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hup holland hup
In essence the Dutch can be mesmerizing when they play as a team. They have a skillful style of play, not perhaps the ‘total football’ concept of the 70s, but a lot more interesting to watch than that of clinical German sides and the defensive Italians. A slow start - Ironically, the start of a proper league happened very much despite the Dutch federation, KNVB, who did everything in its power to delay the entrance of money into the game. In 1954 it submitted to pressure from press, players and several businessmen, who had started a succesfull league of their own. Dutch football was averse to cash until well after World War II. The post-war years therefore saw an exodus of players like Faas Wilkes, Kees Rijvers and Bertus de Harder heading to France, Spain and Italy, to earn a salary with their favourite hobby. Leaving their own country also meant the end of their international careers. The Dutch federation stubbornly refused to invite professionals for the Dutch team, which as a result saw a steady decline with only a single win between the summer of 1949 and the end of 1952, while average attendances at league matches also dropped with all the stars playing abroad. Although there was an increasing support to turn the game professional, the KNVB would have none of it. Then came a seemingly unrelated drama which would change the Dutch game entirely. On the night of February 1st 1953, floods caused the death of almost two thousand people in the southwestern parts of the country and left many more homeless. Understandably distressed, the French-based players Bram Appel (Stade de Reims) and Theo Timmermans (Olympique Nimes) asked the French federation to organize a benefit match between the French national team and the Dutch. The French chairman wholeheartedly agreed but the KNVB were reluctant to see their ailing team get a roasting in Paris. The professional players then suggested to form a Dutch XI of their own to play the French. The KNVB backed off, even refusing them orange shirts, and had their own benefit against Denmark in Amsterdam. A full house saw yet another humiliating defeat, which added to the excitement of the Paris game a few days later. Although on a weekday 8,000 fans travelled for this unique opportunity to watch the best the country could offer, although they had to do without Faas Wilkes, who was not released by AC Torino. Even without him the team battled to a sensational 2-1 win, leaving the KNVB officials red-faced. They had asked the press not to write about the match, but afterwards enormous headlines celebrated the biggest football victory since the war. Along with it came an even bigger outcry to introduce professional football and bring back those top players to the league. The KNVB resisted as long as it could but the succes of a new federation, introducing payments and new clubs, forced them to merge and start a professional league in November 1954 also implying the return of the best players in the national team. The rest is (a mixed) history!!. But the Netherlands have been footballing pioneers for only the past 35 years now, and, while other countries have caught up, they have at least maintained their own standards. With a population of just 16 million, they are the smallest of the "big" footballing countries, owing their seat at the top table to their continuing ability to innovate. Dutch Drawbacks - Their most serious drawback, on the other hand, is an equally long-lived tendency to bicker. Since the days of Johan Cruyff, Dutch squads have been riven by dissent - sometimes between the squad and their coaches, at others between groups within the squad. An Ajax clique at loggerheads with a Feyenoord clique; a white clique falling out with a black clique: they can at times give the impression of only being happy when they are having rows. The most public disputes in recent times have been between Dick Advocaat, the former Rangers manager (now coach of St Petersburg), and some of his most prominent players. This has included a falling-out with Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was supposedly declared surplus to requirements because he and Patrick Kluivert had failed to produce the goods as a striking partnership in qualifying Group 3 for Euro 2004. "Kluivert and Van Nistelrooy have produced too little in the games where they played together," Advocaat said at the weekend, when he fielded Rafael van der Vaart up front with Kluivert in the 5-0 win over Moldova (September 2003). Petulance is by no means the preserve of the Dutch, but they do take their penchant for disputes to lengths which most other countries appear able to avoid. This is probably an inevitable result of their coaching system, which encourages footballers from a young age to take responsibility for their own actions, to think for themselves about what they are doing on the pitch and off. In that sense at least, the Dutch are the victims of their own success in breeding players who are a whole lot more than mere cogs in a machine. Before Advocaat, Van Nistelrooy’s previous antagonist was Edgar Davids, with whom he had a bust-up on the training pitch before the match against the Czech Republic (October 2003) which consigned the Dutch to the play-offs. On that occasion, Advocaat sided with the Premiership player, though he also acknowledged that Davids was an essential part of the way the team operate. "I have the best players on the continent, but they are not willing to accept things from each other," Advocaat said. "Davids has a different personality, but his aggression is important for the team. I have told him off for what he has done wrong, but I will not leave him out. Why should I?"
