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Fantasy Football: is Holland striker Robin van Persie hitting his form at the right time?
Holland and Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has fully recovered from his ruptured ankle ligaments and has impressed for both club and country. Is he finding form at just the right time?


Holland beat Mexico 2-1 on Wednesday thanks to a well-taken brace from Van Persie, playing his first international since picking up that injury against Italy in November.

Having also bagged two goals in his last two games for Arsenal, he is the fifth-most selected striker in Telegraph Fantasy Football World Cup.


But, and it's a big but with RvP, he complained about a hamstring strain and hobbled off before the end. Can you afford to take the risk and select Van Persie or is he certain to get injured?

Pros
Goals - Van Persie showed against Mexico that he has has not lost his touch in front of goal.
Creator - after his hefty layoff he came straight back into action against Spurs and was immediately opening up chances for his mates.
Distance - the Dutch have a straightforward group and could go far in South Africa, with RvP certain to start.

Cons
Injuries - yup. It's the big one, and really the only one. He appears to have a body made out of glass sometimes and a heavy knock here or there could end his campaign, and yours.
Erratic colleagues - Holland could go far in the tournament, but they could just implode and get knocked out at the last 16. It's happened before.

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Op zaterdag 29 mei 2010 12:38 schreef Torrio het volgende:
tvp, goed topic

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Background
With the famous 'totaalvoetbal', the Netherlands impressed the world in the seventies during two World Cups. The 1974 side was probably the strongest team ever not to win the World Cup together with Hungary in 1954. No single side managed to fulfil the eternal Dutch dream of becoming World Champions, although the 1998 squad came close with a place in the semi-final.

How They Qualified
Was it a bumpy road to South Africa? On the contrary. Bert van Marwijk's team probably had the easiest qualifying session of every country, with the exception of hosts South Africa. The Dutch team comfortably won Group 9 in the European zone beating Norway, Scotland, Macedonia and Iceland. With a World Cup ticket in the bag after the sixth matchday, the Netherlands managed to beat Norway and Scotland and made their campaign perfect, winning all of their eight matches.

Strengths
Robin van Persie, Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben; many countries would like them in their squad. The offensive part of the Dutch team is very strong, probably close to world class. The tecnically brilliant Van Persie, the playmaking qualities of Sneijder and the dribbling ability and pace of Robben are a big threat for every opponent. When fully fit, the trio are a dangerous weapon.

Weaknesses
Despite have a good qualifying campaign, the defence has always been a point of discussion in the Netherlands itself. Andre Ooijer is an experienced centre-back, who is however getting a bit old. This has prompted Van Marwijk to make some changes to his back-line. Everton defender John Heitinga will most likely play centre-back in the Dutch team, which leaves an open spot for talented right-back Gregory van der Wiel. Joris Mathijsen has been criticised quite a bit when he started to be a regular player in defence, but his performances are improving and he appears to be a certainty at the back. Giovanni van Bronckhorst is the captain of the team, but people are a bit worried about his qualities. Originally a midfielder, Van Bronckhorst seems to have difficulty with playing against a real winger.

The Coach
Bert van Marwijk was the successor of Marco van Basten after Euro 2008. As a club coach he reached the Dutch Cup final with the modest side Fortuna Sittard in 1999. At Feyenoord he lived his finest moments, winning the UEFA Cup in 2002 and the national Cup in 2008. Van Marwijk is a quiet, conservative coach, who is not likely to bring surprises in the confirmed WC-squad. The possibility of Edwin van der Sar and Ruud van Nistelrooy giving up their international retirement was there for a moment, Van Marwijk snubbed Van Nistelrooy for his provisional squad, while Van der Sar ruled out a comeback himself.

Star Men

Robin van Persie (Arsenal)
One of the key players of English side Arsenal. Spending his youth in the streets of Rotterdam playing 'street soccer', Van Persie created the foundation for his brilliant technique and skills. As his manager Arsene Wenger once said, "there's no player who can hold the ball so close to his foot with his first touch as Van Persie." Being used on the right wing in the past, Van Persie has expressed his desire to play in the striker role in the Dutch team like he does at Arsenal. A forward close to world class.

Wesley Sneijder (Inter)
Real Madrid didn't need him anymore, but at Italian giants Inter, Wesley Sneijder has quickly become one of the club's key players. Sneijder, coming from the youth ranks of Ajax, has the almost unique ability to shoot and pass exceptionally well with his right and left foot. He understands how to play behind the striker of his own team and between the defence and midfield of the opponents. His positioning is very good, which provides him the opportunity to give assists and score goals from distance.

Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)
A very skillful and quick winger, who can drive his opponents mad. His dribbling skills and pace are absolutely great, which makes him a player who can decide matches or break the deadlock. There's only one problem: he is injury prone. Robben used to suffer a lot from injuries and was also known as the man of glass. Robben hasn't been plagued by injury too much though this term and if fully fit, He is a dangerous weapon for any top class side.

Best Footballing Moment
The only tournament won by the Netherlands is the European Championships of 1988. It was the team with stars like Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit. In 1974, the Dutch team let victory slip away against West Germany after leading 1-0 after only two minutes. Before the converted penalty of Johan Neeskens, no single German had touched the ball. In 1978, Rob Rensenbrink hit the post in the last minute of the final against Argentina at 1-1. An example of 'so close and yet so far away'.

Off The Pitch
Famous for: wooden shoes, the tulips and (most heard from foreigners when asked about the Netherlands), the policy regarding drugs. The Dutch coffee shops are a highlight for all those tourists from all over the world.
Most likely to: start the tournament very well. The expectations will start to rise in the Netherlands. Will the dream of becoming World Champions finally come true? And then one off-day in the knock out phase will destroy the dream again.

World Cup Objective
The 'Orange fever' will start to grow when the start of the WC comes closer and closer. All programs on TV will be focused on the chance of the Dutch becoming World Champions. Realistically, the quarter-finals are possible, everything beyond that will be a nice surprise.

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Op zaterdag 29 mei 2010 16:22 schreef Kw4Kje het volgende:
The Netherlands's chance of winning the FIFA World Cup 10.1 %

England's chance of winning the FIFA World Cup 10.6 %

Goal.com

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Op zaterdag 29 mei 2010 18:29 schreef Rudi_Voller het volgende:
Van Persie afgehaakt tijdens de training. Nederland.

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Op zaterdag 29 mei 2010 18:30 schreef TheDutchguy het volgende:

[..]

Was niks ernstigs.

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Op zaterdag 29 mei 2010 18:28 schreef BoerBert het volgende:

[..]

Sowieso het schatten van overwinningskansen

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Op zaterdag 29 mei 2010 18:45 schreef Paganitzu het volgende:



- Stekelenburg houdt 71.43% van de schoten die op hem afkomen tegen, wereldtoppers als Casillas 84.62% en Buffon 84.00%

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Op zaterdag 29 mei 2010 18:53 schreef Rudi_Voller het volgende:

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Dit soort dingen zeggen wel iets. Geeft gewoon aan dat Stekelenburg internationaal gezien geen top is. Wat voor % haalde Sar?

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Op zaterdag 29 mei 2010 19:04 schreef Paganitzu het volgende:

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Dit gaat over kwalificatie he? Bij de prestaties in de competitie staan enkel de "punten" en die vind ik niet helemaal juist, echter staat vd. Sar daar op de 2de plek.

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Op zaterdag 29 mei 2010 18:29 schreef Rudi_Voller het volgende:
Van Persie afgehaakt tijdens de training. Nederland.

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Op zaterdag 29 mei 2010 23:17 schreef nubreektmijnklomp het volgende:

[..]

preventief ja. hij heeft net een zware blessure achter de rug

gekke troll die niet eens völler kan schrijven

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The flying Dutchmen anyone? Many a football fans second favorite team, the Dutch always play their positive brand of attacking football and could be a favorite to win the title if they can avoid a classic meltdown in later stages.

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Op zondag 30 mei 2010 00:20 schreef Rudi_Völler het volgende:

[..]

Heul wel

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3.Netherlands
If I was going to pick a team to win this World Cup outside the co-favorites, it would be coach Bert van Marwijk's Dutch side. Midfielders Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan) and Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich) are in top form after leading their teams to domestic league titles and the Champions League final, and the return of forward Robin van Persie from injury bolsters an already scary attack force that can select from Dirk Kuyt, Eljero Elia, Rafael van der Vaart and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. The potential weakness lies on the back line, and goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg won't make anyone forget the (internationally retired) Edwin van der Sar.

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Niederlande gewinnt Testspiel mit 4:1
Eine Lektion für Ghana

Der deutsche WM-Gruppengegner Ghana kassierte im Härtetest für die Weltmeisterschaft in Südafrika (11. Juni bis 11. Juli) einen herben Rückschlag. Die "Black Stars", die im letzten Spiel der Gruppe D am 23. Juni in Johannesburg auf das DFB-Team treffen, unterlagen in Rotterdam der Niederlande mit 1:4 (0:1).

Vorteil Niederlande: Mark van Bommel gewinnt den Zweikampf gegen Ghanas Stephen Appiah klar.
Kevin-Prince Boateng, der mit seinem Foul gegen Nationalmannschafts-Kapitän Michael Ballack international für Aufsehen gesorgt hatte, kam nicht zum Einsatz und wartet weiter auf sein Debüt.

Vor rund 45.000 Zuschauern im nicht ausverkauften Stadion De Kuip erzielten Dirk Kuyt (30.), der zur zweiten Halbzeit eingewechselte ehemalige Hamburger Spielmacher Rafael van der Vaart (72.), Wesley Sneijder (81.) und Robin van Persie (87., Foulelfmeter) die Tore für die Elftal. Asamaoh Gyan gelang das zwischenzeitliche 2:1 (78.) für Ghana.

Bondscoach Bert van Maarwijk schonte Bayern Münchens Star Arjen Robben, der in der Vorbereitung in Österreich wegen Hüftproblemen zuletzt nur eingeschränkt trainiert hatte.

Die Gäste, bei denen Mittelfeldstar Michael Essien wegen einer Verletzung nicht an der WM teilnehmen kann, überzeugten zumindest teilweise in der Defensive durch eine gute Ordnung. Im Spiel nach vorne haperte es bei den "Black Stars" aber gewaltig. Zudem war Torhüter Richard Kingson von Wigan Athletic ein Unsicherheitsfaktor, er konnte einen Distanzschuss von Robin van Persie nicht festhalten, so dass Kuyt den Ball nur noch ins leere Tor schieben musste.

Ghana, mit den Bundesliga-Profis Isaac Vorsah, Prince Tagoe (beide Hoffenheim) und Hans Sarpei (Leverkusen), wird am Samstag in London gegen Lettland den letzten Test vor der Abreise nach Südafrika bestreiten. Die Westafrikaner werden wie die deutsche Delegation am Montag (7. Juni) im WM-Gastgeberland eintreffen. Die Niederländer haben am Samstag ihren letzten Test gegen Ungarn und reisen einen Tag später nach Südafrika.

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Op woensdag 2 juni 2010 02:27 schreef DrDentz het volgende:
Dan is het feestje ook over en kijken we niet meer.

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Holland's World Cup history is a tale of greatness without glory

Few World Cup nations have provided the neutral with so many heroes, or as much heartbreak, as the Dutch.

Every major international football tournament in recent years seems to give one group of players the dubious honour of being cast as the "golden generation". Portugal kicked off the trend when their Fifa Youth Championship winners of 1989 and 1991 were feted as potential world champions and even England's 2006 squad earned the tag, a ludicrous example of hype that deepened the disappointment after their incoherent and lacklustre exhibition in Germany.

This time Spain, unsurprisingly after their stellar showing at Euro 2008, and Holland travel to South Africa with the burden of expectation that a nucleus of players who have grown up together have the wherewithal to graduate as their country's first World Cup-winning side.

This is not a unique experience for the Dutch who, with their talent for producing players with scintillating technique, intelligence and, it has to be said, often arsey dispositions, have provided some of the World Cup's most breathtaking episodes. The 1974 team, of course, remains the pinnacle but the last knockings for that formidable core of players in 1978 produced one of the best displays I have ever seen when, inspired by the dazzling wingers Rob Rensenbrink and Johnny Rep, they demolished a capable Austria side 5-1 in the second group stage. It is easy to pinpoint Johan Cruyff's absence from Argentina as crucial to their failure to win the tournament but they compensated by introducing devastating long shots into their repertoire, which were a key component of their progress to the final.

The 1990 team were expected to flourish but the high hopes invested in them after winning the European Championship two years earlier were torpedoed by West Germany in that bad-tempered second-round game, now remembered more for Frank Rijkaard's gob into Rudi Völler's perm than for Jürgen Klinsmann's commanding centre-forward performance. They were defeated but in truth it was a misleading cameo, the only time a disjointed team recaptured any of the verve they had mastered in Germany.

In 1988 the Dutch had the 37-year-old Arnold Mühren in the team, the man his Manchester United colleague Norman Whiteside was tickled to address habitually as "Arnold Johannes Hyacinthus Mühren, son of Arnold Pietrus Hyacinthus Mühren". Perhaps they would have fared better in Italy if they had been able to call on such a graceful midfielder, whose calm head and sublime passing had served them so well during Holland's greatest success.

Similarly in the US in 1994 had Ruud Gullit, who had just enjoyed a resurgent season with Sampdoria, not departed the squad in a strop before the finals began, Holland might have been able to maintain their astounding comeback from 2-0 down in the quarter-final against Brazil instead of eventually succumbing to Branco's marvellous winner. But although they did lack experience in attack, the failings were more the slowness of Ronald Koeman and a linesman allowing Bebeto's goal to put Brazil 2-0 up despite Romário's initial offside position.

The sadness at them going out, however, was nothing compared to the sense of regret at their fate in 1998. I do not think the talent at Holland's disposal in France has ever received the credit it deserved. Dennis Begkamp's brilliant goal in the quarter-final against Argentina has overshadowed the deftness of Patrick Kluivert's opener but it was their strength in midfield – Edgar Davids, Ronald de Boer, Phillip Cocu and Wim Jonk – that was a delight. Sheffield Wednesday fans may not have many warm memories of Jonk, whose persistent injuries and high salary became the butt of criticism at Hillsborough, but I recall his intuitive, seemingly telepathic understanding of Bergkamp's positioning with genuine affection.

With Davids at his tenacious best, Cocu the supreme exponent of get-and-give efficiency and Ronald de Boer's probing runs and smart lay-offs, they formed one of the best quartets I have seen. Kluivert, too, had an outstanding game in the semi-final against Brazil, leading the line with an industry that made his subsequent blasé attitude to physical exertion a dreadful waste. And after their defeat in the penalty shoot-out, Frank de Boer's astonishing lack of sympathy for his twin after Ronald had missed the decisive penalty became a defining motif of Dutch stubbornness.

Of all the teams one follows as a fellow traveller at World Cups, the Dutch have given me more moments of pleasure than any other and as many causes of exasperation as any one but England. If this is finally to be their year, if Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie can make up for the shortcomings in their defence, it will be the culmination of a long and often agonising journey that will comfort this romantic if England prove incapable of winning. I just won't be banking on it after decades of blighted hopes.

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Op woensdag 2 juni 2010 07:34 schreef Monolith het volgende:

[..]

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Holland consider playing the fab four together

There would surely be no more popular World Cup winners than the Netherlands. The country that has produced so many great footballers and such a distinct, wonderful way of playing the game is still without a World Cup win.

Discussing the tactics of the Dutch side is not possible without a brief look at the history and culture surrounding the way they play their football. Attempting to sum up why the Dutch have underachieved is not possible within one article; David Winner has essentially written an entire book on that very subject. He begins a chapter by asking,

“Why have the Dutch never won the World Cup, despite having so many wonderful, intelligent players and such a deliciously original and beautiful concept of the game? To an outsider, the manner in which Dutch national teams regularly fail in major tournaments is hard to comprehend. What weird, remorseless, fatal inner logical causes Dutch players, coaches and the federation to exhaust themselves in pointless pretty feuds about tactics, power and money? Why, when it so obviously defeats the purpose of achieving success, do the Dutch so often pick the wrong coach or spend all their time and energy complaining about the coach they do pick? Why do their gifted teams so often fall asleep against inferior opponents? Why do their stars walk out on the eve of major tournaments? Why don’t they ever seem to ask themselves why?”

He concludes,

“The most obvious diagnosis for the Dutch tendency to fail at the vital moment surely lies in the nature of Dutch individualism and antipathy to autocracy. Holland’s democracy, individualism and profound distrust of authority all have deep historical roots.”

Later on, Winner asks Dennis Bergkamp why Holland have so often disappointed in major tournaments. Bergkamp replies,

“It’s difficult. Because we’re not really a killer team…it we were a killer team, we might forget to play the football we’re good at. You never know there that will end…”


The 2010 episode

So, is anything different this time around? Probably not. The Netherlands have a wonderful array of attacking talent but a slightly suspect defence; so we have all the required features of a classic Dutch show – wonderful football in the group stage followed by an alarming collapse when things get serious.

They had the most impressive results of any of the 31 sides who qualified for this tournament. In an admittedly weak group, they had a record of eight wins from eight games, 17 goals scored and two conceded.

They maintained a shape throughout qualification that was described as both 4-2-3-1 and 4-2-1-3 – in this case, the notation is probably not important; the basic shape is clear.

Fluidity in the final third

The formation may be settled, but the starting XI is not. Wesley Sneijder, seen by most as the key player in this side, only started two of those eight games because of injury. Both Arjen Robben and Rafael van der Vaart were in and out of the side, whilst Robin van Persie managed to pick up a long-term injury almost as soon as qualifying was over, but is thankfully now fit. The attacking player who started the most games, Dirk Kuyt, may find himself with a place on the bench.

The reason for that is the delicious prospect of a Sneijder-Robben-van Persie-van der Vaart quartet, which would unquestionably be the popular choice. And for once, public desire to squeeze four out-and-out attacking players into the same side might just work – all are versatile, offering a plethora of attacking options, and in theory, it should work brilliantly.

“In theory” is the key, however. Those players have never started a Holland game together as a front four, although they were on the pitch as the same time for a blistering 33-minute spell against France in Euro 2008, one of the most remarkable international performances in recent history. Incredibly, Ruud van Nistelrooy was also on the pitch – and if they can work together that well with another striker on the pitch and just one holding midfielder, surely they can work as a front four in a 4-2-3-1 for Bert van Marwijk.

Will Sneijder-Robben-RVP-RVDV work?

As he does at Arsenal, van Persie plays in a false nine role drops deep to receive the ball in midfield positions
It certainly seems to be popular with the players themselves, as Robin van Persie recently revealed, saying “Nothing negative about Kuyt, who is a good player and deserved his credit but this is my opinion…with these four players in one team we really will be unique and will have an excellent chance of success.”

There is a suspicion, though, that Kuyt will get a starting spot – he offers a more disciplined, defensively aware option in the front four. Most likely for the chop would be Rafael van der Vaart, and then Bert van Marwijk would have to decide how to play his quartet – van Persie or Kuyt could play upfront, with the other three behind, but they offer two quite different options; van Persie drops deep in a false nine role, whereas Kuyt is more focussed on holding the ball up. The former seems the most natural option.


The friendly against Ghana showed the fluidity of the front four. Sneijder (the central playmaker) and Afellay (the left-winger) have switched on the near side, whilst van Persie (the striker) and Kuyt (the right winger) have switched on the far side.
The system is a ‘deliberate’ 4-2-3-1, rather than a system that started out as a 4-4-2 but evolved with the wingers pushing on and one striker dropping off. The four front players are happy to rotate, as seen on the right. This is also key defensively – when Holland lose the ball the front four are not obliged to return to their starting position, they simply move to the zone closest to them if the nature of the attack has taken them off-course.

Defence

The two central midfielders will be two destructive players, Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong. De Jong comes short to receive the ball from the central defenders slightly more often, but also charges forward and attempts to link up with the forwards more – although don’t expect much of a goal threat from the central midfielders.

The back four now looks fairly certain to be, from right to left, Gregory van der Wiel, Johnny Heitinga, Joris Mathijsen and captain Giovanni van Bronkhorst. Slightly unusually for a Dutch side that has often featured a central midfielder dropping back into the defence, or even a back three, there is relatively little of note about the defence – the centre-backs stay central, the full-backs look to get forward and provide an outlet for the midfielders. Generally only one of them push forward at a time, although with two holding midfielders in front of the defence, it is not suicidal if they both get forward.

Conclusion

There has been speculation that this is a slightly more pragmatic, less spectacular Netherlands side than usual – but that may be, as with Brazil, a case of viewing their previous World Cup displays with orange-tinted glasses.

The key to the success of this Dutch side (in purely tactical terms) will be the organisation of the defenders. The attacking players will surely score goals, and you know what you’ll get from the two central midfielders – battling qualities and reliable, simple distribution. The back four are relatively weak players individually, maybe the weakest of the true contenders for this competition.

As always with defending, though, it is not so much about individual quality as it is about cohesiveness and mutual understanding. If the Dutch back four can work well together, they have a real chance of wining this competition – but then that wouldn’t be the Dutch way, would it?

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Op woensdag 2 juni 2010 18:10 schreef popolon het volgende:
Robben ook: Meet the kings of simulation

^{Every World Cup, or at least recently, the bigwigs vow to crack down on simulation. And every World Cup, we still get too much controversy. Diving, exaggerating an injury in an attempt to draw a yellow card or get a player sent off, is commonplace.}

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Op woensdag 2 juni 2010 02:23 schreef Merkie het volgende:
Dit zijn altijd de topics die heel snel sterven na de uitschakeling van Nederland.

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Op woensdag 2 juni 2010 02:23 schreef Merkie het volgende:
Dit zijn altijd de topics die heel snel sterven na de uitschakeling van Nederland.

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Op donderdag 3 juni 2010 21:05 schreef Zwansen het volgende:
http://edition.cnn.com/20(...)se/index.html?hpt=T2

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Op donderdag 3 juni 2010 21:05 schreef Zwansen het volgende:
http://edition.cnn.com/20(...)se/index.html?hpt=T2

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Op donderdag 3 juni 2010 23:21 schreef Bjoro het volgende:

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wat heeft dit met het WK te doen dan ?

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Op vrijdag 4 juni 2010 00:07 schreef YeahYeahYeah het volgende:
Deden jullie dat ook? Na de geweldige overwinnen op Italië en Frankrijk twee jaar geleden, meteen de duitse teletekst checken voor de uitslag+commentaar? Mén wat was dat leuk, werkte toen op de Oranjecamping, die groepsfase was echt een grote roes (met een koude douche terug in NL tegen Rusland..)

