Netherlands finally in a position to win?
Totaalvoetbal, or total football, is probably the greatest tactical invention football has ever known - and the chief safeguard of it has always been the Netherlands.
Whether it be Ajax or the Dutch national team it was their system and come World Cup time or the European cup, everyone watched the Dutch with a sense of anticipation, and on the national stage they still do.
The Dutch have a special aura about them; everyone loves them because they are the loveable losers and because they play great football and have produced some of the best players of all time – notably Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp.
Of course there are many others and at the moment we have the pleasure of watching Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Wesley Sneijder, but they’re not in the same league as the other three, even though they are very talented.
And though they have ability, this current Dutch team doesn’t seem to have that special aura around them; instead they have a very workmen feel, and that is something the Dutch have missed in previous years.
Just looking at the team, you have Dirk Kuyt, Mark van Bommel, Nigel deJong and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, in fact across the whole back-line the team is pretty unspectacular. There are no de Boer brothers, Phillip Cocu’s or Ronald Koeman’s. But what there is, is a cohesion in the team - which makes them a threat to realistically win the World Cup.
The big test now for the workmen-like Dutch comes against Brazil - can Holland finally live up to all expectations and defeat the five times world champions and get revenge for 1998? Certainly a change in footballing philosophy will help.
But it’s not all just hard work, having three great attacking players means the Dutch can still retain their attacking flair and that’s what sets this Dutch team apart from others, they are well balanced and well organised with only Argentina matching their attacking front three.
Are they good enough to win the World Cup? Well there are better teams like Brazil and Spain, but there is no doubt the Dutch are in a better position to win a competition than in recent years.
Tags: