show they were expected to bring to South Africa. The Dutch will take it. Their victory, combined with Denmark’s 2-1 win over Cameroon in Group E, makes the Netherlands the first team to clinch a spot in the knockout phase of the tournament. “Why do we focus on good soccer instead of winning?’’ Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk said. “Let me assure you that we really, really want to win and if we can do that in style, then great. But you have to be able to win ugly games.’’ Sneijder’s 53d-minute strike finally broke through a Japanese defense that had stifled Oranje creativity in front of 62,010 at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

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Preview: Netherlands v Japan

18 June 2010 From CBS Sports:
Bert van Marwijk's side defeated Japan 3-0 in a friendly 10 months ago and the match between Group E's two unbeaten teams in Durban should go the same way, even though the Dutch will again be without flying winger Arjen Robben because of injury. While Japan impressed in their 1-0 win over Cameroon on Monday, the Netherlands are on a roll at the moment, having won their last five games, including their comfortable 2-0 success against Denmark in Johannesburg. The main danger to another Dutch triumph would appear to be complacency, but captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst will be doing his utmost to guard against that. "We're confident in ourselves, but we have to keep working hard and believing in ourselves," said the left-back, who won his 100th cap against the Danes. "I think we have a team that is very difficult to beat. We just have to maintain our form and make sure that when things maybe aren't going our way, we can still fight back."

That friendly loss has given Takeshi Okada's squad an extra incentive to upset the formbook and spring a major surprise. "We lost our last meeting with them, so we are motivated to win this time around. It remains to be seen whether we can get a good result, but we won't give up without a fight," Japan Daisuke Matsui promised.
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Meet the Orange army

16 June 2010 From NDTV:

The Netherlands 2 - Denmark 0: Dutch coach grateful for 'lucky' goal

14 June 2010

From BBC News:
Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk admitted a "lucky" goal helped his side to a 2-0 win over Denmark but believes they should have scored more. A freak own goal from defender Daniel Agger set Netherlands on their way in their Group E opener, with forward Dirk Kuyt completing the scoring late on. "The players were tense. We wanted to play beautiful football, but we lost the ball too often," said Van Marwijk. "Things got better. After the first goal you saw what we're capable of."

Netherlands, many people's dark horses for the competition, failed to gather any real attacking momentum in Johannesburg against a stubborn Danish defence. Denmark managed to frustrate a Netherlands side comprising attacking talents such as Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder and Robin van Persie before the Scandinavians gifted their opponents a goal moments after the break. The second goal of the game came with five minutes remaining. Lively substitute Eljero Elia raced on to a through ball and after his shot struck the post, Kuyt tapped in the rebound.
Read the full article here

Watch Kuyt's goal here (NOS)

World Cup preview: Netherlands - Denmark

13 June 2010

From Goal.com:
Netherlands arrive at this game having prepared with warm-up friendlies against Mexico, Ghana and Hungary. Oranje put in some impressive performances, but they were dealt a huge blow on the injury front in the aftermath of their game against the Hungarians. Star winger Arjen Robben picked up a hamstring injury against Hungary and will probably miss Netherlands' World Cup opener on Monday. The Bayern Munich star has since worked hard with physio Dick van Toorn to return to full match fitness and travelled to South Africa at the weekend. Robben might be available for Holland's second group phase game. Confidence is high in the Dutch ranks and players such as Robin van Persie and Rafael van der Vaart recently declared that this could be Oranje's turn to win their first World Cup, while head coach Bert van Marwijk added that Netherlands can beat any team out there.

Pre-tournament friendly results have hardly been encouraging for Denmark. A win over Senegal was a positive step, but losses against Australia and South Africa have done little to build confidence or even team spirit. Additionally, first choice goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen and striker Nicklas Bendtner aren't fully match fit. Sorensen will probably be able to play, but Bendtner is likely to miss out on Monday's game. To make things even worse for Denmark, head coach Morten Olsen missed part of his side's World Cup preparation due to a bout of 'flu. The experienced coach is still confident that Danish Dynamite can be successful against Oranje though. "Netherlands have no secret for us. We know everything about them and they won't be able to surprise us. I have a plan how we can keep them at bay and I'm confident we can record a good result against them," Olsen was quoted as saying.