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Op vrijdag 4 juni 2010 00:07 schreef YeahYeahYeah het volgende:
Deden jullie dat ook? Na de geweldige overwinnen op Italië en Frankrijk twee jaar geleden, meteen de duitse teletekst checken voor de uitslag+commentaar? Mén wat was dat leuk, werkte toen op de Oranjecamping, die groepsfase was echt een grote roes (met een koude douche terug in NL tegen Rusland..)

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Op vrijdag 4 juni 2010 00:07 schreef YeahYeahYeah het volgende:
Deden jullie dat ook? Na de geweldige overwinnen op Italië en Frankrijk twee jaar geleden, meteen de duitse teletekst checken voor de uitslag+commentaar? Mén wat was dat leuk, werkte toen op de Oranjecamping, die groepsfase was echt een grote roes (met een koude douche terug in NL tegen Rusland..)

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Op zaterdag 5 juni 2010 01:56 schreef Shivo het volgende:
Ajax model in de New York times

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HOLLAND have been hit by a major blow after winger Arjen Robben limped off the field during their 6-1 rout of Hungary in a friendly.

Robben, who came on as a second-half substitute, scored two goals before leaving the game in the 85th minute.The Bayern Munich ace will undergo scans on his hamstring before a decision is made about his World Cup place. Coach Bert van Marwijk said: "I thought to myself, 'This can't be true.' He made an unnatural movement and injured his hamstring.

"You sometimes see that people with injuries like this are fit again in a few weeks. I'm hoping for that."
Robin van Persie, Wesley Sneijder, Mark van Bommel and Eljero Elia added the others in their warm-up fixture.

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Op zondag 6 juni 2010 12:45 schreef bascross het volgende:
really good quality Gouda.

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Op zondag 6 juni 2010 12:46 schreef heiden6 het volgende:

[..]

Het kan niet anders of hij heeft het over de grootste held die ooit bij Oranje in het doel heeft gestaan, want di komt daar vandaan.

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Op zondag 6 juni 2010 12:45 schreef bascross het volgende:
but the keeper is the worry. The current cream of the crop, Maarten Stekelenburg, is more of a boring Edam than a really good quality Gouda. There are no viable alternatives.



Hou op man. Stekelenburg is geen Vd Sar, maar er zijn genoeg teams op het wk met keepers die 10000x slechter zijn. Het is een degelijke keeper.

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Op zondag 6 juni 2010 12:46 schreef heiden6 het volgende:

[..]

Het kan niet anders of hij heeft het over de grootste held die ooit bij Oranje in het doel heeft gestaan, want di komt daar vandaan.

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Op zondag 6 juni 2010 12:56 schreef HaagsPietje het volgende:

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nou wat een held....ik herinner me hem als die klootzak die bij een simpel schot van branco blunderde waardoor Nederland op het WK van 94 werd uitgeschakeld

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Op zondag 6 juni 2010 13:48 schreef Smoofie het volgende:
WTf heeft iedereen tegen Steekie. Hij is dit seizoen enorm gegroeid, hij is 27 jaar en hij behoort tot de top keepers momenteel. Alsof buffon nu nog zó super goed is..

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Op zondag 6 juni 2010 22:21 schreef TLC het volgende:
Treurig nieuws op bild.de ;

Zeitung: Holland-Fan ertrunken

Beim Baden im Malawi-See ist ein niederländischer WM-Fan nach Medienberichten auf dem Weg nach Südafrika tödlich verunglückt. Der 60-Jährige war nach Angaben der südafrikanischen Zeitung „Sunday Times“ gemeinsam mit hundert anderen Fans auf dem Landweg unterwegs ans Kap. Der Holländer habe vergangene Woche trotz mehrfacher Warnungen vor den starken Strömungen im See gebadet. Seine Leiche sei zwei Tage später von Fischern gefunden worden. Die aus 22 Fahrzeugen bestehende Fan-Gruppe - das sogenannte Team Massif -hatte am 3. April Amsterdam verlassen und will sich am 11. Juni in Pretoria mit einer Gruppe von 1000 WM-Fans treffen, die mit 200 in Südafrika angemieteten Wohnmobilen unterwegs sind.

RIP.

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Op maandag 7 juni 2010 19:41 schreef tong80 het volgende:
Lothar Matthäus ziet Nederland niet als een belangrijke kandidaat voor de wereldtitel. De oud-international van Duitsland is van mening dat Oranje de afgelopen jaren te weinig heeft laten zien op grote toernooien.

Op de website van wereldvoetbalbond FIFA zegt hij: "Hoewel Nederland geweldige spelers heeft, doet de ploeg het nooit heel erg goed op een wereldkampioenschap. De enige uitzonderingen zijn 1974 en 1978. De Nederlanders hebben altijd de neiging voor het publiek te spelen. Dat gaat ten koste van de teamprestatie", analyseerde Matthäus de kwaliteiten van Oranje.

Matthäus, in 1990 wereldkampioen met Duitsland, was duidelijk over de favorieten in Zuid-Afrika. "Europees kampioen Spanje, Brazilië en Argentinië staan bovenaan mijn lijstje. En ik verwacht dat een Afrikaans team de halve finale haalt. Het wordt een WK vol verrassingen", keek de voormalige spelbepaler vooruit.

Ook het Duitse team behoort volgens Matthäus niet tot de topfavorieten. "Duitsland mist individuele klasse, spelers die een wedstrijd kunnen beslissen. Het elftal is wel verplicht de kwartfinale te halen", temperde hij de hoge verwachtingen in eigen land.

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Op maandag 7 juni 2010 19:43 schreef Morendo het volgende:

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Had het al gelezen. Hij heeft denk ik wel een punt. Hoewel de 'grote vier' in vergelijking met twee jaar geleden beduidend volwassener is geworden. Ik denk niet meer dat ze zullen vechten over wie een vrije trap mag nemen.

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Op maandag 7 juni 2010 19:43 schreef tong80 het volgende:

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In 94 en 98 deden we het ook niet slecht.

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Op maandag 7 juni 2010 19:46 schreef Morendo het volgende:

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Die Brazilianen he.

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Op maandag 7 juni 2010 19:48 schreef tong80 het volgende:

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We waren 2 keer minstens gelijkwaardig.

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L'efficacité d'abord

Beaux à regarder, mais pas toujours efficaces, les Pays-Bas ont changé de mentalité sous l'impulsion de Bert van Marwijk. Sur la lancée d'une campagne qualificative réussie (8 succès en 8 matches), les Oranje joueront d'abord pour gagner en Afrique du Sud.

Souvent placés, jamais gagnants. L'histoire qui lie les Pays-Bas à la Coupe du monde pourrait se résumer à une succession de rendez-vous manqués. A deux reprises, en 1974 et 1978, les Oranje ont été tout proches de toucher le Graal. Dans les deux cas, ils ont été stoppés en bas du podium réservé au vainqueur (RFA, puis Argentine). Par la somme d'individualités qui la compose et la qualité du jeu développé, la sélection néerlandaise concentre à chaque Mondial un grand nombre d'attentes qu'elle n'est encore jamais parvenue à satisfaire. La nomination de Bert van Marwijk à sa tête a marqué un tournant dans sa conception du football. En Afrique du Sud, les Pays-Bas joueront pour gagner, pas pour le spectacle.

La révolution opérée par l'ancien entraîneur du Feyenoord est avant tout mentale. A son arrivée, le beau-père de Mark van Bommel n'a pas voulu chambouler le 4-2-3-1 instauré par son prédécesseur Marco van Basten. Réputé calme, travailleur et proche de ses joueurs, le technicien a consacré ses premiers efforts à apaiser les tensions dans un vestiaire souvent divisé. Sa méthode ? «Optimiser le temps passé avec mes joueurs, me mêler à eux, participer à l'entraînement, multiplier et varier les exercices pour mieux les connaître». Cette étape passée, ce modeste footballeur (une seule sélection) a pu poser sa griffe sur une formation qui a trop souvent privilégié l'esthétisme à la rigueur défensive. Il s'est entouré de deux anciens tauliers (Phillip Cocu et Frank de Boer) et des joueurs d'expérience pour y arriver.

Même si la médiocrité des adversaires proposés durant la campagne qualificative incite à la prudence, van Marwijk semble être sur la bonne voie. Avec les vétérans Mathijsen, Ooijer et van Bronckhorst en défense, les Pays-Bas ont bouclé la phase de poules avec seulement deux buts encaissés. Les talents incarnés par Robben, van Persie, Sneijder et autres van der Vaart ont fait le reste. «Cette équipe est un fabuleux mélange de jeunes et d'anciens, s'enthousiasme Andre Ooijer sur le site de la FIFA. Notre première intention reste de développer un beau football. Mais il faut aussi apprendre à gagner sans bien jouer. Dans un Euro ou une Coupe du Monde, si tu veux aller au bout, il faut pouvoir trouver d'autres armes pour vaincre quand l'équipe joue moins bien. Peu importe comment, parfois il faut juste gagner». Pour l'instant, ça marche...

Emery TAISNE
LEQUIPE.FR

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Rendement eerste

Prachtig om te zien, maar niet altijd effectief, heeft Nederland veranderde mentaliteit onder leiding van Bert van Marwijk. In het kielzog van een succesvolle campagne in aanmerking komen (8 succes in 8 wedstrijden), zal de Oranje spelen voor de eerste overwinning in Zuid-Afrika.

Vaak geplaatst, nooit winnaars. Het verhaal dat Nederland bindt aan de World Cup kan worden gereduceerd tot een aaneenschakeling van gemiste afspraken. Tweemaal, in 1974 en 1978, de Oranje waren heel dicht bij de Graal te raken. In beide gevallen werden ze tegengehouden aan de onderkant van het podium gereserveerd voor de winnaar (BRD, en Argentinië). Voor de som van individuen die het componeren en de kwaliteit van het spel ontwikkeld, het Nederlandse team gericht op elke wereld veel verwachtingen is het nooit kort te vervullen. De aanstelling van Bert van Marwijk onder leiding betekende een keerpunt in zijn conceptie van het voetbal. In Zuid-Afrika, Nederland zal spelen om te winnen, niet voor de show.

De revolutie die door de voormalige trainer van Feyenoord is vooral mentaal. Bij zijn aankomst zou de stiefvader van Mark van Bommel niet verpest het 4-2-3-1 opgericht door zijn voorganger Marco van Basten. rustige, hardwerkende, dicht bij zijn spelers Vermaarde, de technicus bracht zijn vroege inspanningen om de spanningen vaak hun gemak in een kleedkamer gedeeld. Zijn methode? "Het maximaliseren van de tijd doorgebracht met mijn spelers, om een praatje met hen, deelnemen aan opleiding, hoger en variëren de oefeningen om te weten ze beter." Deze laatste stap, deze bescheiden voetballer (een selectie) in staat was om zijn stempel op de opleiding die maar al te vaak gericht op de esthetische striktheid defensief. Hij omringde zich met twee voormalige herbergier (Phillip Cocu en Frank De Boer) en de ervaren spelers te doen.

Zelfs als de arme tegenstanders tijdens de kwalificatie campagne aangeboden een waarschuwende, van Marwijk lijkt op schema te liggen. Met veteranen Mathijsen, Ooijer en Van Bronckhorst de verdediging, Nederland vervulde de groep het podium met slechts twee doelpunten tegen. De talenten belichaamd door Robben, Van Persie, Sneijder en Van der Vaart anderen hebben gedaan de rest. "Dit team is een prachtige mix van jong en oud enthousiast Andre Ooijer op de website van de FIFA. Onze primaire bedoeling is om het ontwikkelen van een goed voetbal. Maar we moeten ook leren om te winnen zonder te spelen ook. In een Euro of WK, als je wilt gaan tot het einde, moet zij in staat zijn om andere wapens te verslaan wanneer het team speelt zo goed vinden. Geen kwestie hoe soms moet je gewoon winnen. " Voor nu, het werkt ...

Emery Taisne
LEQUIPE.FR

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Hij omringde zich met twee voormalige herbergiers (Phillip Cocu en Frank De Boer)

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Op maandag 7 juni 2010 20:13 schreef Dr_g0nz0 het volgende:
Op maandag 7 juni 2010 20:11 schreef tong80 het volgende:


grappig hoe ze Cocu vertalen

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Op maandag 7 juni 2010 21:07 schreef rem321 het volgende:


Bekijk deze site voor een geweldige wk poule met een zeer hoge winkans!!

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Op maandag 7 juni 2010 20:11 schreef tong80 het volgende:
Mijn Frans is te slecht om dit te begrijpen.

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Beaux à regarder, mais pas toujours efficaces

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Op maandag 7 juni 2010 19:58 schreef smegmanus het volgende:
Lothar Matthäus, echt... ik hoop dat die duitsers zo hard op hun bek gaan.
Toen ze in 2002 de finale verloren zijn we met 4 man duitsland in gereden met een braziliaanse vlag in de hand... mooiste dag van mijn leven.

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Op dinsdag 8 juni 2010 13:21 schreef Daniel.Skoffa het volgende:

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Liever duitsland kampioen dan die kanker brazilianen.

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Op dinsdag 8 juni 2010 13:00 schreef marcodej het volgende:
http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/(...)WK-nummer-ooit.dhtml

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Op dinsdag 8 juni 2010 13:00 schreef marcodej het volgende:
http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/(...)WK-nummer-ooit.dhtml

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Op zondag 6 juni 2010 13:48 schreef Smoofie het volgende:
WTf heeft iedereen tegen Steekie. Hij is dit seizoen enorm gegroeid, hij is 27 jaar en hij behoort tot de top keepers momenteel. Alsof buffon nu nog zó super goed is..

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World Cup 2010: Holland hope for harmony from their feuding stars

It is the peculiar story of two of the more talented Dutchmen at the World Cup and the way, when egos collide, a flutter of a butterfly's wing can quickly turn into a tempest. Robin van Persie and Wesley Sneijder are two players who wear the same colour shirt and share a philosophy that giving the ball away is a sin, but whose relationship is defined by male pride and stubbornness.

On the scale of great Dutch feuds, it is not in the same league those between Ruud Gullit and Dick Advocaat at the World Cup in 1994 or Edgar Davids and Guus Hiddink at Euro 1996. Yet Sneijder and Van Persie are keeping up an old tradition by going into this competition on the back of a two-year dispute. After all this is a major tournament and, Holland being Holland, it almost feels normal that the backdrop to the Oranje's opening match, against Cameroon in Bloemfontein tomorrow, should include an unresolved row between two of their more gifted players.

The quarrel originates, as these things so often do, with a late tackle in a training session. Van Persie was the player with studs flying, Sneijder the man left in a heap on the floor. This was during Euro 2008, and when accounts broke in the Dutch newspapers, the then-manager Marco van Basten went on the attack, rubbishing the story and demanding to know where it had come from. As it turned out, Sneijder had released it on his own website.

But this was only the start. Holland were eliminated in the quarter-finals, losing 3-1 to Russia after extra-time. At 1-0 down, shortly before Ruud van Nistelrooy scored an 86th-minute equaliser, they had a free-kick that Sneijder thought was assigned to him. Van Persie had other ideas, tried a shot, and missed.

One misjudged swipe of that left foot was to have long-lasting repercussions. Four months later, Sneijder popped up in the Dutch newspaper Het Parool complaining that Van Persie had "broken agreements" and saying that he wanted to talk to him about it. "From the first practice game, I've been designated as the man who takes free-kicks – no-one else is supposed to touch the ball."

Van Persie's response was delivered through the pages of Algemeen Dagblad. "I expected more class from Wesley," he said. "And besides, it's absolute nonsense that he's the only one who can take free-kicks." The Arsenal striker said he would have been willing to talk to Sneijder in private, but not now the matter had been made public. "I'm flabbergasted by the way Wesley has acted. Must the whole country take part in a meeting between Sneijder and Van Persie?"

To put it into perspective, this is a bit like Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard taking potshots at each other through the pages of the Sun and the Daily Mail. Voetbal International, a Dutch magazine, then conducted a poll to decide who should take free-kicks for the national team. Sneijder received an overwhelming 70 per cent of the vote. Van Persie was second with 21 per cent.

A petty row, indisputably, although the team do not seem to have suffered for it – just as nobody would have guessed from watching Manchester United a few years ago that Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham had a relationship founded on mutual contempt. Holland are unbeaten in 18 games and their coach Bert van Marwijk, the 57-year-old who won the 2002 Uefa Cup with Feyenoord, has made a point of trying to phase out some of the tensions that existed when Van Basten was in charge.

Mark van Bommel, who refused to play under Van Basten, has been restored to the squad. Van Marwijk also forgave Gregory van der Wiel after he attended a Lil Wayne concert despite apparently being too injured to travel to Australia for a friendly. The coach's only issue of controversy in the build-up to South Africa has been to ban his players from posting on Twitter, after the winger Eljero Elia streamed a video of himself playing a computer game with Ryan Babel and making comments that appeared to insult Moroccans. Elia issued an apology.

As for Sneijder, an argument could be made that the former Ajax and Real Madrid player epitomises a number of Dutch footballing stereotypes. He is undoubtedly a great passing midfielder, integral to the success of his club side – a Sneijder-inspired Internazionale won this season's Champions League and Serie A – but also volatile and capable of causing disharmony and dressing-room division.

"Sneijder has it all," says Orlando Trustfull, the former Holland international. "He can shoot, pass, dribble; he can use his left and right foot; he's aggressive. I really enjoy watching him play. He's the type of player the fans pay money for. Do people think he's a nuisance? Nonsense. Name me one player without an ego. They don't exist. And they need that ego to perform. I judge him on his game play and, my goodness, what a gem he is."

Nevertheless, it will be intriguing to see what happens if the Dutch get a free-kick around the penalty area and Van Persie fancies having a crack at it. In Holland they have a word which celebrates the cultivation of a tolerant, relaxed atmosphere: gezellig. The history of the Dutch national team tells us there has not been enough of it among their footballers in past competitions.

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Op maandag 14 juni 2010 00:08 schreef superworm het volgende:
http://www.guardian.co.uk(...)010-holland-sneijder
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Op maandag 14 juni 2010 00:18 schreef Enchanter het volgende:
Ben benieuwd wat ze morgen na de wedstrijd te melden hebben (uitgaande dat Nederland wint natuurlijk )

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Hij omringde zich met twee voormalige herbergier (Phillip Cocu en Frank De Boer) en de ervaren spelers te doen.

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Holland happy to be the centre of attention at the World Cup

The Dutch coach is determined to battle the enemy of boredom and channel 'arrogance' into a positive in South Africa

For this World Cup Holland are the new Germany. They have not suddenly become three-time winners, nor are they expected to struggle in their qualifying group or be afraid of meeting England in the second round. But they have based themselves in a hotel right in the middle of Johannesburg, in Sandton, where most of the fans and tourists congregate and where the nights are noisy with vuvuzelas and chatter from the restaurants that line Nelson Mandela Square. It would not be quite true to say the Dutch are so relaxed you can sit at the next table to Robin van Persie or Wesley Sneijder, but it has been fairly easy most evenings to spot Ruud Gullit or Ronald Koeman mixing with the multitude, and fans of all nationalities appreciate such easygoing informality.

Germany did the same four years ago in Berlin, though in that instance the World Cup was being played in their country and the hosts wanted to be close to their supporters and as visible as possible. There is no need to be as aloof and isolated as England about these things.

After stationing themselves on a remote Japanese island and a Black Forest mountaintop in the last two tournaments England have chosen a much more accessible base this time, even if Rustenburg is a bit of a backwater. The Americans have adopted a working farmyard on the outskirts of Pretoria, the Italians have taken over a college campus just down the road, but the Dutch have gone for the middle of town. Exactly the part of town that came to a standstill when thousands of supporters came out to greet the Bafana Bafana boys waving from the top of an open-top bus before they had even kicked a World Cup ball.

Any Holland players attempting a mid-afternoon snooze at the Sandton Hilton, or returning from training to find the town centre at a standstill for four hours might have felt the same way as the South Africa coach, Carlos Alberto Perreira, who was dismayed when he discovered the scale and volume of the pre-celebratory event, arguing that it was a poor way to prepare for an important game. It doesn't bother the Dutch coach, though, because Bert van Marwijk thinks boredom and solitude might be worse alternatives.

"I remember when I was a player how it felt after being in a hotel for just two or three days," he explained. "It can be boring. I also know that with Dutch players in the same hotel for several weeks there will be some things happening, but that's not a problem. Not everything will go well but that's good, because teams who learn to manage these things off the pitch will have more resilience on it."

That's a grown-up attitude, and it might even work, although Van Marwijk is clearly hinting at the way things have gone wrong for Holland at tournaments in the past. Internal divisions and tensions have tended to rise to the surface in periods of close confinement, and while some say it is a national characteristic to be outspoken and argumentative, Van Marwijk clearly believes the Dutch "arrogance" can be channelled and need not be an obstacle to them winning a first World Cup.

It is certainly about time Holland won it. Even if their efforts over the last decade have been rather feeble – they failed to qualify in 2002 and went out in the round of 16 last time – they have been in finals, brought a great deal of quality and invention to modern World Cups and not infrequently looked the best team, only for their inability to handle tournaments as well as, say, the Germans, to let them down. This time Holland look easily capable of going much further than the Germans.

For Holland in World Cups, however, nothing is ever quite as straightforward as it could be. Things conspire against them, injuries and accidents happen, and always to the most important players. While England tend to save their best until late in World Cups – usually too late – the established Dutch formula is to sparkle early on then fall inexplicably by the wayside. It was Holland, remember, who dismissed Argentina in 1998 in the round after they had knocked out England. When Dennis Bergkamp scored his wonder goal in Marseille it was impossible to believe there was a better team in the tournament, a feeling that the eventual final between France and Brazil did nothing to contradict. Holland initially looked good at the last European Championships too, so it is surprising that they are going into this World Cup with comparatively little expectation, especially as their qualification was faultless.

Perhaps it is to Holland's advantage that they are not among the favourites to win the World Cup. Their chances are not being talked up, and that may suit them. There is another factor that may work in their favour. Almost all their players play in different leagues, outside their own country. As Van Marwijk has pointed out, most of Spain's players play in Spain, Germany's in Germany, England's in England, and so on.

That makes it harder for a national coach to impose a style on a team in the short time he has available, though it also ought to mean the players are quicker to adapt to new demands. It seems to work for Argentina and Brazil. Holland just might have the international edge.

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For the Dutch,' Total Football' Isn't Enough
By ROB HUGHES
Published: June 13, 2010

PRETORIA — What is it about the Dutch? Since the early 1970s, they have had great talents — Cruyff, van Basten, Gullit, Bergkamp, Rijkaard and others — playing some of the most expansive soccer in the history of the sport.

Yet apart from one European Championship, in 1988, they have always left the big parties early.

The 2010 Dutch “Oranje” might be no different. The team has acknowledged young masters like Robin van Persie, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben. The Dutch fans have arrived in Johannesburg and are turning the city orange in time for the first Dutch game, against Denmark on Monday. Expectations, as always, are sky high.