Things have reached such a low point that even the medical fraternity has become involved in Holland's dismal penalty record. A Dutch study has found that excess mortality after a penalty shoot-out between the Netherlands and France in 1996. In the Dutch study, the excess of deaths from myocardial infarction and stroke was seen only in men and found a significant increase in hospital admissions for both sexes. The effect was slightly stronger for men than women, but there was "little statistical evidence of an interaction between sex and exposure condition". Brunekreef and Hoek recently examined mortality associated with five important Dutch international football matches between 1988 and 1994. In one of the matches, against Denmark in the 1992 European Cup semifinal, was resolved by penalty shoot-out; the Netherlands lost. Mortality increased on the day of this match, and the effect seems to be restricted to games that are lost in a penalty shoot-out. Read more
Under new management - With coach Marco van Basten (remember 1988?), the Dutch eleven saw major cosmetic surgery. Out were the familar faces of Kluivert, Davids, Seedorf, Stam (who's possible comeback from international retirement had received a muted response from van Basten) and oranje debutants of relatively unknown Tim de Cler, Jan Kromkamp, Khalid Bouhlarouz and Barry Opdam who injected the team with some youth and newfound flair. I wasn't convinced with this new team with some dissapointing performances against the likes of Andorra (4-0) and Armenia (1-0). Despite some questionable performances, Holland managed to set to top their table (having beaten the cumbersome Czechs on both occaisions) and therefore avoided another humiliating defeat in the play-offs (as was the case for the 2002 World Cup!). Thus, going into the 2008 Tournament, I was ecstatic with their first coupld of results against World cup holders Italy and former holders France. Of course Holland had to come up against the master tactician, Hiddink and his Russian rebels who soundly beat Holland to make it to the finals. Qualified for 2010!! - well not quite, but you may as well asume they have with their mediocre qualifying group of contenders. So, I'd be booking my flights and hotels now, if I were you! In the meantime, here are some of the better Oranje links for you: KNVB www.knvb.nl - (Dutch FA). Has video highlights of each game - excellent when you can't see a game live! ITV Sport www.itv-sports.com - Dutch international team news and statistics - in English! SBS www.sbs.com.au - Dutch football news in general from the Australian broadcaster Oranje Supporters Club www.supportersclub-oranje.nl – subscription info, news, shop, and ticket info Oranje supporters’ anthems www.wilhelmus.nl/voetbalwilh.html - Oranje supporters’ anthems (in Dutch) Oranje Virus www.oranjevirus.nl - there’s not one anti-virus program against it. An impressive amateur site dedicated to the national side Oranje Links http://voetbal.boogolinks.nl - Various Dutch links: stadiums, teams, ladies football etc Voetbal Oranje www.voetbalvanoranje.nl - As it says on the tin, ‘football from oranje’ Voetbal Fan www.voetbalfan.nl - Dutch football league news, the Amstel Cup, Orange news and shop.
Where do they play to be such egomaniacs? Here are links to clubs where most of the Dutch squad entertain us:
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As
a Dutchman I would have to have my marbles checked out if I
were to say that I wasn't interested in 'voetbal'. Then again,
it takes some madness supporting the Dutch 'oranje' national
side with their disappointing performances at recent tournaments
such as Euro 96, 2000, 2004 and the World Cup '94, '98 and not
to mention them flopping against sides like Ireland (not that
they weren’t good of course). For more stats on the Dutch national
side, check out the 
'
which examines the Dutch game - 
The
Dutch may be underachievers, but think of what they have given
the football world. The Cruyff turn; Van Basten`s wonder goal
against the USSR in 1988; the great Ajax teams of the early
70s and the mid 90s; Johnny Rep; and Ruud Gullit`s captaincy
of the Dutch side as they won Euro 88. Of late there has been
little to boast about apart from some erratic performances at
the World Cup in France (1998) and on home turf in Euro 2000.
If the team does get to the final of Portugal in 2004 they will
be under intense pressure - more than a 'normal' team due to
their imploding characteristics. But not qualifying for World
Cup in '86 also saw them win the European Championship in '88.
Of cours this was delusional thinking, and Holland again under-achieved
with mediocre performances against current Mickey Mouse team
Germany (1-1), a collapse to the Czechs (3-2) and their final
exit game against Portugal which proved to be Dick Advocaat's
final game as manager. After some bizarre substututing during
the championships, it was his best decision. One good thing
to come out of Euro 2004, was that Holland actually manage to
beat someone with penalties (Sweden 5-4). Let's hope Holland
remember this new found skill for the World Cup in 2010!
meijboom.co.uk