Read the full article here

More about the World Cup and the Dutch team in the archives

Netherlands 4 - 1 Ghana

02 June 2010 From ESPN:

Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt sent Holland on their way to a crushing friendly victory over disappointing Ghana in Rotterdam. Kuyt struck the game's opener on the half hour and second-half efforts from Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder and Robin van Persie saw the hosts ease home. Asamoah Gyan netted for the Africans. Coach Bert van Marwijk made three half-time substitutions and the Dutch struggled to make the game safe before Van der Vaart finished off a one-two with Mark van Bommel on 73 minutes.
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World Cup preview

29 May 2010 From SBNation:
The Dutch made their mark on world football in the 1970s with the introduction of Totaalvoetbal, or total football. This system is characterized by a fluid style of play, with the formation having more importance than position. In other words, players are not constrained in their positional roles, but are able to play throughout the field. More than three decades later, their style of play remains one of the most beautiful and influential, with Arsenal and Barcelona two of the best-known clubs emulating Holland today.

Although the 2010 Netherlands national team is considered to be among the top five squads in the world, supporting the Oranje doesn’t guarantee immunity to heartache. Holland has a bit of a reputation for falling apart at critical junctures. For instance, in Euro 2000, they ran wild over Yugoslavia, winning 6-1, but went on to the semi-finals against Italy, where they couldn’t find the goal. The Dutch were given two penalties within the game but couldn’t score in either occasion, and when the match went to a penalty shootout, managed to score just one out of four.

In fact, the Netherlands opponents’ often cross their fingers for a shootout, so strong is the Dutch tradition of being unable to convert penalties. In past years, coaches for the Netherlands rarely had their players practice penalty kicks, believing a win from a shootout to be an unfitting end to their beautiful game. As recently as Euro 2004, then-coach Dick Advocaat didn’t require penalty practice prior to the tournament. Given that the 2006 World Cup came down to a penalty shootout, in which Italy scored all five of their penalties against France’s three, supporters of the Netherlands should hope that coach Bert van Marwijk overcame that prejudice and required shooting drills from 12 yards out.
Read the full article here (includes World Cup schedule)

Dutch desperate to keep 'famous four' onside as they attempt to gel talents

26 May 2010

From The Independent:
The Dutch have already conquered southern Africa once – it is why Afrikaans has been part of the continent's lexicon for over 300 years – and with Robin van Persie, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben preparing to hit territory which the colonisers of the Dutch East India Company made their own, some with a passion for the Oranje believe they have reason to dream. A sense of the true depth of Bert van Marwijk's squad might be provided in Freiburg tonight when a Netherlands team minus the Champions League competitors Sneijder, Robben and Mark van Bommel – who do not report for international duty until today – face the Mexico side which gave Fabio Capello's midfield such a run-around at Wembley. But the nation has displayed a curious reluctance to trumpet its prospects this time, perhaps because it is so inured to disappointment following the round of 16 elimination by Portugal in 2006 and the quarter-final exit to Guus Hiddink's Russia in the European Championship two years ago, when Robben's absence cost the country dear.

The coach's strategy to ensure that the Dutch's lesser lights are not dictated to by the small coterie of superstar names – "the famous four", as Van Persie, Sneijder, Robben and Real Madrid's Rafael van der Vaart are know in the Netherlands – was to summon that quartet to a team meeting and demand respect for the rest of the team. The marquee names were also banned from talking about their superior salaries. "Accept everybody," they were told. By popular consensus, that team talk has worked so far. Van Marwijk's powers of man-management are one of the reasons why he is such a popular national coach and why, despite a relatively modest club career at Feyenoord, he has recently been given a new contract taking him through to Euro 2012. The question is whether the Dutch togetherness can prevail through the pressures of a tournament. There has already been a chink in the armour, put there by Van Persie when he recently posited the idea that the "famous four" could actually all play together in the same starting XI in South Africa.
Read the full article here

Dutch authorities fear World Cup terrorism threat

19 May 2010 From the Associated Press:
Dutch security officials said Wednesday they are taking seriously the threat to soccer fans after a terrorism suspect arrested in Iraq claimed he considered attacking Dutch or Danish fans at the World Cup in South Africa. But the Dutch anti-terrorism office and Danish authorities said they aren't yet planning any new security measures in response. Judith Sluiter of the Netherlands' anti-terrorism coordination office says the comments made by Abdullah Azam Saleh al-Qahtani were in line with her agency's perception of potential threats. "Dutch interests abroad are more at risk than they are inside this country at the moment," Sluiter said. "Here, they're limited, but abroad, they're substantial."