The team was the first to qualify for this first World Cup in Africa, with victories in every qualifying match and with style to make the fans salivate. But it is revealing that the coach, Bert van Marwijk, has already warned his squad: “We can do well in this World Cup — but we have to not be too arrogant.”

Is it arrogance, over-confidence or simply that the Dutch talk a better game than they can sustain?

In virtually every major tournament since 1974, the Dutch have produced marvelous, flowing soccer but have come up short.

The Dutch have a philosophy that even a man standing 60 meters from the ball is active because if a teammate can see him, he can use him with a long pass and long vision. It has long been supposed by many that the Netherlands invented what is called “total football,” in which everybody moves, everybody improvises, everybody is interchangeable on the field.

But the Dutch did not invent it. Austria’s “Wunderteam” of the 1930s was propelled by what became known as the Meisl Whirl — a fast, interchanging method invented by the brothers Hugo and Willy Meisl. One managed the team, the other, a journalist, let the world know what was happening.

The Hungarians of 1954, arguably the best side never to win the World Cup, were also like the Dutch. Hungary’s “Magical Magyars” destroyed the myth of English soccer superiority in 1953, but lost in the 1954 World Cup final to West Germany.

The 1970s brought the Dutch golden — or nearly golden — era. It was led on the field by Johan Cruyff. In the 1974 World Cup final in Munich, the Netherlands had scored before a West German opponent even touched the ball. The Dutch mesmerized their opponents, stringing together pass after laconic pass until Cruyff was fouled and Johan Neeskens scored a penalty. But the Germans came back to win.

So that makes three great teams — Austria, Hungary, the Netherlands — all espousing versions of total football that the Dutch continue to this day. And each failed to win a World Cup.

It does not stop the Netherlands from believing. But maybe van Marwijk, in a single word, nailed the cause of failure. It’s a thin line between heightened self-confidence — the belief that you share something superior to the rest — and arrogance.

The new Dutch side is trying to go that one step further than in 1974, when the Netherlands lost in the World Cup final to West Germany, and 1978, when it lost to Argentina, in each case to the hosts. It is trying to erase the misfortune of 1998, when the Oranje lost a semifinal penalty shootout to Brazil in Marseille.

Van Marwijk leads a new team in a different generation, a team whose talents are primarily in attack and whose defense is mediocre. That bodes well for entertainment — unless, as the coach fears, the players trip over their own over-confidence.

He is not alone in his fear. Edgar Davids, a dynamic player at the end of his prime, has traveled throughout Africa en route to Johannesburg with what he calls his Street Legends. They are a group of players seeking to revive the street game in which their skills were honed, and making YouTube films of each stop, from Senegal to Ghana and to the townships of Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Davids, born in Surinam, the former Dutch Guyana, where other Dutch stars like Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard also have their roots, believes he is giving something back to his game by linking soccer in the street compounds to health care and education in Africa.

He was once sent home from a Dutch camp after infighting between the players ahead of the 1996 European championship in England. “This is another Dutch squad capable of winning the World Cup,” Davids says. “But to shine, you have to leave the ego behind in the dressing room.”

“It has to be a team effort, you have to believe in yourself and your skills, but you are in the most difficult tournament of your life,” he said. “To reach the finals, you must leave out your personal ego.”

Ego and arrogance in this regard might sound like the same thing.

The modern Dutch players, of whom van Persie is perhaps the most gifted, are given a long rein of freedom by their coach. They are the Twitter generation, most of them, like van Marwijk himself, building up huge followings on their personal Twitter sites.

When van Persie publicly suggested that he and his fellow thoroughbreds in the starting lineup felt that another player favored by the coach, Dirk Kuyt, was not at their level, the story broke that there might, again, be egos rising in the camp.

Last week, van Persie retracted his statement somewhat. “I respect Dirk so much,” he said. “This guy is getting the maximum from his career. When he started at Feyenoord people did not think he could make it, but he became a massive example to players who are really good and to players who are less talented.”

Outwardly, Kuyt is comfortable with what his teammate says about him. He knows he is the workhorse of the Dutch attack.

But the Twitterings have ceased. One school of thought is that they endangered team security because players inadvertently published their personal whereabouts. Another is that certain players, Elijero Elia for one, became a little too explicit in dealing with criticisms, and were using their cellphones to play X-box games in camp.

The minds of would-be soccer geniuses, the instincts of youth to play aggressive computer games, and the problems for a coach trying to keep 11 minds on the task in front of them: it seems it was always a problem for the free-minded, outspoken men of the Oranje.

Those close to the 2010 group think that van Marwijk is neither their counselor nor their boss. He is the head coach, trying to get inside the head of players who have very much their own ideas. Van Persie, it is said, is the most opinionated of all.

The first challenge to the Oranje is from a Danish team managed by Morten Olsen who, before he took that role, coached Ajax Amsterdam to win both the Dutch league and Cup in 1998. He departed soon after, the locker room split by differences of opinion, or egos.

Van Marwijk knows the feeling. He has gifted players, and his task is to get them pulling in the same direction, remaining a team focused throughout seven games from now to July 11.

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As a Scot, when World Cups and Holland are mentioned, your thoughts jump to Archie Gemmill and 1978. Gemmill’s famous goal provided Scotland’s best World Cup moment. Not only was it a once-in-a-lifetime piece of individual skill that would have been memorable playing any opposition, but it was executed against an exceptional side which, though missing Johan Cruyff, contained fantastic Dutch players. I particularly remember Arie Haan and his long-range shooting.

Holland were many people’s tip to win that year and they have often arrived at finals as favourites, only to fail to deliver. They are not among the highly-fancied teams this time and perhaps that will help them. I know from speaking to Johnny Heitinga, my Everton defender, that there’s a lot of confidence in their camp.

They should have a good tournament. They won all eight qualifying games and have been impressive in their warm-ups, beating Hungary 6-1 last week. Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Mark van Bommel were key players for the two clubs that reached the Champions League final and Robin van Persie is fresh, having not played much last season through injury.

I almost signed Van Bommel for Everton a few years ago. He lacks pace but is a very effective central midfield player, an intelligent pro who has a clear idea of his job. Nigel de Jong will sit with Van Bommel in front of the back four and, over the course of last season, I felt he became more and more important to Manchester City. The pair provide the foundation for Bert van Marwijk’s gifted attackers to do their stuff.

A hamstring problem may keep Robben out of tomorrow’s Group E game against Denmark, but he is recovering more quickly than expected and will be an important force for the Dutch as the tournament progresses. Sneijder will feature against the Danes and he presents opponents with dilemmas: sometimes he is a central midfielder, sometimes a second striker. Van Persie is another flexible player, an extremely skilful operator who I remember scoring a great last-minute equaliser at Goodison in 2009. He can finish but he’s not really a classic No 9.

He seldom looks to run onto through balls and often prefers to drop off and do a bit of the work of a No 10. Because Van Persie and Sneijder are both so hard to pin down, when they combine you almost need three players to look after them. On the flanks, in Robben’s place, Van Marwijk can use the exciting young Hamburg winger Eljero Elia. He’s lightning fast and could be one of this tournament’s stars.

Dirk Kuyt provides a more solid alternative and Van Marwijk can bring the prolific Klaas-Jan Huntelaar off the bench if he needs a finisher. Then there’s Rafael van der Vaart, another hard-to-categorise forward-thinking player, generously blessed with talent.

Those attacking options are as good as any. Holland’s problem might be in defence. Giovanni van Bronckhorst, the left-back, is a fine footballer but is now 35 and has lost a little of his speed and energy. Joris Mathijsen, at centre-half, has his doubters in Holland and Gregory van der Wiel, a young right-back who plays for Ajax, is inexperienced. There is a general lack of height in the Dutch side, which could make them vulnerable at set-pieces, especially against the Danes, who have a number of tall men such as Per Kroldrup, my former centre-back. Per was unlucky with injuries at Everton but has done well at Fiorentina.

Holland’s vulnerability at the back places an onus on Heitinga, who has been a fantastic signing for me. I initially used him in central midfield but moved him back to play with Lucas Neill in the middle of our defence because of an injury crisis. It was from that point that our recovery last season began.

In an age where, generally, there are fewer differences between styles of play, Holland retain their identity. You know they’re always going to attack, use width and be good in the centre of the park. It comes from the strong tradition of Dutch coaching. Coach education is big in Holland and even legendary players go back to school and train for several years to get their badges before going into management. Dennis Bergkamp, for example, is learning his trade by working with Ajax youth players.

I’m co-commentating on the Holland-Denmark game and it feels great that all the hype has stopped and the football has started. The opening match had problems: the huge traffic jams that meant it took me more than three hours to do what is normally a 20-minute journey — from Sandton to Soccer City — and the quality of football was not high. But the spectacle was absolutely fantastic. There was a real sense of people coming together, with black and white South Africans dancing and blowing their vuvuzelas in unison.

The refereeing I’ve seen so far has been interesting — there appears to be less jostling in the box than normal — and from a coach’s point of view it was noteworthy how Javier Aguirre, Mexico’s experienced manager, used all three of his substitutes early and was able to change the game with his tinkering, helping his side find an equaliser.

That Group A opened with two draws was good for the tournament because it means the host nation’s campaign will go all the way to the end of their group games, at the very least. It didn’t surprise me that Steven Pienaar was South Africa’s best offensive player. Steven is an icon here and I could tell by his body language that he was carrying a lot of pressure on his shoulders, but he handled it well.

South Africa manager Carlos Alberto Parreira was not overjoyed about the pre-tournament parade afforded to his team which brought Sandton to a standstill and the scenes brought me back — again — to 1978. Ally McLeod and his squad went on a procession through Ayrshire to Prestwick airport before flying to Argentina and we know what happened next. Let’s hope, for the sake of the lovely people in this country, that Bafana Bafana don’t suffer a similar fate.

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Op maandag 14 juni 2010 16:43 schreef Rectum het volgende:
Dat ene artikel is gewoon in het Nederlands.

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Op maandag 14 juni 2010 16:43 schreef Rectum het volgende:
Dat ene artikel is gewoon in het Nederlands.

quote:

Op maandag 14 juni 2010 16:43 schreef Rectum het volgende:
Dat ene artikel is gewoon in het Nederlands.

quote:

Op maandag 14 juni 2010 16:37 schreef Naj_Geetsrev het volgende:
"Overwinning zonder glans"

Terechte omschrijving. Nederland heeft niet gewonnen, maar Denemarken heeft verloren.

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Op maandag 14 juni 2010 16:43 schreef Rectum het volgende:
Dat ene artikel is gewoon in het Nederlands.

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Glanzloser Sieg von Holland

Der dänische Unglücksrabe war Simon Poulsen, der mit einem Missgeschick die Niederlage einleitete. Gerade einmal 32 Sekunden waren in der zweiten Hälfte gespielt, als der Aussenverteidiger eine Hereingabe von Robin van Persie via Rücken von Teamkollege Daniel Agger und Innenpfosten ins eigene Tor köpfelte.

Elia, das belebende Element

Die Niederländer schonten den angeschlagenen Arjen Robben. An seiner Stelle spielte Rafael van der Vaart auf der Seite. Für richtig Schwung sorgte allerdings erst Hamburgs Eljero Elia, der van der Vaart nach 67 Minuten ersetzte. Er kreierte zahlreiche gefährliche Aktionen. In der 85. Minute traf er nur den Pfosten – Dirk Kuyt staubte zum 2:0 ab.

Bei Dänemark lief Stürmer Nicklas Bendtner von Beginn an auf. Der Arsenal-Star blieb jedoch wie seine Teamkollegen wirkungslos und wurde nach einer Stunde ausgewechselt.

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Op maandag 14 juni 2010 16:50 schreef Saekerhett het volgende:

[..]

Er is nog een land tussen Nederland en Frankrijk waar ze ook Nederlands spreken. Welk land was dat toch ook alweer? Iets met B.... B....?

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Op maandag 14 juni 2010 16:37 schreef Naj_Geetsrev het volgende:
"Overwinning zonder glans"

Terechte omschrijving. Nederland heeft niet gewonnen, maar Denemarken heeft verloren.

quote:

Op maandag 14 juni 2010 16:37 schreef Naj_Geetsrev het volgende:
"Overwinning zonder glans"

Terechte omschrijving. Nederland heeft niet gewonnen, maar Denemarken heeft verloren.

quote:

Op maandag 14 juni 2010 16:37 schreef Naj_Geetsrev het volgende:
"Overwinning zonder glans"

Terechte omschrijving. Nederland heeft niet gewonnen, maar Denemarken heeft verloren.

quote:

Op maandag 14 juni 2010 17:00 schreef Michielos het volgende:
Ik word nu al uitgelachen door heel MSN , AOL en Yahoo

Nederland

quote:

Op maandag 14 juni 2010 17:00 schreef Michielos het volgende:
Ik word altijd uitgelachen door heel MSN , AOL en Yahoo.

quote:

Op maandag 14 juni 2010 17:00 schreef Michielos het volgende:
Ik word nu al uitgelachen door heel MSN , AOL en Yahoo

Nederland

Oh, toch wel.

quote:

Op maandag 14 juni 2010 17:00 schreef Michielos het volgende:
Ik word nu al uitgelachen door heel MSN , AOL en Yahoo

Nederland

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Op maandag 14 juni 2010 17:02 schreef tralalala het volgende:

[..]

Inderdaad, geen 3 punten.

_{Oh, toch wel.}

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Op maandag 14 juni 2010 17:03 schreef Michielos het volgende:

[..]

echt wat een geluk 30 euro naar de klote. Nja goed, heb ook op Japan gewed. Die zullen dit Nederland met "de grote vier" wel een lesje leren

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Netherlands 2, Denmark 0: Dutch gather steam after Poulsen's error

Story Highlights
Dutch struggled until Denmark's Simon Poulsen scored an own goal
Introduction of Eljero Elia in second half turned the game around
Both Robin van Persie and Niklas Bendtner looked less than fully fit

JOHANNESBURG (AP) --The Netherlands managed to grind out a 2-0 win over Denmark on Monday despite struggling to live up to its billing as one of the most dangerous attacking teams at the World Cup.

The Dutch took the lead through a fluke own goal in the 46th when Denmark defender Simon Poulsen headed a ball off the back of teammate Daniel Agger and into the net, when trying to clear a cross from Robin van Persie.

Dirk Kuyt doubled the lead in the 85th when he tapped in a rebound off the post from close range.

Denmark had frustrated the Dutch until the own goal with a compact midfield, and the Netherlands never came close to the free-flowing, high-scoring type of play their fans have become accustomed to -- despite several other chances.

Instead, they had to rely on a bit of luck, as Van Persie beat an onrushing Thomas Sorensen to a long through ball down the left flank before squaring up to send a cross into the area. Poulsen had plenty of time and space to clear the ball, but his off-balance header bounced off Agger's back before trickling into the net.

"That was like a bucket of cold water over our heads,'' Denmark coach Morten Olsen said. "Simon Poulsen was one of our better players but he was unlucky. It's one of those things that happens in football.''

After wasting a number of chances to double the lead, substitute Eljero Elia broke clear into the area and rolled his shot past Sorensen and against the post. Kuyt beat his marker to tap the rebound into an empty net.

Both coaches sprung a surprise in their lineups with Bert van Marwijk putting Arjen Robben on the bench after previously ruling him out of the game because of a hamstring problem, while Morten Olsen started Arsenal forward Nicklas Bendtner after saying he would almost certainly miss the game with a groin problem.

But with the 1-0 lead to protect, Van Marwijk never looked likely to risk Robben's fitness by putting him on, as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.

Bendtner was taken off in the 62nd. Olsen said Bendtner "wasn't supposed to play,'' but that a late injury to Jon Dahl Tomasson forced him to change his mind.

"We had to take some chances,'' Olsen said. "But we couldn't let Bendtner play more than one hour. We still have two important games.''

Bendtner played as a lone striker up front as Denmark employed a five-man midfield to stop the Netherlands' trademark quick passing game.

Those tactics worked well in the first half, as the Dutch struggled to thread the ball through the midfield. Instead it was Denmark that created the best scoring chances on counter attacks. Dennis Rommedahl's cross from the right wing found Bendtner unmarked in the area in the 27th, but the Arsenal forward headed wide from six meters (yards).

Bendtner then sent Thomas Kahlenberg clear into the left side of the area in the 37th, but his shot was pushed out to a corner by Maarten Stekelenburg.

The Dutch continued to press forward after the own goal but struggled to create clear chances.

Van Persie had a chance to double the lead in the 52nd after being sent clear into the area by Kuyt but Sorensen rushed out and got a hand on the ball.

The Arsenal striker then set up Rafael van der Vaart with a cross into the area in the 59th, but his nifty volley produced a two-handed save from Sorensen.

Van Persie then met Wesley Sneijder's corner in the 74th, but his header bounced wide.

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3 thoughts from the Netherlands' 2-0 win over Denmark in Group E:

1. Rafael van der Vaart has blown his chance. The Netherlands played some intricate passes around the Denmark area but initially only broke through the back line when Simon Kjaer's wayward clearance went straight to an opponent that is, until Eljero Elia came on with just over 20 minutes to play. His first move was to spin his marker and break into the area, giving the Netherlands' approach play a vigor it lacked when Rafael van der Vaart was on. Elia was a constant threat thereafter, his pace troubling the Danes, and his well-timed run and shot rebounded off a post to set up Dirk Kuyt for the second goal (after the first had come from a wide position). Before Elia's cameo, the absence of Arjen Robben, out with a hamstring strain, hung heavy over the team. Now though, Holland coach Bert van Marwijk will find it difficult to keep Van der Vaart, a playmaker too similar to Wesley Sneijder, in the team: instead, it will surely be Robben or if he's unavailable, Elia.

2. This tournament is costing Ajax. Three of the most exciting young players coming into the tournament are on the books of Dutch club Ajax, who presumably dreamt that the trio would star, resulting in bidding auctions and inflated prices to fund their academy for years to come. It has not quite worked out like that: for Uruguay, Luis Suarez suggested he might come from the Mateja Kezman/Afonso Alves school of prolific Dutch scoring rather than the Ruud van Nistelrooy/Klaas-Jan Huntelaar school, while Nicolas Lodeiro lasted 16 minutes before he was the first player sent off in the competition. Denmark gave its highly-rated midfielder, 18-year-old Cristian Eriksen, 20 minutes in which the tournament's youngest player did very little, leaving Ajax at least grateful for Gregory van der Wiel and Marten Stekelenburg, who both had solid games.

3. No one will score from 40 yards. We have seen a few goalkeeping hashes and, in this game, some poor ball control early on. But as the hype continues over the Jabulani ball, at what point will the players realize that shooting from 40 meters out or further is a waste of time? Wesley Sneijder, Mark van Bommel, Daniel Agger, and Simon Kjaer all took pot-shots from ridiculous distances and unsurprisingly, none came close to scoring. Enough already.

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Holland 2-0 Denmark: Dutch struggle to break down a disciplined Danish defence
_{June 14, 2010}
A quiet game won by two scrappy goals – not really the performance we were hoping for from Holland. Some credit should go to Morten Olsen – his tactics stifled Holland’s creative players and Denmark did have chances to score.

Holland lined up as expected considering the injury to Arjen Robben – Rafael Van der Vaart played on the left, Dirk Kuyt was on the right, and Welsey Sneijder played behind Robin van Persie.

Denmark’s shape was broadly a defensive 4-1-4-1 which matched Holland in the centre of midfield – Christian Poulsen picked up Wesley Sneijder, whilst the two players ahead of him looked to track any forward runs from Mark van Bommel or Nigel de Jong.

Denmark defensive-minded

Denmark essentially set out looking for a draw, attempting to negate Holland’s strengths rather than maximise their own. They managed to do this rather well – Holland created few chances throughout the first half and there was no player on the pitch that really had any time on the ball – everyone was immediately confronted with an opponent and this resulted in a tight, cagey game of few goalscoring opportunities.

Denmark’s defending started from the front. They were keen to make sure Maarten Stekelenburg was unable to play out from goal-kicks to his two centre-backs, with Nicklas Bendtner and one of the wingers closing down and forcing the Dutch goalkeeper to hit his goal-kicks long. This seemed to trouble Holland who wanted to keep possession and dictate the tempo of the game.

Aside from goal-kicks, however, the Danish midfield sat inside their own half and didn’t look to pressure the Dutch player in possession until they got within 40-50 metres of the goal. Their defence, too, sat very deep and meant Holland were unable to play balls in behind Daniel Agger and Simon Kjaer.

Upfront Nicklas Bendtner was doing a decent job in holding up the ball and waiting for the midfield runners. He dropped relatively deep when the Dutch brought the ball into the Danish half, meaning that if the ball was won and played up to Bendtner, he generally had 5-10 yards of pace and could hold onto the ball much more easily than if he had pushed high up against the Dutch centre-backs.

Dutch congestion


A more detailed representation of the Dutch movement
Whilst Denmark were defending well, Holland were not helping themselves when in possession. There was surprisingly little width from the Dutch, with Rafael van der Vaart drifting in too much from the left, and Dirk Kuyt running into Simon Poulsen, who was the best player on the pitch until his mistake in the second half. Holland also found it difficult to get their full-backs into the game because they were tracked well by the Danish wingers. The only players who found space to operate in were Nigel de Jong and the two centre-backs – whenever they played the ball forward or wide, they generally received the ball back straight away as the flair players were closed down, and had no other options on.

A main part of the problem was that van der Vaart and Sneijder were operating in the same space. Sneijder likes to move to the left to find space, whilst van der Vaart looks to move inside. They needed to stretch the play to create spaces in the Danish defence, but the back four sat deep and narrow and dealt with crosses and through-balls well.

On the other hand, the Dutch narrowness and the Danes’ strict instructions to track individual players meant that Denmark ended up playing rather narrow too – it was not unusual to see three of the band of four midfield runners ending up within ten yards of each other when defending, and therefore it was difficult for them to find an out-ball, aside from the long pass up to Bendtner. The Danish four were happy to switch around both in and out of possession, and their best move came when the excellent Martin Jorgensen moved to the left and hit a huge diagonal ball to Dennis Rommedahl on the right, although he wasted the opportunity.

In all, it was a quiet first half – Holland and Denmark both touched the ball in the opposition box just three times in the first half, according to OPTA.

Goal settles the game

No obvious changes at the start of the second half, but an immediate goal. And with the Dutch problems with width on the left, it was ironic that the goal came when van Persie chased a hopeful ball into a deep left-wing possession and crossed the ball in. Poulsen’s header was awful, deflecting off Daniel Agger on its way in, and Holland were ahead despite Denmark’s excellent defensive display.

