Appearances: 8 appearances. Last appearance was in 2006.
Current FIFA Ranking (As of March 31): 3
Captain: Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Defensive midfielder/Left back)
Leading Scorer in Qualifying: 2 players tied with 3 goals.
Dirk Kuyt (Striker/Winger), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Striker)
Key Injuries:
Robin van Persie (Striker) - ankle injury (Expected back in early May)
Key retirements since 2006:
Edwin van der Sar - Goalkeeper/former captain
Ruud van Nistelrooy - Striker
Phillip Cocu - Midfielder
Clarence Seedorf - Midfielder
Team Overview:
The Dutch are one of the biggest underachieving teams in recent history. Gone are the years of Total Football and the Clockwork Oranje. Since finishing in second place in the 1974 and 1978 World Cups, the Dutch have gotten past the quarterfinals only once and amazingly failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup. The Dutch can be tantalizingly great at times (see Euro 2008 group stages) but can just as easily be horrible.
They enter the tournament this year with a high ranking and once again, extremely high hopes. Marco van Basten is out as the manager and Bert van Marwijk takes over the reins. They have always been a great offensive team, but this year they will have to rely on their defense even more than before.
If the qualifying stages were of any indication, the Dutch have begun to change their philosophy as they allowed only two goals during the qualifying stages. However, their group was exceptionally weak so there is no real indication of how good their defense really is.
The biggest difference in this year's team (and it's a huge one) is the departure of legendary goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar. Van der Sar was on the team for two decades and has been the face of the team for the past 8 years. Coming in to fill his giant shoes is Maarten Stekelenburg, a 27-year-old that lost his starting spot on his club team during the 2008-2009 season. He has since gotten his spot back though. He played in five of Netherland's eight qualifying games and allowing goals in two of them.
The backline for the Dutch is a strong group and are efficient goalscorers as well. Captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst mans the left back position, though he is able to move all around the field. He'll be joined by Joris Mathijsen, John Heitinga and Andre Ooijer. Heitinga has one of the most powerful shots on the team and will be a huge weapon from the back.
The midfield and forwards positions for the Dutch are as deep as any nation in the world. In the midfield part time captain (and son-in-law of the current coach) Mark van Bommel. He has a great shot as well, but is very temperamental and refused to play for the national team as long as Marco van Basten was the coach. Nigel de Jong is the defensive midfielder and is a viscous tackler (he did break Stuart Holden's leg earlier this year).
The big members of the midfield are Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Rafael van der Vaart. Van der Vaart and Sneijder man the middle of the field and form a potent attacking trio with Robben. Sneijder is extremely quick with the ball and is a very accurate shooter. Sneijder is the set piece specialist on the team and is one of the best in the world. He is also ambidextrous which means that he is equally strong with both feet. He and Robben form one of the best pair of passing midfielders in the world.
The Dutch get a huge boost with the return of Robin van Persie. If he can get back into form, he'll be an essential player for the success of the Dutch.With the retirement of Ruud van Nistelrooy, he will be called upon to be the main striker. He can be a starter but is equally effective as a super sub. Dirk Kuyt, one of the most tireless workers in the game, will also be in a striker position but will be called upon to be more of a support player rather than a scorer. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Ryan Babel are good subs that can make an impact on the game.
Player to Watch: Arjen Robben
Robben is one of the most dangerous players in the world. While usually a winger in the midfield, he can also move into a forward position and be the main striker. He is known for his ability to get near the endlines and cross the ball back toward the goal. He is a very creative player and has been Bayern Munich's MVP this year. He is a creative player and will attempt passes that only someone of his caliber could perform. He has struggled with injuries throughout his career and hopefully he will stay healthy throughout the World Cup.
Prediction: Loss to Brazil in the quarterfinal
The final squad will not be announced until June 10 but here is a small list of players in the running to make the team.
Match Schedule
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