The Netherlands national team departs for a pre-tournament training camp in Switzerland on Wednesday. Denmark captain Jon Dahl Tomasson declined to comment Wednesday on the terrorism threat. "I think we should focus on one thing, and that is we are heading out to play great football," the Feyenoord striker said.
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Van Nistelrooy misses out on provisional Dutch squad

12 May 2010

From AFP:

Veteran Ruud van Nistelrooy was the big name missing from the provisional 30-man Netherlands squad for the 2010 World Cup, announced by the team's coach Bert van Marwijk on Tuesday. The 34-year-old striker, who has scored 33 goals in his 64 international appearances, moved from Real Madrid to Hamburg this season in an ultimately fruitless bid to increase his playing time and impress the coach. Also missing from the squad is AC Milan's Clarence Seedorf, but that comes as no surprise as he has never been picked by Van Marwijk, who will cut this squad to 23 on June 1. The Dutch - who have yet to win the World Cup despite reaching two finals in 1974 and 1978 - have been drawn in Group E alongside Denmark, Japan and Cameroon for the June 11-July 11 World Cup in South Africa. They have friendlies slated against Mexico (May 26), Ghana (June 1) and Hungary (June 5).

Squad
Goalkeepers: Michel Vorm (FC Utrecht), Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax), Sander Boschker (FC Twente)

Defenders: Vurnon Anita (Ajax), Khalid Boulahrouz (Stuttgart/GER), John Heitinga (Everton/ENG), Joris Mathijsen (Hamburg/GER), Andre Ooijer (PSV), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord), Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax), Ron Vlaar (Feyenoord), Edson Braafheid (Celtic/SCO)

Midfielders: Ibrahim Afellay (PSV), Orlando Engelaar (PSV), Nigel de Jong (Manchester City/ENG), Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan/ITA), Stijn Schaars (AZ Alkmaar), Demy de Zeeuw (Ajax), Wout Brama (FC Twente), David Mendes da Silva (AZ Alkmaar), Mark van Bommel (Bayern Munich/GER), Rafael van der Vaart (Real Madrid/ESP)

Forwards: Ryan Babel (Liverpool/ENG), Eljero Elia (Hamburg/GER), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (AC Milan/ITA), Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool/ENG), Robin van Persie (Arsenal/ENG), Otman Bakkal (PSV), Jeremain Lens (AZ Alkmaar), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich/GER)

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Sven Kramer considers change to coaching team

01 March 2010

From the Washington Post:

Dutch speedskater Sven Kramer is considering hiring an additional coach after a disastrous error by his current one cost him a second gold medal. Kramer said Sunday he was not planning to dump Gerard Kemkers but may add another coach to his team as he builds toward the Sochi Games in 2014. Kramer won the 5,000-meter race in Vancouver. In the 10,000, Kemkers sent him into the wrong lane during a crossover deep into a race he was well on his way to winning. More miscommunication cost the Dutch team pursuit a spot in the final. It settled for the bronze medal Saturday despite setting an Olympic record. "It is tough because three times you are fastest and you only have one gold. You have nothing to show for the rest," he said.

Kramer is 23 and has lived in pursuit of these three golds for years. And who would have doubted his credentials? He is a world-record holder and multiple world and European champion over long distances. Add the overpowering Dutchmen in team pursuit and nothing could go wrong. He had lived a Spartan lifestyle to set up his "Svencouver" Olympics. He cannot do it again for Sochi. "To go through the same program for another four years is simply too much to ask. I have to stay motivated and that is important." Yet, he's able to marvel at the incessant jokes back home about his botched lane switch. "Sure, how can you think it up so fast?" he said. "How can you get it on the internet so fast? Well done!"
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Gullit: I want to see Holland win ugly

08 February 2010 From ESPN:

The World Cup final defeat of 1974 still provides a searing pain in the heart of Dutch football. It was the day that Rinus Michels' 'total football' philosophy, spearheaded by the talismanic Johann Cruyff, was defeated by a ruthless Germany team and the poaching instinct of the prolific Gerd Muller. "The best team never to win the World Cup" is a label often handed to that Netherlands side, but rather than inspiring future success, the defeat seemed to strike a blow to the Dutch psyche - the reverberations of which can still be seen today.