After that, little happened to actually change the scoreline. The half-fit Bendtner could only last until the hour mark and he was replaced by Mikkel Beckmann, not a natural striker by any means. The Danes didn’t appear to be able to shift from their defensive state to a more positive approach, and offered little goal threat for the rest of the game.

Natural width proves successful for Holland

The main interest came from the Dutch bench, where Elijero Elia replaced van der Vaart and played the left-wing role much, much better – keeping wide and skinning the Lars Jacobsen on two occasions shortly after his introduction, stretching the Dutch play and allowing Sneijder to move into the areas he wanted to play in. It was no surprise that the second goal came from his run in behind the defence – his shot was partially saved by Thomas Sorensen, but it hit the post and rebounded to Kuyt, to tap in and seal the game in the 84th minute.

Conclusion

Holland need natural width. Preferably from Robben, but if he is not available, the pacey Elia should be used to stretch the opposition defence and vary the threat. They had struggled all first half for any flair from the left side of attack, and their two goals came when first van Persie and then the substitute Elia caused the Danes problems from that very position, showing what they needed on a more permanent basis.

The Danes’ near-successful approach suggested that a deep and narrow defensive line could cause Holland problems, and the way the midfield was set out, to deliberately confront the Dutch midfielders and full-backs when they got the ball, could well be used even more successfully by a more talented side. It was basically the complete opposite of the failed Australian tactics against Germany yesterday.

The Danish objective was (a) to try for a 0-0 and if not, (b) to avoid an embarrassment. Their midfield was disciplined and defensive, yet contained four players with ability on the ball – against Japan and Cameroon they will look to break forward more, and having avoided the mauling many predicted, still have a good chance of qualification.

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Danes no match for Dutch

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A Simon Poulsen own goal and Dirk Kuyt’s late winner earned the Netherlands a deserved 2-0 win over Denmark at Johannesburg’s Soccer City as the Dutch took an early lead in Group E and stretched their long unbeaten run.

Oranje coach Bert van Marwijk had sprung a pre-match surprise with the inclusion of Arjen Robben as a substitute and the early stages could certainly have done with the Bayern Munich winger’s pace and trickery. With Soccer City bathed in afternoon sunshine, the players took some time to establish the expected tempo, and the best efforts of a tight opening 20 minutes came through two hugely ambitious and off-target free-kicks from Wesley Sneijder and Thomas Enevoldsen.

Neither side were doing themselves justice at this stage but, of the two, it was the Netherlands who were displaying the greater attacking intent, with Rafael van der Vaart proving a lively deputy for the sidelined Robben. Twice in as many minutes midway through the half, the Real Madrid midfielder turned neatly on the edge of the box to fashion scoring opportunities, but on each occasion was unable to find the target.

Thomas Sorensen, fit again after suffering a dislocated elbow, endured a heart-stopping moment shortly after when he fumbled a tame-looking Dirk Kuyt shot only to recover the ball at the second attempt. The Dutch would have been worthy of a goal at this stage, but their failure to convert territorial dominance into goals threatened to cost them dearly as half-time approached.

The warning signs had been there when, with 28 minutes played, Nicklas Bendtner found space at the back post to head wastefully wide from a measured Dennis Rommedahl cross. Rommedahl himself tried his luck soon after, firing straight at Maarten Stekelenburg at the end of a lightning Danish break, while Thomas Kahlenberg provided the best effort of the half with a flashing left-foot shot that forced a terrific save from the Dutch No1.

However, it is not for nothing that Van Marwijk’s side came into this match on a record 19-match unbeaten sequence, and they took a deserved lead within a minute of the second half commencing. Robin van Persie was the goal’s architect, beating Sorensen to a through ball before curling over an inviting cross that Simon Poulsen, in his attempts to clear, headed across goal, against the back of Daniel Agger and into the net.

The Danes nearly self-destructed again four minutes later when a misplaced pass allowed Van Persie a clear sight of goal, but the Arsenal forward hesitated and Sorensen smothered bravely. Van der Vaart then came close an early contender for goal of the tournament with an audacious flick matched only in quality by Sorensen’s agile save, while Sneijder rattled the crossbar with a deflected 25-yard shot.

The Dutch were not to be denied, however, and their continued superiority was rewarded with five minutes remaining when Dirk Kuyt slotted home from close range after substitute Eljero Elia’s initial effort had struck the post. The bounce of the ball had again favoured the Oranje, but there could be no Danish complaints about a result that is sure to enhance their Group E rivals’ standing as genuine FIFA World Cup™ contenders.

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Mit deutschen Tugenden;

NIEDERLANDE Schlecht gespielt, aber gewonnen / Eigentor des Dänen Agger bricht den Bann

Von Holger Schmidt und Marco Mader Johannesburg.

Deutschland das Zaubern und Scheitern überlassen, dafür selbst ohne Glanz und Gloria endlich den Titel holen: Der zweimalige Vize-Weltmeister Niederlande hofft nach dem glanzlosen 2:0 (0:0)-Auftaktsieg gegen Dänemark auf die Entdeckung erfolgreicher "deutscher Tugenden".

"Deutschland hat wie Holland gewonnen, dafür haben wir wie Deutschland gewonnen", sagte der frühere Hamburger Rafael van der Vaart nach dem glanzlosen und von Daniels Aggers Eigentor (46. ) begünstigten Arbeitssieg. Und Mark van Bommel, Kapitän des Deutschen Meisters Bayern München, ergänzte mit einem verschmitzten Lächeln: "Deutschland ist für mich jetzt Turnierfavorit.

Aber vielleicht geht es ihnen ja wie uns bei der EM." Bei der EM 2008 hatte Oranje mit Zauber-Fußball gegen Italien (3:0) und Frankreich (4:1) ganz Europa verzückt und sich in die Rolle des Turnierfavoriten gespielt - scheiterte dann aber direkt im ersten K.o.-Spiel an Russland (1:3 nach Verlängerung). "Für uns ist es gut, dass wir zum Auftakt gewonnen haben und doch mit beiden Füßen auf dem Boden bleiben müssen", meinte van Bommel deshalb. "Wir haben nicht gut gespielt. Aber vielleicht ist das auch besser so", meinte van der Vaart. Dies war allerdings eine vorsichtige Umschreibung für die Leistung der Niederländer, die gegen schwache Dänen sogar Glück brauchten, um zum Sieg zu kommen. Erst Aggers Eigentor brach nach einer furchtbar langweiligen ersten Halbzeit den Bann, Dirk Kuyt vom FC Liverpool staubte nach einem Pfostenschuss des eingewechselten Hamburgers Eljero Elia zum Endstand ab (85.).

Der Flügelstürmer des HSV versprühte nach seiner Einwechslung (67.) als einziger etwas Glanz und schaffte das, was dem für ihn ausgewechselten van der Vaart nicht gelungen war: Den verletzten Bayern-Star Arjen Robben vergessen lassen. "Wir haben 2:0 gewonnen. Da kann man kaum sagen, dass wir Arjen vermisst haben", sagte Bondscoach Bert van Marwijk. Eine baldige Rückkehr Robbens ins Team scheint trotz ausgestandenem Muskelfaserriss nicht bevorzustehen. "Es geht darum, ihn zum richtigen Zeitpunkt einzusetzen", meinte van Marwijk. Der Auftaktsieg und die Leistung Elias lassen ihm auch etwas Luft, ein Risiko muss er nicht eingehen.

"Eljero hat super gespielt", meinte van der Vaart, der nun genau deshalb fürchten muss, endgültig aus dem Team zu rutschen. "Mein Traum ist es, der ganzen Welt zu zeigen, was ich kann. Meine Aktionen gelingen immer. Ich mache mein Ding", sagte Elia im Überschwang - und bremste sich umgehend selbst: "Ich bin froh über die Zeit, die der Trainer mir gibt. Ich bin nur stolz, bei Oranje und bei der WM dabei zu sein." Seine Visitenkarte hat der 23-Jährige jedenfalls eindrucksvoll abgegeben. "In der zweiten Hälfte haben wir uns gesteigert, auch weil Elia kam", sagte Kapitän Giovanni van Bronckhorst nach seinem 100. Länderspiel. Der Ex-Dortmunder van Marwijk meinte dasselbe, ohne Namen zu nennen: "Die erste Halbzeit war schlecht. Nach der Pause haben wir manchmal gezeigt, wozu wir in der Lage sind."

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No glitter, but Dutch start with a victory

It wasn't flash, it wasn't spectacular, but the Netherlands opened their World Cup challenge with a performance that was steady as she goes rather than full speed ahead.

An own goal by Denmark and a tap-in by Dirk Kuyt was enough for the Dutch to extend their unbeaten run to 20 matches, a record for the country that began after they were last beaten in 2008. Since then they have had 15 wins and five draws.

It is a run Bert van Marwijk, the Dutch coach, will be hoping to keep going over the next few weeks.

Van Marwijk could afford not to risk playing Arjen Robben, who has been struggling with injury, but in Wesley Sneijder, who has enjoyed a dream season with Inter Milan, and Arsenal's Robin van Persie, well rested after spending much of the season injured, he has men capable of engineering a win from very little.

A poor first half was followed by a second in which the Dutch dominated.

"It was a difficult first half, we didn't play well in the first half, but we did enough in the second half to win," said Man of the Match Sneijder.

"I think it's too early to say what will happen (in the rest of the tournament). We didn't play that well today, but we won 2-0. That's important. The first game is the most important one."

After a first half of bitty chances and Daniel Agger marshalling a Danish defence that blocked and scrambled efficiently, it took a mistake to add life to a match that had rumbled along.

Van Persie's diagonal run, from right to left, was picked out by a long ball from the Dutch defence and drew Danish goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen to the edge of his area.

The Arsenal winger turned and clipped over a cross that Simon Poulsen, who plays in the Dutch league for Alkmaar, headed into Agger's back and it crept inside the left-hand post for an own goal.

Denmark coach Morten Olsen had a word of comfort for Poulsen.

"I told him it happened to me one time in my career, so it can happen to anyone. He just has to forget all about it," said Olsen.

"There were still 45 minutes to go, so we had some problem in our attacking play. We had a similar goal in the second half against England in 2002. It's not an excuse, but this was a good Dutch team.

"I thought we defended well in the first half. We had planned to play (Niklas) Bendtner for a half, but got 60 minutes from him, so he's getting fitter."

The introduction of 23-year-old Eljero Elia after 67 minutes for the misfiring Rafael van der Vaart gave the Netherlands an injection of pure pace. He combined well with Dirk Kuyt, the Liverpool midfielder.

Indeed, the Netherlands could have been three or four goals up in the second half if not for the athleticism of Sorensen.

The Stoke City goalkeeper could only get a hand to an Elia shot with five minutes left and pushed it on to the post, from where it rebounded neatly into the path of Kuyt, who killed the game off.

Hup Hup, Holland are on the move.

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Mondial 2010 : les Pays-Bas, révolution "oranje"

Anthony Hernandez

Deux finales perdues, des générations sacrifiées, l'équipe des Pays-Bas n'a jamais eu une relation apaisée avec la Coupe du monde. Pourtant, les Néerlandais n'ont jamais manqué de talents et d'opportunités d'aller au bout. Auteur d'une qualification parfaite, les joueurs de Bert Van Marwijk possèdent le potentiel d'un vainqueur. Mélange de joueurs à maturité et d'espoirs, les Pays-Bas évolueront dans le groupe E avec le Danemark, le Cameroun et le Japon.

HISTORIQUE : l'apogée des 70's

Après deux participations peu reluisantes au Mondial en 1934 et 1938, les Pays-Bas inscrivent la première page de leur histoire au plus haut niveau en 1974 avec la génération Cruyff. Pratiquant le football total sous l'influence directe de l'Ajax Amsterdam, les Néerlandais disposent au second tour de l'Argentine (4-0), du Brésil (2-0) et de la RDA (2-0). Tous les observateurs attendent le sacre des sublimes footballeurs "oranjes" mais la RFA, à domicile, s'impose 2-1 en finale malgré l'ouverture du score de Neeskens sur penalty.

Quatre ans plus tard, les Néerlandais se présentent au Mondial argentin sans Cruyff qui boycotte la compétition pour ne pas cautionner la dictature du général Videla. Après des victoires notamment contre l'Iran, l'Italie, l'Autriche et un match nul face à la RFA, les Pays-Bas disputent une nouvelle finale, encore une fois face au pays organisateur. Les Argentins ne laissent pas échapper leur première Coupe du monde grâce à une victoire 3-1 après prolongations. La déception est légitime : la génération en or ne gagnera jamais le Mondial. Sublime injustice !

Eclipsés pendant une décennie, les Pays-Bas atteignent les huitièmes de finale en 1990, les quarts de finale en 1994 et enfin les demi-finales en 1998 en France. Ils s'inclinent aux tirs au but face au Brésil après un score de 1-1. A la surprise générale, en 2002, les Néerlandais ne se qualifient pas pour la Coupe du monde asiatique. En 2006, sortis du groupe de la mort au détriment de la Serbie et de la Côte d'Ivoire, ils perdent leurs illusions à la suite d'un défaite lors d'un match violent face au Portugal.

PARCOURS DE QUALIFICATION : un sans-faute plein de promesses.

Dans le groupe 9 des éliminatoires de la zone Europe avec la Norvège, l'Ecosse, la Macédoine et l'Islande, les Pays-bas ont réalisé un parcours parfait. Au-delà des huit victoires en huit matches, les coéquipiers de Arjen Robben ont inscrit 17 buts et n'en ont surtout encaissé que deux. Pas souvent cités parmi les grands favoris, les Néerlandais restent de sérieux outsiders. Et si la révolution "oranje" s'abattait sur l'Afrique du Sud ?

POINTS FORTS ET POINTS FAIBLES

Un mélange de générations : le sélectionneur Bert Van Marwijk s'appuie sur un mélange de joueurs expérimentés et affirmés, et de jeunes joueurs non moins talentueux. Les cadres de l'équipe ont fière allure : en défense, Boulahrouz, Mathijsen, Ooijer, van Bronckhorst ; en milieu de terrain, Sneijder, van der Vaart et van Bommel ; en attaque, Kuyt, van Persie ou Robben (de retour de blessure). Cette génération fréquente la sélection depuis quelques années, tout comme le haut niveau du football européen. Des espoirs se mêlent petit à petit à cette base solide : Afellay (PSV), de Zeeuw (Ajax) ou Elia (Hambourg)... Cette cohabitation pourrait permettre d'apporter au groupe une émulation et une fraîcheur appréciables sur les terrains sud-africains.

Qui en pointe ? Même si la liste des attaquants oranjes est d'une rare qualité (van Persie, Babel, Kuyt, Huntelaar, Robben), l'absence d'un vrai buteur, en forme, pourrait se faire cruellement ressentir. Et le choix du sélectionneur de ne pas prendre van Nistelrooy revenu en forme avec Hambourg risque de susciter des critiques. Kuyt ne joue pas dans l'axe avec Liverpool et malgré sa polyvalence, il n'est pas un vrai finisseur. Barré au Real Madrid, Huntelaar n'a pas réussi à s'imposer à Milan. Il n'a inscrit que neuf buts sous le maillot milanais. Quant à Babel et Robben, ce sont des joueurs de couloir, moins susceptibles de marquer. L'inconnu concerne van Persie, blessé pendant la majeure partie de la saison mais qui est revenu avec Arsenal. Ailier de formation, van Persie a les capacités d'occuper l'axe de l'attaque, qualité qu'il démontre sous le maillot des Gunners.

JOUEUR CLÉ : Mark van Bommel, la plaque tournante.

Une teigne, un dur, un costaud, un tatoué, Mark van Bommel n'est pas un adversaire réputé facile sur le pré vert. A 33 ans, avec son mètre 87, ce milieu défensif, qui a débuté au Fortuna Sittard avant de se révéler avec la bande du PSV mené par Hiddink (Lyon s'en souvient), est un joueur essentiel dans toutes les équipes par lesquelles il est passé. En 2005-2006, Barcelone profite de sa roublardise et de son impact physique. Depuis quatre saisons, le Bayern Munich ne peut plus se passer de lui. Et la dernière campagne de Ligue des champions du club prouve aux sceptiques que van Bommel n'est pas seulement une brute. Sa justesse dans la passe, son sens du jeu et ses orientations font de lui une véritable plaque tournante du milieu de terrain. Les Pays-Bas en profiteront à coup sûr lors du Mondial.

JOUEUR À SURVEILLER : Ibrahim Afellay, un vrai créateur.

Né à Utrecht de parents marocains, Ibrahim Afellay a été formé à l'école du PSV Eindhoven, gage de qualité. Ce milieu de terrain offensif a débuté en professionnel à 17 ans lors de la saison 2003-2004. Il connaît la première de ses 16 sélections sous le maillot néerlandais en 2007 après avoir refusé de répondre aux sollictations de la Fédération marocaine de football. Plus en difficultés cette saison, Afellay a le potentiel pour illuminer le jeu des Pays-Bas. Mais derrière Sneijder et van der Vaart, la concurrence au milieu de terrain sera acharnée.

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The Netherlands rarely had to step out of second gear during a routine 2-0 win against a lackluster Denmark side in Johannesburg’s Soccer City. A comical own goal, which went in off Daniel Agger’s back, gave the Dutch the lead just after half-time and although the Dutch had to wait for Dirk Kuyt’s tap-in to seal the victory, Denmark had never threatened to equalize.

The Netherlands’ are often tipped as pre-tournament dark horses, and this World Cup is no different.

Arjen Robben may have been missing with a hamstring injury but coach Bert van Marwijk was still able to call on the talent of Robin van Persie, Wesley Sneijder, and Rafael van der Vaart. The young substitute, Eljero Elia, whose shot was palmed against the post to set up Kuyt’s goal, also impressed. This team should not struggle to create chances.

They struggled initially, though.

It was an uninspiring first half, summed up by the crowd’s enthusiasm for a Mexican Wave – a sure sign that there was little on the pitch to keep their attention.

The Netherlands were neat but rarely threatening, while Denmark occasionally caused problems on the counter attack. Sniejder was reduced to two long-range free kicks. Both were from at least 35 yards – one slammed into the wall, the other sailed clear over the bar.

The best chances in the first 45 minutes fell to the Danes. Nicklas Bendtner should have done better with a free header in the 27th minute which he glanced wide, while Dennis Rommendahl forced a good save out of Maarten Stekelenburg in the Dutch goal after Martin Jorgensen had played a delicious cross field pass to set him clear.

But Agger’s own-goal, within 40 seconds of the restart, knocked the air out of the Danes.

Set up to play defensive football, they seemed unable to change. Martin Olsen’s three second-half substitutions were all attacking changes, but they made little difference. A late counter-attack, when the score was still 1-0, petered out when only three men in red bothered to cross the halfway line.

The official capacity may have been 83,465 but empty seats were, once again, in evidence.

Thousands were still free by kick off, although most had filled by midway through the first half; a sign that Johannesburg’s traffic jams and tight security around the stadium are preventing everyone from arriving in time.

More frustrating for the organizers must be the rows of empty seats in the corporate boxes. Around half were unfilled. It is becoming a recurring problem and one that threatens to make a mockery of FIFA claims that 97 percent of the tournament’s tickets have been sold.

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Dutch Find Goals in Unusual Places, Including From the Opponent

The Netherlands has the victory it wanted, and some of its big-name players might even now be thanking Dirk Kuyt, the son of a fisherman, for putting the finishing touch to a 2-0 victory over Denmark on Monday at Soccer City stadium.

Kuyt is the player whose highly developed work ethic coaches love but whose lack of refined skills was disparaged by members of his team during the approach to this World Cup.

He is a modest man, like his father, also Dirk, who died of cancer three years ago. But it is Kuyt’s belief that you work, you persevere, you believe in yourself even if those who share your labor are never convinced about you.

Kuyt must be fulfilled knowing that he was still on the field, still running, still in position to tap in the final goal when Robin van Persie, the striker who had so openly questioned Kuyt’s right to share the attack, had already been withdrawn to the bench.

Soccer has this way of leveling down the egos, and van Persie owes Kuyt a beer.

Well, O.K., it was not much of a goal, knocked in from less than three feet after Eljero Elia, a quicksilver wing who came on midway through the second half as a substitute, did all the creation.

Elia, 5 feet 9 inches, quick and as slippery as a lizard darting between rocks, had beaten the Danish goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen with his low shot, which bounced as a gift off the far post into Kuyt’s path.

At least that goal had a Dutch name to it. The first one was cruel, but almost comical.

Van Persie can claim the assist on that one because he made the cross from the left flank. But Simon Poulsen made a pig’s ear of an easy clearance.

The ball struck him on his shaven scalp above the right temple, ricocheted the opposite way from the one he intended, struck the back of his teammate Daniel Agger, and one-hopped across the goal line. Because it struck Agger before crossing the line, FIFA officially credited the goal to him. But there was no doubt that it was Poulsen’s fault.

What does a coach say to a defender as hapless as that?

“I said to him it happened to me a lot in my career, it can happen to anyone,” said Morten Olsen, Denmark’s coach.

He possibly told a white lie there. Olsen was more than a competent defender, one of the most accomplished players in Denmark’s history. But it is in a coach’s interests to be kind to his player, and Olsen told Poulsen, “Forget about it and think of the next game, because you played a good game today.”

A good game is the faint praise the performance and the victory merit. Players are saying that the atmosphere at matches is surreal, that the tuneless din of the vuvuzelas gives them little feeling of normal soccer audiences.

But these are the multimillionaire players of world fame. If the crowd does not give them energy, they have to create it for themselves.

Few games so far have grabbed the undivided attention of the spectators. This one was better than, say, France-Uruguay or Serbia-Ghana, but for long spells it was a highly orchestrated stalemate.

The Danes confessed beforehand that a tie would be the summit of their ambition and set out a seven-man rearguard action to try to achieve it. The onus was on the Netherlands to break that organized resistance, but though it had far more of the ball, it lacked ideas on how to penetrate.

Denmark absorbed the blows and counterattacked. And once, at 37 minutes, Denmark’s lonesome striker Nicklas Bendtner beautifully spun with the ball and passed it into the stride of Thomas Kahlenberg. Kahlenberg shot for goal, but Maarten Stekelenberg, the Dutch goalkeeper, clawed it down with both hands.

The Dutch were by then wary of Denmark’s swift and sudden raids down the wings, especially the pace of Dennis Rommedahl on the right.

And in a tournament thus far refereed in the highest standards, the Dutch more than once got away with rugged fouls that surely deserved censure. Nigel de Jong’s hack at the heels of Martin Jorgensen, clearly seen by the French referee Stéphane Lannoy, went unpunished.

It was culpable foul play. It threatened the limb of an opponent. And referees are instructed to clamp down on those, as the arbiter had the previous night when Tim Cahill of Australia was shown a straight red card for a similar foul, on Germany’s Bastian Schweinsteiger.

