World Cup – Netherlands vs Slovakia: Arjen Robben Makes the Difference in the Match Against Slovakia
The Netherlands were missing a spark at the start of the World Cup in South Africa. Although they were one of the only two teams who had a perfect record in the group stages, their performance never felt convincing to the fans. However, with the return of Arjen Robben, who recovered from a hamstring injury, in the last game, the Dutch showed a lot of potential. Immediately, he had an impact on the game, as he created the second goal.
In the second round match, the Dutch faced the Slovakians, with Arjen Robben in the starting line-up. He had a real impact on the game from the start of the match, as he made dangerous runs with the ball. In the 18th minute of the match, Robben found himself on the score-sheet, with a fabulous goal past the Slovakian goalkeeper. He played for a greater part of the match, but was substituted by the coach, who intended to give him some rest.
However, the Man of the Match performance was once again shown by Wesley Sneijder, the Inter Milan midfielder. Sneijder showcased a brilliant performance, as he was running all their attacking plays in the field. He was the one who provided the pass to Robben for the first Dutch goal. He continued to threaten the Slovakian defensive line with his brilliant display of play-making, although many chances were never converted. However, Sneijder found himself in the scoring position, and with a sublime finish gave his team a double lead and a sure victory over the Slovakians. The Slovakians, however, had a consolation goal in the injury time, as Robert Vittek scored the fourth goal of the World Cup from the penalty spot. The Dutch emerged victorious by 2-1.
The Netherlands had a decent game against the Slovakians. They attacked well, but had a lot of missed opportunities. They were also solid at the back, as they challenged the Slovakian attack with determination. In the end, they did manage to achieve victory and a place in the quarterfinals, but the score-line still does not do justice to the quality present in the Dutch side. This team is supposed to go all-out on the attack and score a lot of goals against average teams. However, this attitude has always led to the failure for the Dutch in the past, so a change in attitude is promising. Right now, the Netherlands is doing just enough to get the required results out of their fixtures.
The Slovakians had a decent game as well. The Europeans have now ended their World Cup campaign, but they played excellent football in the group stages. No one predicted such success for the Slovakians, but the 3-2 victory against the defending champions Italy proved otherwise. They showed the same class against the Dutch, but a few missed chances let the game slip away from their hands. In the end, the Slovakians still deserve a round of applause for the fighting spirit they showed during the World Cup.
The Netherlands will face Brazil in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. Brazil had a more convincing victory against a better opposition, Chile. Therefore, they still hold the advantage over the Dutch, but anything can happen in a Netherlands’ game. The good news for Netherlands is that their main play-maker, Wesley Sneijder, is in top form. Recently, he led his club, Inter Milan, to the treble, and now he continues to show the same good form for his National side. Right now, he might be the best play-maker in South Africa, which gives an advantage to Netherlands. The play-maker has a very significant role in the team’s victory, as he makes the passes that cut through the opposition defences. Therefore, the Dutch coach would be giving a lot of instructions to Sneijder for the next game.
The return of Robben at the right moment and his immediate return to form is also a blessing in disguise for the Dutch team. Robben plays a kind of free football and often finds a lot of space and scoring opportunities. He also has a quality to disrupt the opposition defences. However, right now, there is little time left to enjoy the success, as the preparations for the next big match have already begun.
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