Contenders or Pretenders: A Well-Oiled Oranje

How many times have you heard an oranjephile exclaim, “this is their year,” when asked about Holland’s Euro or world cup chances? Probably too many. Holland is routinely labeled a trophy contender, and then routinely goes on to disappoint. Much of the hoopla surrounding the Dutch derives from their reputation as a “total football” playing team that never sacrifices beautiful football in order to win. Yet, while this is the perception, there have been a few occasions when that hasn’t been the case; and history has taught us that when Holland deviates from its game plan, the results are less than satisfactory. A perfect example of this was during the 2006 world cup, when the Dutch were heavy favorites to lift the trophy, and had to face Portugal in the second round, in what is now commonly referred to as the “Battle of Nuremberg.” While both teams were supposed to dazzle the world with their elegant styles of play, the match degenerated into a mosh-pit that produced a record sixteen yellow cards, four reds, and saw the Oranje prematurely ousted.

The same happened in the last Euro. Having reached the quarterfinals after surviving a group of death that included Italy, France, and Romania, Holland faced the tournament’s dark horses in Russia, which was playing dutchesque football under the tutelage of Guus Hiddink. Although by the end of regular time the game remained a one-goal tie, the Dutch were being visibly outplayed, showed no signs of playing the football that got them that far, looked destined to lose, and did. However, this year could well be different. Holland breezed through the qualifying campaign – albeit against fairly weak opposition – and find themselves in a fairly “easy” world cup group that consists of the Cameroon, Denmark, and Japan. In the round of sixteen Holland will likely face Italy or Paraguay, neither of which poses a legitimate threat (famous last words). It’s after that that the Dutch should start to sweat a little, with Brazil standing in the way – or dare I say Portugal? So, is this really their year?

Why They’re Contenders

Bert van Marwijk

Who? That’s exactly the point. After years of being led by coaches who covet the limelight more than many of the players – think Rijkaard, van Gaal, Advocaat, and van Basten - the KNVB has finally found someone relatively incognito, with a strong enough personality to lead a bunch of bickering divas. It also helps that Marwijk has surrounded himself by assistants Philip Cocu and Frank de Boer, who have long been involved with the Dutch team, are former captains, and not far removed enough from their playing days to forget about what makes players happy. One of Marwijk’s priorities this summer is to squash any of the infamous squabbling that occurs between players. This year has been a relatively quiet one, although there has been some vestigial animosity between Wesley Sneijder and van Persie, dating back to the Euro. If that is the only problem afflicting the Dutch camp, then Marwijk is doing something well, since quarreling and egocentrism have plagued the Oranje in the past. Additionally, while the coach’s pedigree is not on par with some of his predecessors, it’s important to note that he did win a UEFA Cup in 2002 with Feyenoord.

A formidable attack

Van Nistelrooy’s omission from the squad has left many questioning Holland’s goal-scoring prowess, as there’s no one else on the team that has the Hamburg man’s scoring record. Nevertheless, this shouldn’t be a cause for concern. The Dutch have more than enough scoring options to make them a threat to any defense they face. Huntelaar scores an average of a goal every two games for the Dutch, while Kuyt, Robben, and van Persie are regular contributors. Kuyt is one of the hardest-working men in football. He will run defenses ragged, and his style of play is reminiscent of Angelo Di Livio’s, but with finishing ability to boot. Arjen Robben may be entering the world cup after his best season yet. He lit up the Bundesliga all year, and his goals have propelled Bayern Munich to the highly anticipated Champions League final against Inter Milan. Van Persie, on the other hand, has been out with an injury for most of the year, and is going to South Africa out of rhythm. Nevertheless, his ability, speed, and thunderous left foot should still allow him to cause some problems for the opposition. Holland’s midfield is also adept at scoring goals. The Dutch will probably line up a midfield comprised of two holding midfielders (van Bommel and de Jong) and two more advanced playmakers (Sneijder and van der Vaart) who will have the freedom to roam and set up the offense. Sneijder has been the offensive catalyst for Inter all season long, with his pinpoint passing and curling free kicks, while van Bommel has anchored Bayern’s midfield giving Robben and Ribery more freedom to attack the wings. Both will be in the Champion’s League final trying to cancel each other out. The biggest problem Holland’s opponents will have is determining where the next attack is going to come from, and when you have that many threats, chances are someone will be left alone to slot in a goal (or two).

Why They’re Pretenders

A slow defense

Holland only conceded two goals throughout qualifying, and yet, their defense may prove to be the team’s biggest liability. The combined age of the usual starting four at the back is a whopping 126 years! At 26, John Heitinga is the youngest of the four, while Gio van Bronckhorst, the captain, is the oldest at 35. Even though Heitinga is near his prime, he is still relatively slow for a right back, something that went unnoticed at Atletico Madrid, but became rather obvious when he arrived at Everton where the Premiership game runs at a much faster pace than La Liga. As the left back, van Bronckhorst is very slow and will surely be the focus of opposing coaches’ team talks, as they will be looking to capitalize on the very few visible weaknesses Holland will have. The two centerbacks, Ooijer and Mathijsen are also a rather inert tandem; although the former uses his size and strength to make up for his lack of speed, and the latter uses his positional acumen – Mathijsen does have the distinction of being one of the smartest centerbacks in Europe. Holland’s defensive problems shouldn’t be much of an issue during the group stage, even though Japan and Cameroon are teams that rely on their speed to spring effective counter-attacks. They’ll be far more concerned with stopping the Dutch offense. However, once Holland reaches the knockout stages, their frailties will become more apparent as their opponents grow in quality.


Temper tantrums

When things go well for the Dutch, a world cup game is comparable to a scrimmage, with the Orange skillfully distributing the ball, lulluing their opponents to sleep, before delivering a striking blow. However, when things go badly, the “orange machine” begins to stutter, frustration begins to seep through, and tempers begin to flare. Just watch the “Battle of Nuremberg” to see how self-destructing this can be. All teams begin to make rash decisions on the field when their players become frustrated, but the Dutch have an uncanny ability of making stupidly dangerous tackles and then mouthing off impetuously to refs. If this happens, expect the brandishing of cards, and subsequent suspension of key players. And for all the talent the Oranje squad has, one of its problems is lack of experience. The Dutch have a very young bench, and in a big game, talent alone may not be enough to beat a good team. Much of the game is psychological, and if opponents sniff fresh meat, they’ll do their best to get inside the heads of the impressionable young Dutchmen.

The Verdict: Contenders

If people truly learn from experience, then the Dutch should be a well-educated bunch. Holland knows what it takes to succeed in the world cup, and the players are very cognizant that the slightest snag can lay an entire campaign to waste. This being the case, I believe that any internal rivalries and antagonisms will be squashed before the Oranje board the plane to South Africa. Many of the players on the current team were members of past disappointments, and they’ll be sure to remind their least tournament-tested teammates that insubordination will not be tolerated. This is probably why van Bronckhorst still has a place on the team. As for the quad itself, of course, there’s an issue of balance. Most teams lack in certain areas, and while the Dutch have a fragile defense, they do have two seemingly inexhaustible anchor-men in de Jong and van Bommel, who will drop back to clog any holes. Offensively, I can’t think of a more threatening team. If teams don’t want to concede many goals to the Dutch, they’re going to have to impose their own game, but with Sneijder and van der Vaart pulling the strings at lightning speed, that will be unlikely to happen. Look for Holland to cruise into the quarterfinals, and if they can overcome that obstacle, expect them to at least make it to the semis. Be prepared to see a lot of orange in the stands all the way into July.