With that caveat, the Dutch deserved their victory. Elia deserves more game time. Wesley Sneijder, who combines industry with art, deserved a goal when his left-foot shot glanced off a defender and struck the crossbar.

Most of all, Kuyt deserves to be praised, not mocked. Perseverance is his virtue, and the Netherlands’ game clincher.

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Netherlands defeats Denmark. Okay, but wasn’t the stadium beautiful?


Soccer City was basking in the best that the Johannesburg winter can offer. The stands are brightly coloured in a red-orange combo. There was excitement and expectation in the air. And that’s just about the only positive things we can say about the Netherlands’ win over Denmark. It was 2:0, but we were left thoroughly bored.

While Denmark are a tough, traditionally well-organised European team, albeit lacking in big stars (the biggest of them being Arsenal’s Nicholas Bendtner), the world’s focus today was on Dutch team. The 1974 and 1978 finalists and 1998 semi-finalists, the Dutch went through a generation of very talented but also very moody stars in 2002 and 2006. The current team appears to be a much stronger and more cohesively put together outfit, with plenty of attacking talent in Van Persi, Robben, Snyder and Kuyt.

Denmark is a hard nut to crack on any day, but Monday saw a Dutch team that was not particularly inspired. Yet, they were ready to grind their way through the game, even as Denmark appeared to be the slightly better of the two teams in the first half.

The Second half, however, saw the Danes press self-destruct button in the same way Algeria and Serbia did before them. An innocent-looking cross was headed by Danish central defender Poulsen into the shoulder-blades of his unsuspecting colleague, Liverpool’s Agger, and then into Sorensen’s goal.

The Dutch goal, as accidental as it was, wreaked havoc with the Danish tactics of playing a mostly defensive game with quick counter-attack sorties into the opponents’ territory and they never really recovered, not that they were shining before it anyway.

Apart from winning this hard-fought game, the Dutch could be very encouraged by their newest young talent, Elia, who replaced van den Vaart and brought much-needed urgency to their game. The final goal was the best move of the match, with Snyder brilliantly finding Elia, who quickly check-mated Sorrensen, only to hit the far post. The ball was then simply tapped in by the supreme predator Kuyt.

All in all, the Netherlands-Denmark game mostly bored us to sleep. But such are the best teams at big tournaments: the Dutch won a tough game by spending just enough energy and without losing any of their stars. And the next time, Robben might be fit to play too.

Here are the minute-by-minute notes:

Starting line-ups

Netherlands: Maarten Stekelenburg, Gregory van der Wiel, John Heitinga, Joris Mathijsen, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Mark van Bommel, Dirk Kuyt, Nigel de Jong, Robin van Persie, Wesley Sneijder, Rafael van der Vaart

Denmark: Thomas Sorensen, Christian Poulsen, Simon Kjaer, Daniel Agger, Lars Jacobsen, Martin Jorgensen, Nicklas Bendtner, Thomas Kahlenberg, Simon Pulsen, Dennis Rommedahl, Thomas Enevoldsen

Man of the match: Wesley Snyder

First half

It’s been a somewhat uneventful start to the game, with both teams probing each other cautiously. The Danes seem somewhat out of it, with a few back passes to the keeper almost falling at the Dutch strikers’ feet.

* 4th minute: Free kick for the Dutch as Sneijder is brought down about 38m from goal. Sneijder takes the shot, but skies it.

We’ve seen eight games without a single good free kick. Jabulani's fault?

* 10th minute: First shot at goal from Kuyt, who shoots it right at Sorensen. The Danish keeper fumbles it very badly before recovering.

It seems like keepers are having trouble with saving routine shots. This will hopefully encourage the players to try their luck with shots from as far out as Sandton.

* 12th minute: Hand ball to Wesley Sneijder, just inside his half.
* 14th minute: Bendtner tries to set up a counter-attack, but finds himself isolated and is quickly muscled off the ball. The Danes are going to let the Dutch keep possession, and then rely on counter-attacks to create chances. Good luck with that.
* 16th minute: The Dutch earn their first corner kick, but nothing comes of it. You’d be forgiven for thinking you were attending a training camp instead of a World Cup match. This has not been tantalising football.
* 19th minute: Van Persie sets van der Vaart up for a shot, but a quick Danish defender gets in the way, and the shot goes out the back for a corner.
* 19th minute: Second corner to the Dutch, and again it fizzles out as the Danish defender use his superior height to defend the high ball.

* 20th minute: The first serious chance for the Dutch comes as van Bommel slices a low cross in, but van der Vaart wastes the chance, trying to get away from the flocking Danish defenders.
* 21st minute: Enevoldsen sends a shot from just outside the penalty box into the stratosphere.

The Danes are certainly the less convincing side in terms of attack.

* 26th minute: Rommedahl sends a brilliant cross into the Dutch penalty box, right onto Bendtner’s forehead, who nudges it just wide of the goal. The Dutch defence was certainly caught by surprise.
* 30th minute: De Jong stomps quite savagely on a Danish player’s ankle, but doesn’t get booked for it.
* 30th minute: Free kick to the Dutch from just outside the centre circle. Sneijder fluffs it quite ridiculously.
* 33rd minute: Rommedahl gets the first shot on goal for the Danes after a counter-attack, but shoots it right at the Dutch goalkeeper.
* 34th minute: Jorgensen gets a free kick in a goodish area, but it is wasted as Kahlenberg buries it into the Dutch wall.
* 37th minute: Kahlenberg gets a shot from angle, but it is saved by the Dutch keeper, earning the Danes their first corner. Predictably, it’s a complete waste.

The France vs Uruguay game was more exciting than this, and that is quite an indictment. I’d sooner sit through a Mbeki speech...

* 42nd minute: Van Persie turns a defender several times inside the Danish penalty box, and finally sends a shot off his right foot, which skids harmlessly to the side of the goals.
* 43rd minute: Nigel de Jong gets the first booking of the match after bringing Bendtner down. Finally, an incident.

End of the first half, thank God.

Second half

46th minute: Poulsen scores an own goal. He is absolutely devastated. Van Persie attempted a cross, and Poulsen headed it into his own goal, after deflecting it off Agger’s back.

* Looking at the own goal replay, Poulsen definitely directed that header away from the goal, but it took an awkward glance off the back of his head, and spun back into the goal. Jabulani is a very unpredictable ball, that much is for sure.

Photo: Denmark's goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen watches the header of Simon Poulsen (R) that ended up with an own goal during their 2010 World Cup Group E soccer match against the Netherlands at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg June 14, 2010. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

* 49th minute: A yellow card for van Persie for fouling Kjaer.
* 55th minute: Enevoldsen goes off for Gronkjaer. A bit of an ancient player, is Gronkjaer.
* 58th minute: Van der Vaart’s back-flip shot, off van Persie’s cross, is easily saved by Sorensen.
* 60th minute: van Persie is caught offside by the Danish defence, and has a few words with the referee. He apparently couldn’t hear the whistle over the noise of the vuvuzelas.

* 61st minute: Beckmann comes on for Bendtner.
* 63rd minute: Kjaer wins a dubious yellow card after tackling Sneijder. He definitely got the ball on that one.

Kahlenberg has been strangely subdued in this match.

* 66th minute: van der Vaart comes off, and Elia comes on.
* 68th minute: Elia gets away quite brilliantly from two defenders, and crosses the ball to van Persie who cannot get it past a wall of Danish defence. That was the first bit of exciting football in this game, coming from the Dutch substitute.
* 72nd minute: The lacklustre Kahlenberg is replaced by 18-year-old Eriksen.
* 73rd minute: Van Bommel gets a shot in, but Sorensen nudges it aside. Elia has definitely injected a greater sense of urgency into the Dutch attack.
* 74th minute: Van Persie headers a cross from a corner wide.
* 76th minute: Van Persie is withdrawn for Afellay.
* 77th minute: Kjaer fouls van Bommel, and earns the Dutch a free kick, who opt to play it instead of seeking a shot.

The Dutch are choosing to defend this one goal instead of seeking another. As if the football wasn’t boring enough already.

* 81st minute: De Jong goes down with a cramp to his right calf. Yes, really. The game is that boring.
* 81st minute: Sneijder fires a shot in, and disaster almost strikes again for the Danes as the ball takes a dangerous deflection off a Danish defender, but strikes the top bar and goes out for a corner.
* 83rd minute: Afellay shoots a shot high and wide. “Way high, Afellay,” moans the bored TV commentator.
* 85th minute: Sneijder gives Elia a brilliant pass, and he makes an even better run to nudge it past Sorensen’s outstretched arm. It hits the post, and Kuyt nudges it into the goal. Score!

Netherland's Eljero Elia kicks the ball past Denmark's goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen to hit the sidebar and allowed team mate Dirk Kuyt to score during the 2010 World Cup Group E soccer match agasint Denmark at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg June 14, 2010. REUTERS/Michael Kooren

* 87th minute: Poulsen rescues his country after Kuyt fires a low cross in for Afellay, who manages to get it past Sorensen. Poulsen clears it brilliantly off the line.
* 87th minute: De Zeus comes on for De Jong.

The game is livelier now, the Dutch perhaps smelling blood. The Danish side is completely demoralised.

The referee finally blows his whistle, ending the Danish misery.

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* 87th minute: De Zeus comes on for De Jong.

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 09:47 schreef Flammie het volgende:

Bild.de zit al te beredeneren waarom Duitsland wel wereldkampioen kan worden.. Wij mogen ons eerst eens druk maken over de groepsfase....

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 09:47 schreef Flammie het volgende:
Nou nou wat een positieve berichten weer Na de 1e wedstrijd is het al allemaal duidelijk en zo te zien ook in het buitenland... Nederland heeft echt veel geluk gehad tegen de Denen en het is geen topteam

Bild.de zit al te beredeneren waarom Duitsland wel wereldkampioen kan worden.. Wij mogen ons eerst eens druk maken over de groepsfase....

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 09:47 schreef Flammie het volgende:
Nou nou wat een positieve berichten weer Na de 1e wedstrijd is het al allemaal duidelijk en zo te zien ook in het buitenland... Nederland heeft echt veel geluk gehad tegen de Denen en het is geen topteam

Bild.de zit al te beredeneren waarom Duitsland wel wereldkampioen kan worden.. Wij mogen ons eerst eens druk maken over de groepsfase....

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 11:05 schreef Ypmaha het volgende:

[..]

En weer een Oranjehater

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 11:10 schreef kadeya het volgende:
Dit is op zich wel relaxt, beetje underdog positie. Laat ze zich allemaal inderdaad maar lekker opwinden over Duitsland, Argentinie, Spanje, enz. NL elftal heeft met 2-0 gewonnen en zijn zelf ook niet echt tevreden, als dit slecht is wat wordt het als ze goed spelen!

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 11:18 schreef Flammie het volgende:

[..]

Tegen goede landen? Dan verliezen ze met 3-0 ofzo

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 11:05 schreef Ypmaha het volgende:

[..]

En weer een Oranjehater

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 11:22 schreef kadeya het volgende:

[..]

Ja misschien, misschien ook niet. Het is leuk als ze winnen. Wat zijn volgens jou de goede landen?

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 09:36 schreef Saekerhett het volgende:

[..]

Demy de Zeus

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De buitenlandse media waren eensgezind. Oranje had bepaald geen indruk gemaakt. "Zo veel klassespelers, zo slecht voetbal'', begon het Duitse Bild. "Bij de Nederlandse zege op Denemarken maakten legendes als Zidane, Cruijff en Platini op de VIP-tribune liever een praatje dan dat ze naar de wedstrijd keken.''
"Electrische Elia zorgt voor de enige opschudding'', vond de Daily Mail.

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 11:29 schreef Flammie het volgende:
van voetbalzone:
[..]

Nederland is gewoon slecht
De duitsers zijn hard in hun oordeel maar hebben gewoon gelijk. Duitsland was verfrissend en Nederland oersaai

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 11:36 schreef Joeriii het volgende:

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Lekker boeiend
2-0 overwinning, nooit in de problemen geweest.

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 11:39 schreef Flammie het volgende:

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1e helft niet gezien zeker? Genoeg kansen voor de Denen hoor V.Marwijk maakte zich ook al boos erover maar goed, jij weet het vast beter dan de internationale pers en de bondscoach

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 11:18 schreef Flammie het volgende:

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Nope.. ik support Oranje alleen geef ik het allemaal niet zo veel kans

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 10:37 schreef Flammie het volgende:
regels zijn regels

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 11:29 schreef Flammie het volgende:
van voetbalzone:
[..]

Nederland is gewoon slecht
De duitsers zijn hard in hun oordeel maar hebben gewoon gelijk. Duitsland was verfrissend en Nederland oersaai

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 11:38 schreef schuimjosti het volgende:
Ik kan me best voorstellen dat het voor sommige mensen in deze oranje-gekte vermakelijk is om een dissonant te zijn. Maar is het niet veel leuker af en toe gewoon een rake opmerking te maken in plaats van keer op keer zo dom te overdrijven? Ik weet het, alle aandacht is welkom, maar op deze manier moet het toch zo langzamerhand zelfs voor jullie wel gaan vervelen.

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 11:29 schreef Flammie het volgende:
van voetbalzone:
[..]

Nederland is gewoon slecht
De duitsers zijn hard in hun oordeel maar hebben gewoon gelijk. Duitsland was verfrissend en Nederland oersaai

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 11:42 schreef Ypmaha het volgende:

[..]


[..]

Je houdt niet van de Oranjegekte, je vindt het terecht dat die Bavariababes zijn gearresteerd, want:
[..]

en daarnaast heb je amper vertrouwen dat Nederland de groepsfase doorkomt, dat de "echte" goeie landen Nederland wel zullen inmaken. En dan ben je ook nog voor de Duitsers Lekkere support

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 11:42 schreef Ypmaha het volgende:

[..]


[..]

Je houdt niet van de Oranjegekte, je vindt het terecht dat die Bavariababes zijn gearresteerd, want:
[..]

en daarnaast heb je amper vertrouwen dat Nederland de groepsfase doorkomt, dat de "echte" goeie landen Nederland wel zullen inmaken. En dan ben je ook nog voor de Duitsers Lekkere support

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 12:17 schreef jpjedi het volgende:

[..]

ach niet reageren op die oranje trol joh

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 12:50 schreef Henno het volgende:
De pers is best verdeeld zo te zien... sommigen hebben forse kritiek, anderen zeggen dat we een prima pot gespeeld hebben

Nou ja, laten we deze keer maar iets later pieken dan. Tijdens de finale ofzo

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'De Hollanders zijn Duitsers geworden, en vice versa'

GROOT-BIJGAARDEN - In de Belgische krant De Standaard is vandaag een opmerkelijke column te lezen van ex-Nederlandcorrespondent Steven De Foer. "De Hollanders zijn Duitsers geworden, en vice versa", concludeert hij na de matige wedstrijd van Oranje.

"Die Duitsers zien spelen zondagavond? Champagnevoetbal, of noemen ze dat daar Sektfussball? Die kwikzilveren Özil, dat leek wel een Braziliaan. De Mannschaft de Brazilianen van Europa? Kan niet, dat waren toch de Nederlanders? Die Hollanders zien spelen gisternamiddag? Zeventig minuten lang was het niet om aan te zien. Veel grote namen, maar geen hoogstandjes of emoties, geen kansen - tot de Denen zelf een domme own goal maakten. Na negentig minuten wonnen de Nederlanders wel netjes. De Hollanders zijn Duitsers geworden, en vice versa", klinkt het.

De Foer was van 1997 tot 2000 correspondent in ons land voor De Standaard. Hij heeft heimwee naar het Oranje van Kluivert, Seedorf en de broertjes De Boer. "Het Nederlandse team hoort arrogantie uit te stralen, zijn aanhang hoort schreeuwerig te zijn, hun media horen de wereldtitel te eisen en de hele natie hoort in zak en as te zitten na de onverwachte uitschakeling. Wij spelen het leukste en aanvallendste voetbal, waarom weigeren de voetbalgoden dat te belonen?"

Redelijkheidsvirus
"Maar dit jaar is het anders. Je zag het al meteen in de tribunes van het Sokkerstadion. Minder schreeuwerig oranje. Vrouwen in een DutchDress. Vergeleken met de gebruikelijke dronken idioten met een pluchen koe op hun hoofd, leken ze haast... gereserveerd. Ronduit schokkend was de peiling vorige week, waaruit bleek dat twaalf procent van de Nederlanders Oranje wereldkampioen zien worden. Twaalf procent? Wat voor akelig redelijkheidsvirus is er over Nederland gewaaid?"

"Helaas zijn redelijkheid en terughoudendheid ook in het spel geslopen. Oranje hoort te staan voor Robben en Van Persie, voor genialiteit en speelsheid, niet voor Van Bommel en De Jong en goede balrecuperatie. Van zulke teams zijn er al genoeg op deze Wereldbeker. En dat commentaar op de NOS dan. Een normale Nederlandse commentator moedigt het team bij 2-0 aan om de derde goal nog veel mooier te maken. Gisteren regende het opmerkingen als 'de neutrale toeschouwer heeft hier niets aan, maar we hebben de drie punten en dat is het belangrijkste'. Deze commentator leek wel een Belg, zo bang."

Nederland wereldkampioen
De Foer wijst meteen de schuldige aan: "Het komt door die trainer, Bert van Marwijk. Komt uit Deventer. Geen Hollander. Speelde voor MVV en Fortuna Sittard, en één keer voor Oranje. Van zo'n man kun je echt niet verwachten dat hij frivool voetbal predikt. Hij heeft zich waarschijnlijk geërgerd aan de creativiteit van Elia en Affalay. Nergens voor nodig, zag je Van Marwijk denken. Als we de goede organisatie maar niet uit het oog verliezen en geen onnodige risico's meer nemen. Zó onhollands, foei."

Hóe Duits Nederland dan geworden is? "Volgens mij wordt Nederland wereldkampioen. Na een heel lelijke, doelpuntenloze finale. Met de strafschoppen." Zó Duits.

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 13:01 schreef Zwieperdepiep het volgende:

[..]

quote:

Ronduit schokkend was de peiling vorige week, waaruit bleek dat twaalf procent van de Nederlanders Oranje wereldkampioen zien worden. Twaalf procent? Wat voor akelig redelijkheidsvirus is er over Nederland gewaaid?"

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 13:20 schreef tjoptjop het volgende:

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[..]

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 15:02 schreef Saphia het volgende:
Ik weet niet of deze al is gepost.Leuk stukje in Daily Mail over nederlandse vrouwelijke supporters.

http://www.dailymail.co.u(...)e-football-fans.html

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 13:29 schreef Flammie het volgende:

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En dat zeg ik nou hier al de hele tijd Maar dan ben je ineens een domme troll

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 15:12 schreef minutenman het volgende:

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voor spanje zijn terwijl je zo'n troll-esque ''landen met prijzen gaan winnen''-argument handhaaft. spanje is zelfs nooit verder gekomen dan 4e plaats op het WK terwijl nederland meerdere malen in de finale stond.

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 15:13 schreef Flammie het volgende:

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Kap jij nou maar eens met je getroll zeurkous

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 15:55 schreef bascross het volgende:
Flammie is een kut troll die je moet negeren.

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 15:02 schreef Saphia het volgende:
Ik weet niet of deze al is gepost.Leuk stukje in Daily Mail over nederlandse vrouwelijke supporters.

http://www.dailymail.co.u(...)e-football-fans.html

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 13:01 schreef Zwieperdepiep het volgende:

[..]

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 16:57 schreef marcodej het volgende:
http://www.rtl.nl/compone(...)over-oranje-GOED.xml

"Mike, it's amazing"-item van CNN over de Nederlandse supporters.

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 16:57 schreef marcodej het volgende:
http://www.rtl.nl/compone(...)over-oranje-GOED.xml

"Mike, it's amazing"-item van CNN over de Nederlandse supporters.

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 15:02 schreef Saphia het volgende:
Ik weet niet of deze al is gepost.Leuk stukje in Daily Mail over nederlandse vrouwelijke supporters.

http://www.dailymail.co.u(...)e-football-fans.html

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 17:14 schreef G.R.S. het volgende:

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These are models hired to promote Bavaria beer

Britons,stop bashing your own women,have some pride.
Especially looking at these dutch horsey ones,nothing special really...

- slava, kiev,ukraine, 15/6/2010 15:22

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 17:43 schreef W_Sneijder het volgende:
die belgen zijn echt zo kortzichtig he

we zijn pas 1 wedstrijd onderweg en opeens is nederland duitsland en vice versa.

-.-

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 17:47 schreef jpjedi het volgende:

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ik vind het juist niet kortzichtig.. Het is een leuk stukje..

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 13:29 schreef Flammie het volgende:

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En dat zeg ik nou hier al de hele tijd Maar dan ben je ineens een domme troll

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 17:43 schreef W_Sneijder het volgende:
die belgen zijn echt zo kortzichtig he

we zijn pas 1 wedstrijd onderweg en opeens is nederland duitsland en vice versa.

-.-

quote:

En dat commentaar op de NOS dan. Een normale Nederlandse commentator moedigt het team bij 2-0 aan om de derde goal nog veel mooier te maken. Gisteren regende het opmerkingen als 'de neutrale toeschouwer heeft hier niets aan, maar we hebben de drie punten en dat is het belangrijkste'. Deze commentator leek wel een Belg, zo bang."

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 12:53 schreef Saekerhett het volgende:

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We hebben in ieder geval al in het stadion gespeeld waar de finale zal plaatsvinden, dus wat dat betreft kan dat een klein voordeel zijn. Je weet met welke omstandigheden je te maken hebt (hoogte, vochtigheid, luchtdruk etc...).

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 11:23 schreef Flammie het volgende:

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Brazilie, Duitsland, Spanje zijn wel kanshebbers op de titel

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Op woensdag 16 juni 2010 07:32 schreef Mwanatabu het volgende:

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Oh joepiedepoepie, een finale vol afzwaaiers en ballen die niet aankomen, schutterende keepers en dode spelmomenten die dood blijven. Komt dat zien mensen!

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Op vrijdag 18 juni 2010 15:45 schreef kadeya het volgende:

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Waar is Flammie?

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Op zaterdag 19 juni 2010 00:27 schreef lubje25 het volgende:

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Dan kijk je niet

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Op dinsdag 15 juni 2010 17:29 schreef tjoptjop het volgende:
Dat zou toch wat zijn. Dat Nederland Duitsland op z'n Duits verslaat in de KO fase

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Op zaterdag 19 juni 2010 00:55 schreef Kluivert_Vandervaart het volgende:

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Gaat heel zeker niet gebeuren.

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Op zaterdag 19 juni 2010 00:35 schreef Fir3fly het volgende:
Even tvp'tje voor morgen.