Dutch legend Ruud Gullit, who scored the opener in the 1988 European Championship final triumph against the USSR and also coined the phrase "sexy football", believes that to make an impact in South Africa, the Netherlands may have to sacrifice style for substance and abandon their traditional 'total football' approach. "I have my doubts about whether Holland can win it, simply because we need to play well in all the games," he said. "The opposition seem to have sussed us out at the last few tournaments, which makes it difficult to play our game, but I hope we will do well. There is a great possibility to get through our group but it's going to be hard. I always hope that, when we get through our group, we can win games ugly - that would be a turning point."

Bert van Marwijk is the man charged with leading the Netherlands to their first World Cup triumph this summer after taking over from Van Basten following another Dutch anti-climax at Euro 2008. Having masterminded a perfect qualifying campaign - the Dutch won all eight games, scoring 17 goals and conceding just three - expectation in the Netherlands has again reached fever pitch. "The Netherlands national team job is one of the hardest in football - everybody thinks they are a coach and everybody knows better than you. There is a lot of pressure to play football in a certain way and sometimes it's difficult to play that sort of football all the time and win."

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ESPN Netherlands team page

England rallies for 2-2 draw with Netherlands

12 August 2009 From USA Today:

Substitute Jermain Defoe scored two second-half goals Wednesday to help England rally for a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in a friendly. The hosts had taken the lead in the 10th minute when Dirk Kuyt intercepted Rio Ferdinand's weak pass, rounded goalkeeper Robert Green and sent a right-footed shot past John Terry on the line. Another defensive error by England allowed stand-in captain Rafael van der Vaart to double the lead in the 36th after Gareth Barry gave the ball away. But Defoe made it 2-1 just four minutes after coming on in the second half, taking Frank Lampard's long-range pass and outpacing the defense to fire a shot into the lower left corner. Defoe then slid to tap in James Milner's cross in the 76th for the equalizer.

The Netherlands has already clinched a spot at next year's World Cup finals while England is one win away from claiming its berth for the tournament in South Africa. Victory against Croatia at Wembley on Sept. 9 will seal England's spot.

The Netherlands faces Japan in another international friendly Sept. 5 in the eastern town of Enschede before traveling to Scotland four days later for its last Group 9 match. England has a friendly against Slovenia Sept. 5 before taking on Croatia. Earlier Wednesday, police said fifteen people were arrested for fan violence in the center of Amsterdam.

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Dutch win 2-0 to stay perfect in World Cup qualifying

11 June 2009 From USA Today:

Andre Ooijer and Arjen Robben scored Wednesday for the Netherlands to beat Norway 2-0 and stay perfect in World Cup qualifying. The Netherlands leads Group 9 with 21 points from seven games and has already advanced to next year's tournament in South Africa. Norway is last with three points from five games. Ooijer headed in Rafael van der Vaart's free kick in the 32nd minute, and Robben got the second in the 50th. "We knew we had already qualified but we had to play beautiful football for our fans," Van der Vaart said. The Netherlands threatened from the start in a rain-soaked Kuip stadium, with Robben and John Heitinga creating early chances for Robin van Persie.

Needing a victory to boost its chances of qualifying through a playoff, Norway created nothing in the first half. Two minutes into the second half, Morten Gamst Pedersen forced a diving save from Netherlands goalkeeper Maarteen Stekelenburg. Mark van Bommel's clearance from the resulting corner robbed Norway of another scoring opportunity. After thwarting the Netherlands in the opening minutes, Norway's defense failed to stop Ooijer's goal off a free header. Van Persie then skilfully controlled the ball before setting up Robben for the second.

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