Coach Marco van Basten leads the Dutch to WC in hope of achieving the unachieved glory
Coach Marco van Basten leads the Dutch to WC in hope of achieving the unachieved glory
AMSTERDAM: After an almost perfect qualifying campaign left the Czech Republic trailing in their wake, Marco van Basten will take the Netherlands into the 2006 WC, where they have been drawn in the so-called Group of Death.
Their clash with Argentina in Group C promises to be the best of the first round. The group also contains Serbia and Montenegro and Ivory Coast.
As a player Van Basten scored one of the game’s greatest goals when the Dutch won their only major title at the 1988 European championships, and as coach has fashioned a new-look side blending the experience of his veterans with some fresh faced youngsters.
Notably absent from the 2002 World Cup when Portugal and the Republic of Ireland fared better in qualifying, the Netherlands are a welcome addition in Germany as one of the most flamboyant and romantic of the world’s top teams.
Edwin van der Saar will be in goal behind a relatively untested defence outside the stalwarts of veteran Phillip Cocu and Jaap Stam. Rafael van der Vaart pulls the strings in midfield and has gone from strength to strength since his move from Ajax to Hamburg.
While the defence and midfield look strong, the attack looks even more menacing and all opponents will be fully aware of the threat posed by Ruud van Nistelrooy and Arjen Robben.
The Dutch have always attracted the imagination of most neutrals but so often they have flattered to deceive on the world stage.
To win football’s greatest prize, they must first conquer psychological demons that have risen from the agony of coming so close in the past only to fall at the final hurdle.
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