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Op zaterdag 19 juni 2010 00:54 schreef Kluivert_Vandervaart het volgende:

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Precies, die personen moeten dan maar niet kijken.

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Op zaterdag 19 juni 2010 00:27 schreef lubje25 het volgende:

[..]

Dan kijk je niet

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Oranje are happy with a no-frills approach;
THE main discussion point after Holland's opening World Cup match had nothing to do with the result but the ambush marketing by a beer company and the Dutch will be hoping their football grabs the headlines in Durban today.

Most people were expecting the Dutch to dazzle in South Africa and a functional 2-0 success over a decent Denmark side was seen as a minor disappointment vene though they began their campaign with maximum points.

Holland have often been the neutrals' team. They virtually always play the sexiest football and everyone knows about the Holland side of 1974, even though Johan Cruyff failed to bring home a trophy that has so far eluded the Oranje.

Perhaps this more pragmatic team is the future.

"We can't always play beautiful football," said boss Bert van Marwijk, while playmaker Rafael van der Vaart compared the crop of 2010 to the successful and often dour German teams of time gone past.

Boring but effective - it's not very Dutch is it? However, van Marwijk does not care what the purists want and a record of 20 matches unbeaten dating back to September 2008 is testament to the excellent work of the former Feyenoord manager.

It is also worth pointing out the so-called drab Dutch still gave one of the best opening performances of a difficult first round of matches in South Africa as the players struggled to adapt to the condition and the new lightweight football.

Beating Denmark 2-0 is a solid start when you consider a number of other group favourites failed to sparkle in their first match. France drew 0-0; Argentina won 1-0; England drew 1-1; Italy drew 1-1; Brazil won 2-1 and Spain lost 1-0, so in comparison Holland's result should give them great belief.

Only Germany sparkled and the majority of their players had been using the controversial Jabulani ball since February in the Bundesliga, which hardly seems fair to the rest of the competition, although that is an argument for another day.

So don't give up on Holland's beautiful game just yet, although they will need to be patient against Japan, particularly after defensive midfielder Yuki Ade said: "What we need to do is try to wind them up and frustrate them."

Japan will clearly go into battle with a plan to smother the Oranje's attacking talent and the Asian side will be full of confidence having gained a historic first World Cup win on foreign soil beating Cameroon 1-0 in their Group E opener.

Takeshi Okada's side were disciplined and worked hard defensively, with Yuji Nakazawa a standout performer at centreback.

With a midfield full of energy, Japan won't lack for fitness and making life difficult for Holland will definitely be the tactics adopted by Okada.

Japan showed exactly the same workrate in a friendly in Holland last year when it took 69 minutes for Robin van Persie to break the deadlock before the Dutch recorded a 3-0 triumph which was much more difficult than the final score suggested.

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HOLLAND can improve on their opening performance at the World Cup by claiming a convincing win over Japan today.

The Dutch will need to be patient, but they showed that was not a significant problem when breaking down a resilient Denmark on Monday to eventually record a comfortable 2-0 success.

The Asian handicap line asks Bert van Marwijk's team to concede a one-goal start and a 3-0 success over today's opponents last year suggests Holland are capable of winning the match by a healthy margin.

Holland have scored at least two goals in all five of their matches in 2010, and with a forward line consisting of Robin van Persie, Dirk Kuyt, Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart, they outfit should have the firepower to cope with the injury to flying winger Arjen Robben.

The Dutch also have the quality on the bench to make a difference, with the speed of impact substitute Eljero Elia a vital weapon in the latter stages of matches, particularly as Japan's defence is noted for being particularly paceless.

Japan centre-backs Yuri Nakazawa and Marcus Tulio were able to keep a clean sheet against the physical threat of Cameroon in their opening match, but the Indomitable Lions offered nothing like the threat which will come from the men in orange today.

The Asian side, who had lost four in a row before the surprise success against Cameroon, offer little in the way of attacking intent and Holland should be able to improve on their impressive record of seven wins to nil in their last eight competitive internationals.

Recommendation Holland -1 on Asian handicap 2pts 4-5 Bet365

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Sneijder earns Netherlands narrow win over Japan

CNN) -- A second half strike by Wesley Sneijder has earned Netherlands a 1-0 win against Japan in their Group E match at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

The only goal of the match came in the 53rd minute when Robin Van Persie laid the ball off to Sneijder on the edge of Japan's penalty area.

The Inter Milan midfielder lashed a ferocious shot at Eiji Kawashima who could only palm a swerving Jabulani ball into his own net.

It was a rare moment of excitement in an otherwise uneventful game, but the result virtually assures the two time finalists' passage into the next stage of the competition.

The Dutch should have made it 2-0 late on in the game when substitute Ibrahim Afellay, who replaced goal scorer Sneijder, nearly scored when he latched onto a through ball from Eljero Elia. But the PSV midfielder was denied by goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima.

Japan, who created a number of half chances throughout the match, had a good opportunity to equalize in the dying seconds of the game, but substitute Shinji Okazaki shot narrowly over the bar.

For the second game running Netherlands' football was far from clockwork.
They started brightly enough. In the 11th minute some neat interplay between Robin Van Persie, van Bommel and van der Wiel eventually saw the ball reach Rafael van der Vaart on the right.
The Real Madrid midfielder's cross found Dirk Kuyt in the penalty box whose overhead kick from close range was blocked.

But it was the exception rather than the rule in a scrappy first half display.
Meanwhile, Japan's attacking threat was equally toothless, and their only real chance of the first half came shortly before half time.

In the 38th minute, Daisuke Matsui shot from outside the area, but Dutch keeper Stekelenburg dealt with the threat comfortably.

Once Sneijder's thunderbolt had put the Dutch in front, Japan's play assumed more urgency, but they couldn't turn industrious forward play into any clear-cut chances to worry the Dutch defense.

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Oranje kann fürs Achtelfinale planen...

Holland durch einen 1:0 (0:0)-Sieg gegen Japan mit lupenreiner Weste (6 Punkte, 3:0 Tore). Das Team von Bondscoach Bert van Marwijk (58) damit erst das zweite Team, das ohne Punktverlust bleibt.
Doch Oranje gurkt sich nur zweiten Sieg!

ARD-Experte Mehmet Scholl in der Halbzeit: „Ich habe eigentlich keine Lust, dazu was zu sagen. Streichen wir die Halbzeit einfach – wie so viele.“

Denn vom viel gelobten Offensiv-Fußball der Holländer ist nichts zu sehen, Japan hält gut dagegen.

Nach dem Wechsel reicht eine gute Einzel-Aktion. Van Persie legt aus dem Strafraum ab. Kurz hinter der Strafraumgrenze steht Inter-Star Wesley Sneijder völlig frei, zieht ansatzlos ab. Der Ball fliegt in Richtung Tormitte, doch Japan-Keeper Kawashima bringt nur noch die Fingerspitzen an den harten Schuss. Der Ball schlägt im langen Eck ein.

1:0 für Holland – doch weil Oranje gute Konterchancen nicht nutzte, musste van Marwijk bis zum Schluss zittern. Riesige Japan-Chance in der letzten Minute: Der eingewechselte Okazaki ballert aus guter Position knapp drüber.

Durch den Sieg ist Holland klarer Tabellenführer. Trennen sich Kamerun und Dänemark im Abendspiel unentschieden, dann steht Oranje im Achtelfinale.

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Two games, two wins and two clean sheets, but still the sense persists that Holland have not yet revealed their true identity in this World Cup. An immaculate start, yes, but it has been conspicuously lacking the slick and penetrative football for which the Dutch are renowned, and they were indebted here to the kind of goalkeeping mistake that has become the recurring theme of this tournament.

The guilty man this time was Eiji Kawashima of Japan, burying his face into the turf with a combination of hurt and blushing embarrassment after being deceived by the flight of Wesley Sneijder's 53rd-minute shot.

Sneijder had struck the ball with power, 25 yards from goal, but Kawashima had got both hands to it and his only possible excuse was that the ball had moved deceptively into the air. Blaming the Jabulani is beginning to feel like a cop-out and a more probable explanation was that Kawashima was simply culpable of some dreadful goalkeeping.

He did redeem himself to some extent with two splendid saves in the final exchanges, coming off his line quickly to deny the Dutch substitute Ibrahim Afellay on both occasions, but his one mistake of a disappointing match could have costly ramifications for a Japan side who had otherwise frustrated their opponents.

Holland's football was typically neat and accurate, but it was also slow, methodical and, in the worst moments, full of prosaic sideways and backward passing. It was strange to see a Dutch side play with so little flair and adventure and they were almost punished in the final minute of normal time when the Japanese substitute, Shinji Okazaki, found space in the penalty area only to shoot over.

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DURBAN, South Africa (AP) -- The Netherlands is showing it doesn't have to be flashy to win.

Wesley Sneijder scored the only goal Saturday and the Netherlands beat Japan 1-0, its second straight World Cup win and the second time the Dutch couldn't produce the kind of offensive show they were expected to bring to South Africa.

Sneijder's 53rd-minute strike finally broke through a Japanese defense that had stifled Oranje creativity in front of 62,010 fans at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

''Why do we focus on good soccer instead of winning?'' Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk said. ''Let me assure you that we really, really want to win and if we can do that in style, then great. But you have to be able to win ugly games.''

Despite scoring just twice themselves so far in the tournament -- the Dutch got an own goal in their 2-0 win over Denmark -- they will advance to the knockout phase of the tournament if Cameroon and Denmark tie later Saturday.

Striker Robin van Persie missed chances for the Dutch before finally setting up Sneijder's goal. He laid the ball back and the Inter Milan midfielder fired a powerful right-footed shot that goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima could only deflect into his net.

''We pressed in the second half and got a goal,'' Sneijder said. ''This is the kind of game (when) we maybe could have got two or three goals, but we won it and that's great.''

Japan responded by going on the attack and Yoshito Okubo had two shots in quick succession, the first saved by Maarten Stekelenburg and the second over the bar.

Substitute Ibrahim Afellay came close to doubling the Dutch lead in the 84th and again in the 88th minute when he twice bore down on the Japan goal, but he was foiled both times by good saves from Kawashima diving at his feet.

Japan nearly made the Netherlands pay for those misses in the final minutes when substitute Shinji Okazaki latched onto a deep cross at the far post but shot just over the bar.

''It shows you there are no easy games. Look at France and Germany,'' Van Marwijk said, referring to the World Cup losses for the European powerhouses.

The Netherlands is a two-time World Cup finalist -- losing in 1974 and 1978 -- while Japan's best finish was reaching the round of 16 when it co-hosted the tournament with South Korea in 2002.

The win set a new record of 10 straight victories for the Netherlands in World Cup qualifiers and finals matches -- a run that includes eight qualification matches and its two victories in South Africa.

It also extended the Dutch record of never losing to an Asian team. It has now won eight matches and tied one against Asian opponents.

The Netherlands controlled possession -- particularly early in the match -- with Rafael van der Vaart, Dirk Kuyt and Van Persie all switching positions across the midfield to confuse Japan's defense.

Kuyt had the most spectacular Dutch effort before the break, a bicycle kick in the 10th minute after a cross from Giovanni van Bronckhorst, but defender Yuji Nakazawa headed the effort clear.

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'Nederland is meester in het saai en lelijk winnen van wedstrijden'

In Japan heeft men logischerwijs niet genoten van de overwinning van Nederland op de eigen nationale ploeg. Dát Oranje zou zegevieren werd wel verwacht, maar met name de manier waarop kon de Aziaten niet bekoren. De lokale media hadden dan ook, op enkele uitzonderingen na, geen goed woord over voor de prestatie van Nederland.

Zo noemde Chunichi Sports de confrontatie saai. Bovendien zagen zij in het Nederlands elftal een onverdiende winnaar. Asahi was eveneens niet te spreken over de ploeg van Bert van Marwijk. “Nederland is meester in saai en lelijk winnen”, aldus de krant. De Japan Times daarentegen vond dat Nederland de Japanners had overmeesterd.
Dankzij de overwinning op de Blauwe Samurai plaatste Oranje zich voor de achtste finales, waarin het afhankelijk van de eigen klassering speelt tegen de nummer één of twee van groep F. Naar alle waarschijnlijkheid gaat die strijd tussen Italië en Paraguay.

Voetbalzone.nl

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Op zondag 20 juni 2010 16:58 schreef EddyAlbena het volgende:

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Wel respect, zo'n reactie nadat je zelf totaal geen moeite doet om iets van die wedstrijd te maken.

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Op zondag 20 juni 2010 16:58 schreef EddyAlbena het volgende:

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Wel respect, zo'n reactie nadat je zelf totaal geen moeite doet om iets van die wedstrijd te maken.

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Op zondag 20 juni 2010 17:00 schreef Saekerhett het volgende:

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Geweldig toch

Eindelijk staan we in het buitenland eens precies andersom bekend. Niet mooi spelen en verliezen, maar lelijk spelen en winnen

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Op zondag 20 juni 2010 17:07 schreef tong80 het volgende:
Blijft een leuk topic

Japanners die ons verwijten lelijk te spelen

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Op zondag 20 juni 2010 20:37 schreef Jane het volgende:

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Ja, de sushi is bijzonder zuur nu ze er niet, zoals gehoopt, een 0-0 uit hebben kunnen slepen.

Eigenlijk vind ik het wel prima met Nederland, zo. Tuurlijk is het minder leuk om naar te kijken, maar de 'kritiek' op het saaie spel weerhoudt de spelers er hopelijk ook van om zich al rijk te rekenen.

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Op zondag 20 juni 2010 21:14 schreef keesjeislief het volgende:

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Het is toch ook vrijwel onmogelijk om aantrekkelijk te spelen tegen ploegen die met 9 man achter de bal spelen en zich helemaal instellen op het ontregelen van jouw aanval... Als NL zometeen wat meer ruimte krijgt en Robben er ook nog bijkomt zal het aanvalsspel er opeens een stuk beter uitzien, dat weet ik zeker. Tegen Italie en Frankrijk op het afgelopen EK gebeurde dat ook. Nu hebben we al 2 wedstrijden a la de kwartfinale van destijds tegen Rusland achter de rug en we hebben ze allebei stug gewonnen. .

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Antwerpse Oranjefans leggen bus in naar Breda

ANTWERPEN/BREDA - Ons land is er opnieuw niet bij op het WK voetbal in Zuid-Afrika en dus supporteren heel wat Belgen voor onze noorderburen. The Orange Club - een groepje Antwerpse studenten - trok zaterdag voor het eerst met een volle bus naar Breda.

Het was tijdens het WK in Duitsland, vier jaar geleden, dat de Antwerpse studenten Tom Van Grieken (23) en David Anné (24) de Oranjekoorts flink te pakken kregen. Ze keken thuis met een aantal vrienden naar de wedstrijden van Nederland en merkten dat de sfeer altijd optimaal was. Om die sfeer nog beter te kunnen beleven trokken ze tijdens het EK 2008 met een paar vrienden naar Breda. ‘Wat je daar meemaakt, dat vind je nergens anders', zegt Tom. ‘Alle mensen komen er op straat en leven mee met de ploeg. Dat ga je in België nooit meemaken, denk ik.'

Tijdens hun uitstapjes naar Breda kwamen ze steeds meer Vlamingen tegen die ook voor de Nederlandse ploeg kwamen supporteren. ‘We hebben dan The Orange Club opgericht en wilden voor de wedstrijd Nederland-Japan een bus inleggen om de wedstrijd te gaan bekijken in Breda, en meteen zien hoeveel mensen we mee zouden krijgen.'

En dat bleek een goed idee. De eerste officiële bus van The Orange Club zat afgeladen vol. Met een flinke voorraad bier en de nodige supportersattributen (ook de beruchte vuvuzela mocht niet ontbreken) vertrokken de Oranje-fans met een goed gevoel naar Nederland.

Brazilië of Spanje

In de bus zitten ook Klaas De Hert en Tim Spruyt, beiden 21. Zij zien een overwinning tegen Japan helemaal zitten. ‘Het wordt 6-0', zegt Tim. Klaas houdt het bij een 4-1. Over de kansen van Oranje om wereldkampioen te worden zijn ze iets minder enthousiast. ‘Dat gaat andere koek worden', legt Tim uit. ‘Ik zie ze wel tot in de halve finale geraken, maar volgens mij gaat de titel naar Brazilië of Spanje.'

In Breda is de sfeer opperbest, ondanks een moeizame eerste helft van het Nederlands Elftal. ‘Ik voel dat we nog gaan scoren', zegt Tom. ‘We moeten hier winnen.' En in de tweede helft komt die voorspelling ook uit. Wesley Sneijder ziet zijn schot binnengaan na een mistasten van de Japanse keeper. Het feest in Breda is meteen gelanceerd. The Orange Club bouwt na de wedstrijd nog een stevig feestje, om daarna moe maar tevreden terug naar Antwerpen te keren.
http://www.nieuwsblad.be/article/detail.aspx?articleid=RQ2RPGGM

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Europese toplanden (behalve Nederland) in de problemen

Het sinds zaterdag gekwalificeerde Nederland ontsnapt als enige Europese grootmacht aan de crisis op het WK. Bij Frankrijk is de anarchie losgebroken, wereldkampioen Italië kon ook tegen Nieuw-Zeeland niet winnen en ook Engeland en Duitsland moeten nog stevig knokken voor hun plek in de achtste finales.

Net zoals Europees kampioen Spanje. In de openingsmatch werd Spanje koud gepakt door Zwitserland. Na de nederlaag volgend op twaalf opeenvolgende overwinningen, is er vanavond tegen Honduras geen ruimte meer voor een nieuwe misstap. Zelfs niet voor een halve.

De Spaanse bond bevestigde het vertrouwen in bondscoach Vicente del Bosque, wat er ook zou gebeuren tijdens dit WK, en Del Bosque zelf houdt vast aan zijn 4-5-1. Ook al lag die opstelling onder vuur na de match tegen Zwitserland. Onder andere Luis Aragones, de voorganger van Del Bosque, gaf aan dat die tactiek te behoudend was.

‘We moeten zelf rechtstaan', aldus Del Bosque. ‘We moeten opnieuw vertrouwen opdoen en geloven in het systeem dat ons in het verleden al dat succes heeft opgeleverd. We hebben al een aantal schitterende reeksen neergezet. Nu gaan we opnieuw voor zes overwinningen op rij. Ik bekijk het positief: het is beter om je eerste match te verliezen dan om je laatste match te verliezen.'

Verdediger Raul Albiol probeerde hoop te putten uit de geschiedenis. ‘In het verleden zijn er vaak ploegen wereldkampioen geworden na een nederlaag in de eerste match', zei hij. De speler van Real moet echter dringend zijn studieboeken eens afstoffen: nog nooit is er een team in geslaagd om de titel te pakken na verlies in de eerste match op het WK.
http://www.nieuwsblad.be/article/detail.aspx?articleid=6U2RPLTH

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Verdediger Raul Albiol probeerde hoop te putten uit de geschiedenis. ‘In het verleden zijn er vaak ploegen wereldkampioen geworden na een nederlaag in de eerste match', zei hij. De speler van Real moet echter dringend zijn studieboeken eens afstoffen: nog nooit is er een team in geslaagd om de titel te pakken na verlies in de eerste match op het WK.

quote:

Another Dutch Victory, and a Familiar Man of the Match

DURBAN, South Africa — Wesley Sneijder’s Dutch teammates are asking him, with varying degrees of seriousness, whether he has a lock on the Man of the Match award in this World Cup, no matter what happens on the field.

In two games and two Dutch victories, Sneijder has monopolized the award, which is voted on by fans worldwide. But for anyone who watched his performance in a 1-0 victory against Japan on Saturday from beginning to end, he was clearly not the man of the entire match.

Out of the flow of play for most of the first half, unable to do damage with his trademark free kicks, he looked at times as if he might be understandably weary after a long and trophy-rich club season with Inter Milan.

But Sneijder, a diminutive attacking midfielder riding high, still managed to make the difference: producing the only goal of a match that was in desperate need of one to keep its observers’ thoughts from drifting to the nearby beach or to Argentina’s and Lionel Messi’s next apparition.

Sneijder struck in the 53rd minute from just outside the penalty area with a right-footed blast that Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima seemed to have covered as he dived to his right with both gloves extended toward the ball.

But hardly for the first time in this Cup, the goalkeeper misjudged the task at hand. Instead of parrying it comfortably or actually trying to catch it, Kawashima could only graze the ball with the outside of his left hand. The ball rebounded back into the goal, and Kawashima was left pounding the grass while Sneijder was back in the spotlight.

“I hit it well, and the ball certainly wobbled in the air,” Sneijder said.

With 6 points, the Dutch are in first place in Group E as the only team yet to lose and are all but assured of reaching the knockout round with their final game against Cameroon still to play.

The Dutch have done it without the star wing Arjen Robben, who, like Sneijder, has been in the form of his life this season but who is recovering from a thigh injury. Robben watched on Saturday from the sideline, chomping his gum as the teams searched for a convincing way forward without much success.

Through 25 matches, this remains the lowest-scoring World Cup in history, with an average of well under two goals per match. This seems counterintuitive in light of all the goalkeeping gaffes and considering that playing at altitude — with ocean-front Durban an exception — would presumably leave tired teams open to defensive lapses late in games.

“For us, it doesn’t matter if we score a lot, what matters is to win the games,” said Giovanni van Bronckhorst, the Dutch captain and left back. “Maybe teams are playing more defensively and are waiting for the moment to attack and counterattack. But there are still many games to be played, so maybe we can up the average. But it’s true that so far, we haven’t seen many goals.”

There have been a few exceptions — Germany’s 4-0 recital against Australia and Argentina’s 4-1 defeat of South Korea — but the rule has been that shots fly harmlessly over the crossbar or well wide of the mark and strikers put their hands to their faces in frustration.

According to FIFA statistics, shots on target are also significantly down from the last two World Cups at the same stage. Perhaps that is because of the Jabulani ball, which some consider difficult to control, or to players’ taking shots from weaker positions as they cannot get close enough because of defensive expertise and pressure.

“I’m sure we’ll be seeing wonderful matches and good matches,” said Bert van Marwijk, the Dutch coach. “It all depends. You see the resources for each team to analyze the other are increasing. The thing is, we don’t have any secrets. Countries are slowly but surely growing toward one another. It’s not by chance you see this at the World Cup”

“At this level, there are no matches that are easy, it’s the same with Germany, Spain or France,” he added. “It’s the same for us. Everybody thinks it’s very straightforward and easy, but Japan have been together a long time. In preparatory matches, they lost a lot but have started to win here. In tournaments, they are confident and always well organized, so I knew before it would be a very tough match.”

Having Robben might have made it easier. He unlocked plenty of closed defenses this season for Bayern Munich before losing to Sneijder’s Inter Milan team in the Champions League final.

The Dutch could use his improvisational gifts and sprinter’s speed down the wings. But the substitute Ibrahim Afellay had two excellent chances to generate goals for the Netherlands in the final 10 minutes Saturday.

Kawashima saved the first breakaway and broke up the second strike, too, with his fellow defenders clearing the ball from the goal mouth. Japan’s final and best chance for an equalizer came in the 90th minute, when Shinji Okazaki put a powerful left-footed shot over the crossbar.

But Sneijder’s was the only goal on an afternoon in which the Dutch fans’ shirts and overalls and Seussian hats only seemed brighter orange in the sunlight.

The other traditional European powerhouses may be struggling, but the Dutch have an unblemished record, and Robben should be ready for the next round.

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Op zondag 20 juni 2010 22:21 schreef Boca_Raton het volgende:
Tijdens het commentaar op de BBC kreeg ik even de indruk dat ze denken dat het tactiek van Nederland is om zo saai te spelen. Zo van: die trekken misschien nog wel een blik écht voetbal open.

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Op zondag 20 juni 2010 22:21 schreef Boca_Raton het volgende:
Tijdens het commentaar op de BBC kreeg ik even de indruk dat ze denken dat het tactiek van Nederland is om zo saai te spelen. Zo van: die trekken misschien nog wel een blik écht voetbal open.

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Op maandag 21 juni 2010 11:21 schreef kingmob het volgende:

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Nouja, na de interviews zaterdag met de spelers en de coach begon ik ook de indruk te krijgen dat dit opzet was. En dan met name het vele terugspelen en weinig pressie. Ze lijken de krachten haast te sparen, maar dat zou wel een heel gedurfde zet zijn.
Nee, ik ben bang dat dit het is en moet toegeven dat ik zo eigenlijk geen kampioen wil worden

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Op maandag 21 juni 2010 21:30 schreef Boca_Raton het volgende:
Ik denk niet dat dit alles is maar ook niet dat het opzet is of tactiek. Ik weet geen klap van voetbal maar wat mij wel vaak opvalt is dat Oranje de neiging heeft tot - overdreven gezegd - sjokken als het allemaal even niet zo hoeft op het veld. We staan voor of zo en dan hop, het niveau zakt weer tot sukkeldrafjes.

Je zou toch denken dat ze alles uit de kast trekken op zo'n groot toernooi. Gewoon vol ertegenaan. Ik denk dat ze pas onder grote druk écht wat gaan doen. Met risico dat het te laat is!

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Op maandag 21 juni 2010 21:32 schreef El_Bassie het volgende:

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Voor al uw nonsense.

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Op maandag 21 juni 2010 21:39 schreef Boca_Raton het volgende:

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¿Qué?

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Op maandag 21 juni 2010 21:32 schreef El_Bassie het volgende:

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Voor al uw nonsense.

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Op maandag 21 juni 2010 22:34 schreef El_Bassie het volgende:
[..][quote]Je suggereert hier dat de Nederlandse internationals niet goed hun best doen.

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Dat soort populaire prietpraat doet het misschien goed in het café, maar is volstrekt nergens op gebaseerd.

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Op maandag 21 juni 2010 22:36 schreef Kluivert_Vandervaart het volgende:

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Boca_Raton praat geen nonsens. Dus reageer normaal op Boca_Raton of reageer niet. Bij voorbaat dank.

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Op maandag 21 juni 2010 22:37 schreef Loveless85 het volgende:

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Wannabe mod

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Op maandag 21 juni 2010 22:38 schreef Kluivert_Vandervaart het volgende:

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Hehe. Maar ik blijf erbij.

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Op maandag 21 juni 2010 22:40 schreef El_Bassie het volgende:

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Nee, ik wil niet dat je erbij blijft, je maakt dit forum kapot.

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Op maandag 21 juni 2010 22:41 schreef Kluivert_Vandervaart het volgende:

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Bedankt voor je geweldige commentaar. En nu maar weer naar je bedje. Vergeet niet dat je ma je onderstopt.

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Op maandag 21 juni 2010 22:42 schreef Boca_Raton het volgende:
El Bassie, we hoeven het niet eens te zijn.

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Op maandag 21 juni 2010 22:45 schreef El_Bassie het volgende:

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Oké, vooruit: je mag een eigen indruk hebben.

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Op maandag 21 juni 2010 22:42 schreef El_Bassie het volgende:

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Is goed Barca.

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Robben makes appearance as Netherlands edges Cameroon


CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The Netherlands produced its first goals of flair and finesse to beat Cameroon 2-1 and set up a second-round match with Slovakia.
Robin Van Persie finished off an end-to-end move in the 36th minute, and substitute Arjen Robben sent a shot against the post in the 83rd that Klaas Jan Huntelaar only had to slide in for the winner.

In between, Samuel Eto'o scored on penalty kick for Cameroon.

The Dutch won Group E with three victories. They play Slovakia on Monday in Durban.

Cameroon lost all three of its matches.

Playing with poise and confidence, the Dutch often thrilled the crowd of 63,093 with their creative moves. Yet Eto'o and Cameroon often were able to pierce the defense and threaten goalie Maarten Stekelenburg.

In the 73rd minute, the tens of thousands of orange-clad fans in the Green Point Stadium cheered when Robben made his debut at the World Cup almost three weeks after sustaining a left hamstring injury in a warmup game. He immediately showed his value.

After tiptoeing carefully during his first moves, he was served a pass on the right wing 10 minutes after coming on. With a move so often seen during his sterling season with Bayern Munich, he cut inside, beat defenders and curled a shot past goalkeeper Hamidou Souleymanou. It crashed against the post and Huntelaar was in the right place to give the Netherlands the win.

After two victories, coach Bert van Marwijk sought to keep the momentum and played both midfielder Nigel de Jong and Van Persie, even though both would have been excluded from the Slovakia game if they drew another yellow card.

Instead, Van Persie scored a typical Dutch goal in the 36th minute, one that flowed from defense to attack with crisp, pinpoint passing and ended with a precise shot.

After Dirk Kuyt took the ball up the right side, Van Persie played a neat one-two with Rafael van der Vaart, and then shot through the legs of Souleymanou from a tight angle.

Cameroon, which put Africa on the soccer map when it reached the quarterfinals of the 1990 World Cup, did not give up. Van der Vaart handled a free kick by Geremi in the area. Eto'o scored on the penalty kick.

Late in the game, Cameroon defender Rigobert Song made a cameo appearance in his fourth World Cup.

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Op donderdag 24 juni 2010 23:33 schreef Honeymooner het volgende:
USA Today:
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HOLLAND-KAMERUN
Stocknüchtern und mit Teutonen-Genen
Von den Holländern sollte man diesmal keinen schönen Fußball erwarten, schreibt Christof Siemes. Dafür aber kühle Siege wie das 2:1 gegen Kamerun. Und den WM-Titel.

Es war das Spiel um die goldene Käserinde, und so sah es leider auch mitunter aus. Als erstes aller Teams hatten sich die Holländer bereits für das Achtelfinale qualifiziert, ganz unaufgeregt, ohne Torgala, Schiedsrichterhilfe oder Torwartpannen. Einfach sachlich und effizient. So spielten sie auch ihr letztes Vorrundenspiel gegen die angeblich unbezwingbaren Löwen aus Kamerun, die nach zwei Niederlagen aber bereits als Bettvorleger am Gruppenende gelandet waren.

Spielkontrolle im Energiesparmodus war die Devise der Elftal, deutsch irgendwie, schließlich ist in der holländischen Nationalhymne ja sogar vom deutschen Blut die Rede (dem von Wilhelm von Nassau). Mark van Bommel hat nach Jahren in Deutschland Zweikampfwerte wie Katsche Schwarzenbeck, und mit seinem implantierten Teutonen-Gen hat er auch das Team seines Schwiegervaters, des holländischen Trainers Bert van Marwijk, erfolgreich infiziert. Um vollends klarzumachen, dass diese Holländer nicht mehr wirklich Holländer sind, traten sie nicht mal mehr in Oranje an, sondern in weiß – wie England. Und Deutschland. Nur ohne deren Fehler.

Egal, was die Astralkörper aus Kamerun in ihren engen Leibchen auch versuchten – keine Minute bestand ein Zweifel daran, dass Holland dieses Spiel im Griff hatte und jederzeit eine Schippe hätte drauflegen können. Schon die erste halbe Stunde hatten Wesley Sneijder und Rafael van der Vaart eine Menge gut gedachter Pässe parat, und der Rest der Welt hätte den Mund vor Staunen nicht mehr zu bekommen, wenn all das gut Gedachte auch gut gemacht worden wäre. War es aber nicht, jedenfalls nicht bis zur 35. Minute. Dann stimmt die Betriebstemperatur endlich, Robin van Persie, als Mittelstürmer aufgeboten, kommt erstmals von seiner geliebten Außenbahn, und prompt rappelt es im Karton – 1:0.

Fortan gibt es in diesem Spiel nur zwei Fragen: Versucht sich jetzt auch diese Elftal mal am legendären foetbal total und wirbelt ein bisschen? Und wann kommt Arjen Robben? Bislang steht der ja nicht auf dem Platz, sondern nur im Freizeitprogramm der Holländer: Besuch auf Robben Island. Nach 72 Minuten darf er aber auch endlich spielen, da steht es bereits ziemlich überraschend 1:1. Weil van der Vaart sein unrasiertes Kindergesicht nicht von Jabulani, dem Ball, verbeulen lassen wollte und sich mit einem Handspiel im Strafraum gegen einen Gewaltschuss zu schützen versuchte – Elfmeter für Kamerun, Eto'o verwandelt.

Aber Robben hat auch in drei Wochen Verletzungspause nichts verlernt und holt in der 83. Minute seinen Lieblingstrick raus: Vom rechten Flügel nach innen ziehen und mit links ein Schlenzer aufs lange Eck. Damit hat er die Bayern schon ins Champions-League-Finale befördert, und auch hier trifft er, zwar nur den Pfosten, aber den Abpraller muss Jan Klaas Huntelaar nur noch einschieben, um seiner Mannschaft die maximale Punktausbeute zu bescheren.

Der Rest ist Händeschütteln am Ende dieser weitgehend freundschaftlich geführten Partie, die dann doch noch einen Rekord verzeichnet: Rigobert Song, der blondgelockte Löwe, der bereits sein Gnadenkotelett in der Türkei knabbert, wird noch einmal eingewechselt, es ist seine vierte WM, damit ist er Afrikas Rekordspieler.

Die Elftal aber ist seit nunmehr einundzwanzig Spielen ungeschlagen. Und wenn sie so stocknüchtern weitermacht, wird sie wohl auch nicht den Fehler der EM 2008 wiederholen, als man nach überragender Vorrunde sang- und klanglos gegen Russland ausschied. Nun, zwei Jahre später, sprechen die Spieler weiterhin unverhohlen vom Titel. Doch diesmal klingt es weniger großmäulig als sonst immer, sondern eher entschlossen bürokratisch. Vor diesen Holländern muss man sich wirklich in Acht nehmen.

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Having won all eight qualifiers, the Dutch, who have already beaten Denmark and Japan here, became the first team since Brazil in 1982 to win all their qualifying and group games.

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Op vrijdag 25 juni 2010 00:48 schreef -jos- het volgende:
http://www.guardian.co.uk(...)rld-cup-match-report

http://www.google.com/hos(...)Y_ayhC0SMXdzJWqde1qA

http://www.worldcupblog.o(...)1-netherlands-2.html

http://ca.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idCATRE65N5XJ20100624
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http://www.google.com/hos(...)sRV4kcYGS-wD9GHSSR00

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Op vrijdag 25 juni 2010 00:40 schreef Henno het volgende:
Zeit:
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Ze houden wel van de Nederlanders. Robben in het bijzonder

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SILK PERSIE

THE King of the Cage is finally unleashed.

Holland hitman Robin van Persie has been like a tethered animal waiting for this World Cup after a season wrecked by injury.

Last night he hit the goal trail at these finals and it could be the start of something special for the Arsenal man.

Van Persie was nicknamed 'King of the Cage' for his win-at-all-costs attitude as a kid growing up in Rotterdam playing on concrete pitches surrounded by high wire.

He showed all that tenacity last night in the Green Point Stadium to fire Holland into a 36th-minute lead.

He was first found by Dirk Kuyt just outside the angle of the box.

Van Persie then laid the ball back to Rafael van der Vaart before roaring into the box to meet the return and slide a shot through the keeper's legs.

Van Persie said: "Even though I scored in this game I thought I played better in the first two.

"But I was still making the runs and giving everything and I got a goal." Cameroon levelled from the spot in the 64th minute after van der Vaart blocked Geremi's free-kick with his arm and Samuel Eto'o calmly placed his penalty.

But Holland maintained their 100 per cent record with a winner in the 83rd minute.

Arjen Robben's stunning shot smacked the post and fellow sub Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was on hand to tuck home the rebound and set up a meeting with Slovakia. Cameroon lost all three games and coach Paul le Guen has quit, possibly to take control of Australia.

The former Rangers boss said: "Maybe we lacked unity and I did not succeed in bringing the team together."

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Robben returns to add to Holland's options

CAMEROON 1 Eto'o 65 pen Att: 63,093 HOLLAND 2 Van Persie 36, Huntelaar 83 ARJEN ROBBEN reinforced Holland's World Cup prospects by returning from injury as the Dutch confirmed top spot in Group E with victory against Cameroon.

The Bayern Munich winger, sidelined for three weeks with a calf injury, created the winner for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar on 84 minutes shortly after being introduced as a substitute by coach Bert van Marwijk.

Samuel Eto's second-half penalty, which cancelled out Robin van Persie's 36thminute opener, appeared to have dented Holland's 100 per cent record so far in South Africa.

But the Dutch secured a last 16 tie against Slovakia when Huntelaar scored from a tight angle after Robben's 25-yard strike had hit the post.

Cameroon's failure to even threaten qualification for the knockout stages will be viewed as one of the continent's biggest disappointments, and manager Paul Le Guen confirmed last night that he would be standing down.

Their heroics of Italia 90 remain imprinted in World Cup folklore, but the Indomitable Lions have won just one game on this stage - a 1-0 success against Saudi Arabia in 2002 - since Roger Milla danced in celebration following a second-round win against Colombia in 1990.

Holland are proving to be a genuine force, though, and Robben's introduction further sharpened their cutting edge.

If the former Chelsea winger can avoid further injury setbacks, even the prospect of a quarter-final meeting with five-time world champions Brazil should not overawe Van Marwijk's impressive team.

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Holanda es otra con Robben

HIGHLIGHT: La reaparición del extremo calienta a la 'oranje', que se medirá a Eslovaquia

Gélida, Holanda camina triunfal al encuentro con Eslovaquia en los octavos, sumando una victoria tras otra, pero al público le deja frío. Al menos, hasta que entró Robben y todo cambió. Antes hubo algo mecánico en su juego que desconecta con la Holanda de Van Basten y Gullit por no hablar de la de Cruyff y Neeskens. La puesta en escena continúa siendo impecable, con tres delanteros y un mediapunta para asistirlos, según marca la tradición. Pero de ahí hacia atrás todos los jugadores son de una vulgaridad implacable. Desde los mediocentros, De Jong y Van Bommel, pasando por los centrales, Mathijsen y Heitinga, y los laterales, Boulahrouz y Van Bronckhorst.

El público intuyó la transformación de la oranje cuando Robben apareció en el minuto 72. Tras un rato de tanteo, todo cambió: un pase en profundidad de Sneijder con el exterior del pie derecho; la carrera de Robben, que se frena ante Song, retrocede, busca el ángulo favorito para su zurda y envía el balón al poste. El rechace lo recoge Huntelard para marcar.

Los dos capitanes de la pasada Copa de Europa en Madrid, frente a frente, aunque en circunstancias muy diferentes. Eto'o, sin más opciones que salvar la imagen, la suya, y la de una selección muy desprestigiada. La desesperación de Eto'o es comprensible: pasar del Inter o el Barcelona a la selección camerunesa es bajar cuatro escalones de golpe. Para alguien que viene de ganar tres Copas de Europa con dos equipos distintos, la frustración mundialista es un trago bien amargo.

Algunos chispazos de Sneijder animaron un partido con apenas tensión. Y Eto'o buscó la guerra por su cuenta con un regate a Van Bronckhorst por aquí y otro a Heitinga por allá hasta encontrarse contra una nube de defensores.

Van Marwijk recuperó del baúl de los recuerdos a Huntelaard en lugar de Van Persie. El punta del Milan hizo lo de siempre: marcar tras el gran disparo de Robben. Con él, Holanda entra en calor.

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Classificada, Holanda garante 100%

Seleção bate Camarões por 2 a 1 e comemora a estreia do astro Robben. Próximo desafio é a surpresa Eslováquia

CIDADE DO CABO
O jogo contra Camarões foi um treino de luxo para a Holanda, que entrou no Estádio Green Point já classificada para as oitavas de final da Copa. Ainda assim, os europeus não quiseram correr riscos e, mesmo com o empate garantindo o primeiro lugar no Grupo E, trataram de vencer os africanos - que foram eliminados na 2.ª rodada - por 2 a 1, com gols de Van Persie e Huntelaar. Agora, enfrentam a Eslováquia, segunda-feira, em Durban.

Os holandeses têm 100% de aproveitamento, igualando-se à Argentina. As três vitórias - ganharam de Dinamarca (2 a 0) e Japão (1 a 0) - também fizeram a seleção se igualar ao Brasil de 1982. Naquela ocasião, o time de Telê Santana foi para o Mundial da Itália com uma campanha invicta nas Eliminatórias e triunfou em todos os jogos da primeira fase. Só agora, 28 anos depois, é que outro time chegou à marca.

Além dos bons resultados em campo - conquistados com um futebol eficiente, embora sem grande brilho -, os holandeses têm outro motivo para comemorar: o astro Arjen Robben finalmente fez sua estreia na Copa da África do Sul.

O atacante entrou aos 28 minutos da etapa final, quando a partida estava 1 a 1 - Van Persie abriu o placar e Eto'o, de pênalti, empatou. Ficou pouco tempo em campo, mas foi decisivo no lance que garantiu a vitória. Com 10 minutos no gramado, mostrou que está recuperado da lesão muscular que quase o tirou da Copa - tanto que desgarrou num contra-ataque e chutou a bola que, caprichosamente, bateu na trave. Huntelaar, no rebote, garantiu os 2 a 1.

"Estou emocionado porque trabalhei muito para estar aqui", disse o jogador do Bayern de Munique. "Esse gol é muito importante para mim. É resultado de horas de trabalho em busca da recuperação. É muito duro, psicologicamente, lesionar-se dias antes do começo da Copa."

Despedida. O último jogo de Camarões na Copa terminou em melancolia. O técnico francês Paul Le Guen afirmou que não treinará mais a equipe - ele está cotado para assumir a Austrália ao fim do Mundial. "Saio triste, porque sabia que trazíamos muitas esperanças."

O time africano não conquistou pontos e fez apenas dois gols, com Eto'o. A única marca que deixará na Copa é o recorde de Rigobert Song. O zagueiro se tornou o primeiro jogador africano a atuar em quatro Mundiais.

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Op vrijdag 25 juni 2010 10:40 schreef Dwersdriever het volgende:
El Pais
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Holland is een met Robben

Hoogtepunt: De terugkeer van de hete einde te maken aan de 'Oranje', die wordt gemeten aan Slowakije

Icy, Nederland triomfantelijke lopen naar de ontmoeting met Slowakije in de ronde, toevoeging van een overwinning na de andere, maar het publiek is koud links. Tenminste, totdat Robben kwam en veranderde alles. Voordat er iets mechanisch in hun spel uit aan Nederland van Van Basten en Gullit niets van Cruyff en Neeskens zeggen. De enscenering blijft onberispelijk, met drie aanvallers en een middenvelder bij te staan, volgens de traditie. Maar toen alle spelers in een meedogenloze vulgariteit. Vanaf het middenveld, De Jong en Van Bommel, via de centrale Mathijsen en Heitinga, en aan de zijkanten, Boulahrouz en Van Bronckhorst.

Het publiek voelde de transformatie van de Oranje toen Robben kwam in de 72e minuut. Na wat trial and error, veranderde alles: een diepe pass van Sneijder aan de buitenkant van de loopbaan van de rechter voet Robben, die vertraagt tot Song, rug, kijken naar uw favoriete hoek linkshandig en stuurde de bal naar de post. Huntelard pakt de rebound te scoren.

De twee kapiteins van de laatste World Cup in Madrid, van aangezicht tot aangezicht, hoewel in zeer verschillende omstandigheden. Eto'o geen andere keuze, maar om gezicht, haar te redden, en een selectie van zeer in diskrediet gebracht. Eto'o is de wanhoop te begrijpen: om van Inter of Barcelona naar Kameroen Selectie is vier stappen naar beneden plotseling. Voor iemand die heeft drie Europa Cups won met twee verschillende teams, World Cup frustratie is een bitter drankje.

Sommige vonken van Sneijder aangemoedigd een partij met slechts spanning. En Eto'o gezocht oorlog op hun eigen, met een Dodge Van Bronckhorst hier en daar tot een andere gevonden door Heitinga tegen een zwerm van verdedigers.

Van Marwijk teruggewonnen uit de stam van herinneringen Huntelaard plaats van Van Persie. De tip van Milaan was business as usual: merk na de grote brand van Robben. Met hem, Nederland opgewarmd.

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Op vrijdag 25 juni 2010 10:42 schreef Dwersdriever het volgende:
O Estado de San Paolo
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Ingedeeld, Nederland garandeert 100%

Sorteren speelde tegen Kameroen met 2-1 en viert het debuut van de ster Robben. Volgende uitdaging is om te verrassen Slowakije

CAPE TOWN
De wedstrijd tegen Kameroen was een luxe trein naar Holland, die meededen aan de Green Point Stadion is al gekwalificeerd voor de achtste finales van de Beker. Toch waren de Europeanen niet willen risico's te nemen, en zelfs met de band het veiligstellen van de bovenste plek in Groep E, probeerden zij de Afrikanen - die waren in de tweede. Round - geëlimineerd door 2-1 met doelpunten van Van Persie en Huntelaar net . Nu gezicht Slowakije, maandag in Durban.

De Nederlanders hebben een 100% succes, hetgeen neerkomt op Argentinië. De drie overwinningen - won voor Denemarken (2-0) en Japan (1-0) - ook de selectie naar Brazilië wedstrijd in 1982. Op dat moment het team Tele Santana was voor het WK met Italië in de ongeslagen kwalificatie campagne en zegevierde in de eerste ronde alle wedstrijden. Pas nu, 28 jaar later, is dat een ander team heeft het merk bereikt.

Naast de goede resultaten in het veld - gewonnen met een efficiënte voetbal, maar zonder grote helderheid - hebben de Nederlanders een reden om feest te vieren: de ster Arjen Robben eindelijk zijn debuut in het WK in Zuid-Afrika

De aanvaller is getreden de 28e minuut voor de laatste fase van de wedstrijd was 1-1 - van Persie opende de score en Eto'o sanctie, vereffend zijn. Het duurde niet lang in het veld, maar het was beslissend in de beweging die de overwinning veiliggesteld. Met 10 minuten op het veld, liet zien dat hij is hersteld van de spierblessure die hem bijna gehouden van de Cup - zo veel dat verdwaalde in een tegenaanval en schopte de bal, grillig, trof de lat. Huntelaar, de rebound de 2-1 beveiligd.

"Ik ben blij omdat ik hard gewerkt om hier te zijn," zei de Bayern München-speler. "Dat doel is zeer belangrijk voor mij. Het is een resultaat van uren werk, op zoek naar herstel. Het is zeer moeilijk psychisch gewond raken dagen vóór het begin van de Cup."

Afscheid. De laatste wedstrijd van Kameroen in de World Cup eindigde in somberheid. De Franse coach Paul Le Guen zei dat hij niet de trein boven het team - hij is getipt over te nemen Australië op het einde van de wereld. "Ik laat verdrietig, omdat ik wist dat we tot een veel hoop."

Het Afrikaanse team geen punten winnen en slechts twee doelpunten, met Eto'o. Het enige merk dat laat de World Cup is het record van Rigobert Song. De verdediger werd de eerste Afrikaanse speler op te treden in vier World Cups.

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Op vrijdag 25 juni 2010 14:38 schreef RAF23 het volgende:
Waarom is er eigenlijk zo vreselijk weinig aandacht voor het NL elftal dit WK? We staan in de odds voor WK inmiddels 3e, voor Spanje zelfs nog, we winnen al onze wedstrijden zonder ons in toe hoeven spannen, de rest van de favorieten speelt uitermate ruk, maar ook vandaag blijven de stoeltjes tijdens de internationale persconferentie leeg...

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Op vrijdag 25 juni 2010 14:38 schreef RAF23 het volgende:
Waarom is er eigenlijk zo vreselijk weinig aandacht voor het NL elftal dit WK?

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Op vrijdag 25 juni 2010 15:20 schreef Monopoly_Man het volgende:

[..]

Omdat Nederland nog helemaal niets bijzonders heeft gedaan... ze hebben tegen drie matige teams gewonnen met niet al te veel doelpunten en vrij saai voetbal. Terwijl er in de andere poules en bij de andere landen wel heel wat interessantere dingen gebeuren, zowel qua goed voetbal als verassend slecht spel.

Weer er blij mee dat de pers Nederland niet zit op te hemelen.... ik denk niet dat het een team op wat voor manier dan ook bevordert.

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Op vrijdag 25 juni 2010 15:27 schreef TLC het volgende:

[..]

Het is ook altijd hetzelfde, doe je het als elftal goed is de tegenstander ineens weer matig

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Op vrijdag 25 juni 2010 15:27 schreef TLC het volgende:

[..]

Het is ook altijd hetzelfde, doe je het als elftal goed is de tegenstander ineens weer matig

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Op vrijdag 25 juni 2010 15:36 schreef Monopoly_Man het volgende:

[..]
... ik heb nog niemand gehoord over het Nederlandse elftal.

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Op vrijdag 25 juni 2010 14:38 schreef RAF23 het volgende:
Waarom is er eigenlijk zo vreselijk weinig aandacht voor het NL elftal dit WK? We staan in de odds voor WK inmiddels 3e, voor Spanje zelfs nog, we winnen al onze wedstrijden zonder ons in toe hoeven spannen, de rest van de favorieten speelt uitermate ruk, maar ook vandaag blijven de stoeltjes tijdens de internationale persconferentie leeg...

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One more game for Dutch to find form

Thinking about Holland at this World Cup pulls me both ways. On surface glance, they have done very well. They are one of just two teams to take nine points from their group. Only the impenetrable Uruguayans have conceded fewer. In Denmark, Japan and Cameroon they dispatched three reasonable opponents. And yet there is a very strong sense at the end of the group games that there is something missing, that they have dramatically undershot the expectations we all had after those friendly wins.

Fortunately, then, they have one more winnable game before it starts to get serious. Because Italy’s dramatic collapse has gifted Holland a last sixteen tie with Slovakia in Durban on Monday. For all the individual talent in their side they were strikingly pedestrian in their first two games and even if they replicate their performance from the 3-2 in Johannesburg Holland should have enough.

This is great news for the Dutch. Not just because it’s nice to have an easier last sixteen game, but because I have a feeling that they are one more development match, one more exploratory step, away from realising some of their potential. All the promise I had for Holland before the tournament was based on hoping their Golden Generation – Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Wesley Sneijder would perform in unison. None has quite done it so far, but they are all moving in the right direction. Robben came on for the end of the Japan game, and some game time against Slovakia could see him hit his required level in the quarter final. Van Persie looked fairly dulled and heavy-legged in the group stages but looked closer to his sharpest best against Japan. And Sneijder is getting perceptibly better with every match, as he gets closer to the authority and mastery that made him a champion of Italy and Europe last season.

This gradual improvement does not mean success is inevitable. They might not even beat Slovakia. But if they do, and if the ‘holy trinity’ keep progressing together, they might well be flying for their quarter-final with Brazil or Chile next Friday. World Cups are about hitting your stride at the right time – look at France and Italy from 2006 – and for all their one-paced and functional fare so far, brilliance is still tantalisingly around the corner for them.

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Op vrijdag 25 juni 2010 14:38 schreef RAF23 het volgende:
Waarom is er eigenlijk zo vreselijk weinig aandacht voor het NL elftal dit WK? We staan in de odds voor WK inmiddels 3e, voor Spanje zelfs nog, we winnen al onze wedstrijden zonder ons in toe hoeven spannen, de rest van de favorieten speelt uitermate ruk, maar ook vandaag blijven de stoeltjes tijdens de internationale persconferentie leeg...

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Die ,,Fantastischen Vier" überzeugen mit Fantasie;

,,Viererbande mit Sturm und Drang" ist in Südafrika das unrasierte Herzstück der niederländischen Nationalmannschaft

Johannesburg. Vielleicht ist es dienlich, dass sich Rafael van der Vaart und seine nicht minder berühmte Gattin Sylvie in diesen Tagen nicht wirklich näherkommen können. Regelmäßigen Damenbesuch im feudalen Hilton Sandton von Johannesburg hält auch Bondscoach Bert van Marwijk bei aller Lockerheit und Leichtigkeit nicht für besonders hilfreich während einer WM, was wiederum der prominenten Spielerfrau eine unangenehme Begegnung erspart. Van der Vaart hat mit dem Kollegen Nigel de Jong die Initiative unter einigen Mitspielern angezettelt, die da heißt: ,,Geschoren is verloren" - wer rasiert, verliert.

Neben den beiden ehemaligen Profis des Hamburger SV sehen deswegen auch John Heitinga und Wesley Sneijder ein bisschen entfremdet aus. Bei keinem allerdings ist der Bartwuchs so üppig wie bei van der Vaart, 27. Es hat den Anschein, als bräuchten die Oranje-Stars diesen Kinderkram, um sich am Kap zu vergnügen. Arjen Robben hat ja verraten, die niederländische Auswahl könnte nie wie der deutsche Tross irgendwo in der abgeschotteten Einöde logieren, ,,wir brauchen die Menschen um uns, wir müssen auch mal andere Gesichter sehen".

Hartnäckig hält sich die Vermutung, das habe dann und wann den vorzeitigen K.o. bei WM oder EM auch begünstigt. ,,Wir kennen uns immer besser", erklärt Robben. ,,Wir sind alt und weise genug, dass wir das jetzt hinbekommen", ergänzt van der Vaart. Genauso spielt dieses Ensemble auch: abwartend und abgeklärt, effizient und erfolgreich. Auch gegen die Slowakei im Achtelfinale könnte es gut sein, dass die Unterhaltungskünstler sich mit schnöder Pflichterfüllung begnügen - die Mannschaft unter van Marwijk wirkt auf dem südafrikanischen Parcours wie ein Turnierpferd, das nur so hoch springt, wie es muss.

Dabei hat der einst bei Borussia Dortmund anfangs sehr geschätzte Fußballlehrer ja für die Offensive ein Potenzial zur Verfügung wie kein anderer europäischer Vertreter. Sieben Kandidaten, angestellt bei Real Madrid (Rafael van der Vaart), FC Liverpool (Dirk Kuyt und Ryan Babel), FC Arsenal (Robin van Persie), AC Mailand (Jan Klaas Huntelaar), Bayern München (Arjen Robben) und dem Hamburger SV (Eljero Elia), von denen immer nur vier gebraucht werden. Die Viererbande für Sturm und Drang ist immer wieder mal mit dem Beinamen ,,der Fantastischen Vier" bedacht worden, was dem Original, der Hip-Hop-Band ,,Fanta 4", nicht gerecht wird, weil das Quartett stets in gleicher Besetzung anzutreffen ist.

Aber die ,,Elftal"? Da machte bisher wegen Robbens Faserriss in vorderer Reihe eine andere Besetzung als gedacht die Musik; als Stoßstürmer van Persie, dahinter links van der Vaart, der am Sonntag das Training abbrechen musste. Für ihn könnte Elia in die Startformation rücken. Selbst gegen die Slowaken soll Robben nochmals den Joker spielen, zumal im Viertelfinale vermutlich Brasilien lauern würde. ,,Brasilien kann ein Schlüsselspiel für uns werden", räsoniert Robben.

Die forschen Töne sollen in Durban durch flotte Rochaden unterlegt werden. Gerade van der Vaart zieht es häufig in die Mitte - das 1:0 gegen Kamerun von van Persie bereitete er aus halbrechter Position vor. Auch die vordere zentrale Position des 26-jährigen Arsenal-Angreifers und des gleichaltrigen Inter-Strategen Sneijder dahinter sind nicht fix - beide tauschen häufig.

Verlässlichste Komponente ist unter Marwijk bislang nur dessen Lieblingsschüler Kuyt, 29, der vorbildlich die rechte Seite offensiv und defensiv bearbeitet - letztere Eigenschaft zählt wiederum nicht zu Robbens Stärken. Wer dem Bayern-Star bei einem Showdown gegen Brasilien weichen müsste, ist offen. Endstation aber soll selbst die ,,Seleção" nicht sein. ,,Wir haben nicht das Gefühl", verkündet van der Vaart, ,,dass wir hier verlieren können."

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Van Persie fresh hope for Dutch

ROBIN VAN PERSIE believes that the serious ankle injury which effectively cost Arsenal their chance of winning last season's Premier League could have the unintended consequence of helping Holland to lift the World Cup.

While one clear trend of the tournament so far has been a series of jaded performances from players based in England, Van Persie is fresh and still approaching full match fitness after being out between last October and April.

Holland are the only European country to have begun the World Cup with three straight group wins and, ahead of today's last-16 match in Durban with Slovakia, Van Persie declared that this is their best opportunity of winning the tournament.

"This is the best team I have played in so far," he said. "We have been on a great run in matches and when you look at the level in training, it is unbelievable - amazing. This is our best chance ever. If you look at the age of our senior players, most of us are 25 or 26."

Holland manager Bert van Marwijk has retained faith with Van Persie as the lone striker in the preferred 4-2-3-1 system, despite his absence of goals so far, with the Arsenal forward adamant that he is close to his best form.

"Physically and even mentally there is more to come," he said. "You can be very tired when you start a tournament after playing 60 or 70 games but I've played 25 and I am ready physically and mentally. I feel very, very fresh."

Van Marwijk has come under pressure in Holland for the rather workmanlike style of the three wins so far, but he expects the team to now steadily build momentum in contrast to the way they began Euro 2008 in such style before losing in the first knockout round.

They should also be helped today by the availability of Arjen Robben, who is back in full training and expected to take the place of Rafael van der Vaart on the left of Holland's attacking trio of midfielders. "I did talk to Rafael and he has a cramp in his calf and that points towards a sprain," Van Marwijk said.

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La mezcla funciona en Holanda

El equilibrio y el trabajo colegiado de Van Marwijk, De Boer y Cocu fortalecen a los 'oranje'

Johanesburgo - A la siempre divertida Holanda se le ha puesto una cara muy seria. Ha sumado los nueve puntos en juego en la primera ronda y solo ha encajado un gol antes de enfrentarse en Durban a Eslovaquia en los octavos de final. Los técnicos de diferentes equipos no se explican el misterio de una de las selecciones que mejor simbolizan el fútbol ofensivo: ¿cómo es posible defenderse tan bien con malos zagueros? No es una novedad porque, antes del tanto que marcó Eto'o de penalti en el Green Point, Stekelenburg apenas fue batido dos veces durante la fase clasificatoria para Sudáfrica 2010. La línea formada por Van der Wiel, Heitinga, Mathijsen y Van Bronckhorst, con la colaboración de Boulahrouz, ha alcanzado la misma sincronización que los cuatro fantásticos que se juntan en la delantera: Sneijder, Van der Vaart, Van Persie y Robben. A decir de Johan Cruyff, la clave está en el equilibrio alcanzado.

El trabajo colegiado se impone hoy al vedettismo de las figuras y a las pugnas raciales. Bert van Marwijk, el sucesor de Marco van Basten en el banquillo, ha conseguido en 24 partidos que Holanda funcione de modo sincronizado con la ayuda de dos colaboradores muy especiales, Frank de Boer y Phillip Cocu, ex futbolistas del Barcelona que, como técnicos, aspiran a retomar el camino que como jugadores se paró en 1998.

De Boer y Cocu forman parte de la segunda generación de futbolistas holandeses que se quedaron a las puertas del título en el torneo disputado en Francia después de perder en las semifinales contra Brasil. El partido, que acabó con empate (1-1), se resolvió en la tanda de penaltis y Cocu falló su lanzamiento para suerte de Brasil y desgracia de los muchachos de Guus Hiddink, futbolistas del calibre de Van der Vaart, Stam, Bergkamp, Kluivert, Seedorf, Davids, Ronald de Boer, Overmars o Winter.

Brasil aparece de nuevo en el horizonte de Holanda, como en 1998 y también en 1994, cuando en Dallas protagonizaron un cruce espectacular en los cuartos de final que se resolvió de nuevo a favor de la canarinha (3-2). El duelo se repetirá en Puerto Elisabeth el día 2 si en los octavos si los brasileños superan a Chile y los holandeses a la debutante Eslovaquia, que eliminó a la campeona actual, Italia. "Nos sentimos confiados, pero no somos arrogantes para pensar que ya estamos clasificados", responde Van Marwijk, tan comedido como Cocu, menos altivo que De Boer, siempre expresivo en el banquillo de Holanda. "Hay que dar un paso más, superar nuestros números de Francia 1998 y los de nuestros antecesores en Alemania 1974. Queremos ser campeones de una vez", coinciden De Boer y Cocu.

Holanda ha aprendido a ser paciente, a administrar el marcador, y parece un equipo mejor organizado que en anteriores torneos. "Los futbolistas han ido cogiendo confianza y, con el paso del tiempo, se han liberado", asegura Van Marwijk; "en todos los partidos, hemos tenido siempre el control del juego y si nos ha costado más o menos marcar las diferencias ha sido porque los adversarios se han cerrado mucho para bloquear nuestro fútbol".

Cocu y De Boer coinciden en que Holanda reúne las dos condiciones necesarias para aspirar al título: "El sistema está muy aprendido porque llevamos tiempo jugando de la misma manera y, además, somos especialmente competitivos". "Nuestro trabajo", precisa Cocu, "ha sido el de convencer a los futbolistas de que pueden ser campeones, de forma que nuestros entrenamientos son muy intensos, siempre con la intención de elevar el nivel del equipo. No envidiamos nada de las demás selecciones".

"Ahora mismo, somos un bloque poderoso porque estamos unidos en la cancha y en el vestuario", resume Stekelenburg; "estoy disfrutando de cada momento del juego". El portero del Ajax atribuye el equilibrio alcanzado por el equipo a la aportación de Van Bommel, el yerno, precisamente, de Van Marwijk: "Los mejores conjuntos, y también Holanda, se construyen sobre la base de una buena defensa y Van Bommel es fundamental para el bien del colectivo". Y remata: "Nosotros sabemos que marcaremos porque contamos con buenos delanteros, así que se trata de no encajar goles si queremos seguir ganando partidos y llegar a la final".

Los holandeses han dejado de hablar solo de su juego para recordar sus aspiraciones a ganar, por fin, la Copa del Mundo.

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Dutch in different class to Slovaks

ROUND OF 16: NETHERLANDS V SLOVAKIA:The Dutch were unbeaten in Group E and should have too much quality for Slovakia

IT WOULD take another major upset by the central Europeans, but Giovanni Van Bronckhorst goes into this afternoon s game against Slovakia in Durban knowing it could be his last as a professional footballer with the 35-year-old having resolved to hang up his boots when the Netherlands go out of this World Cup.

My ultimate dream is to say goodbye with the trophy in my hands, he says with a smile. But we know what s it s like to go out of a tournament after one bad match, in fact it s a familiar feeling, and we do not want to experience it again. I hope it will be different here.

Having made 102 appearance for his country, Van Bronckhorst knows the feeling better than most. The second oldest member of the Dutch squad behind Andre Ooijer, this is his seventh major championship and almost every time, his side have been amongst the pre-tournament favourites only to trip up along the way.

Two years ago, they were undone by Russia after very strong performances in the pool stages against France and Italy had marked them out as potential champions. Their group displays this time around have been less spectacular but they are one of only two sides to have taken all nine points from their three games with their defence, generally perceived to be the team s weak point, holding up well so far.

They re bound to be wary of the Slovaks in the wake of their dramatic defeat of the defending champions last week but will certainly fancy themselves as being capable of doing a better job looking after Robert Vittek than Fabio Cannavaro managed in Ellis Park. The pace possessed by their opponents out wide could pose problems for the Dutch, though, not least for their ageing captain who is not quite as quick on his feet as when he first made the switch from midfield to left-back upon arriving at the Nou Camp from Arsenal six years ago.

Attacking down the left flank is less central to his game these days, though, and his ability to read the game, make key tackles and help pass his side quickly out from the back means he s still a key a member of the side, having played in all of Holland s games during the World Cup qualifiers over the last couple of years and now here at the tournament itself.

He is confident that there will be the opportunity too to make it 104 appearances before he bows out, acknowledging that today s opponents have done well to earn their place in the last 16 but insisting that the Dutch can improve again on the performances against Denmark, Japan and Cameroon.

Not too many people were expecting Slovakia to reach the second round, but they deserve it. We can play better than we have, though, he says. In a tournament like this it s a great thing if you can get results when you re not playing at your best. This way you can build and get stronger, leaving room to improve as the games come.

Both sides will look very much as they did in their last group games although Gregory van der Wiel is likely to return for the Dutch in place of Khalid Boulahrouz while Kamil Kopunek will take over the defensive duties in central midfield from the suspended Zdeno Strba for the Slovaks.

Vladimir Weiss is likely to stick with much the same approach that paid such handsome dividends against the Italians after the team had looked likely to go out of the competition in the wake of a drawn match with New Zealand and the two-goal defeat by Paraguay.

His son, also Vladimir, is a major creative source for the side while Miroslav Stoch s return has also added bite to their attacking moves from midfield.

Defensively, though, they have looked suspect in all of their games and despite some last ditch heroics by Martin Skrtel and the rest of the back four against the outgoing title holders on Thursday, the Italians essentially had plenty of chances to win the game. The sort of sloppiness that allowed New Zealand to equalise late on in their opening game would also be likely to be punished this time out by the likes of Robin van Persie, who looks to have the potential to keep improving as the tournament goes along.

Van Bronckhorst, and his coach, Bert van Marwijk, both reckon the whole side will get better when the occasion calls for it. Another performance like the ones that have got them this far should suffice today in Durban, though.

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Van Marwijk's men have a 100% record in South Africa - matching their impressive achievement in winning all their qualification games for the tournament - and have now gone a Dutch record 23 games unbeaten, but there remains discontent amongst the Oranje Army, who feel their side are not winning with sufficient style. What England would give for such concerns. Bron: BBC

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Half time: Holland 1-0 Slovakia Sorry about that. I know it's not strictly my fault, but by heaven that was a dull half of football. See you in 10 minutes.

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60 min "All my life I've been passionately in love with Oranje, but after 30 years the marriage is a bit dull," says Ard Kappert. "I hope that she can pick up the World Cup and we'll be happy, but if she doesn't change I'm afraid that this marriage of convenience is finished. Although... Robben!? There is hope." He's that special electrical toy that every marriage needs. Or something.

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Full time: Holland 2-1 Slovakia Business as usual for Holland, who make it four wins out of four with yet another pulseless, forgettable victory. Arjen Robben scored a delightful goal, but his teammates will have to up their game significantly when they play Brazil (probably) on Friday evening.

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Instant Round of 16 Review: Netherlands Trounces Slovakia 2-1
SCORE: Netherlands 2, Slovakia 1. If there's ever been a score that didn't reflect the game, this was the one. The Dutch dominated.

TURNING POINT: There was none -- the Dutch controlled the "action" from start to finish (with one minute of slip-ups midway through the second half) and seemed content to waltz through the 90 minutes, conserving their energy. That didn't make for the greatest game. Put it this way: When the the talk of the game is about what a great match the next Dutch contest will be, you know that the one you're watching probably isn't generating a lot of excitement.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Yes, Arjen Robben picked up the Dutch offense as expected but once again, Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong were mainstays at the back.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: The Dutch scored early, then more or less put the game to sleep. Very un-Dutch. Here's our theory: The Germans have secretly traded uniforms with the Dutch this Cup. Efficiency over flair vs. flair over efficiency.

BIGGEST NO-SHOW: The vaunted Slovakian offense, though we should give the Dutch defense some credit for that. Shots on goal for Slovakia? Try three -- two in the same minute when these new Dutch who play like the old Germans briefly became like the old Dutch again and one on the final kick of the game (a meaningless penalty).

IF THE GAME WERE A ROLLING STONES SONG IT WOULD BE: Sleep Tonight

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Van der Wiel blows the offside trap, but Vittek — open again straight on — finishes like a North Korean

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Elia is like that cup of coffee at 2 p.m.; maybe he’ll bring some life to the Dutch attack.

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Stekelenberg forced out of the lawn chair again, diving at a Jendrisek shot. Someone should tell the Slovaks they are allowed to move in closer.

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Kuyt runs so hard he could play for the U.S. Except he scores from time to time from the forward spot, so maybe he wouldn’t fit in.

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Arjen Robben’s 18th minute goal was the only fire in another tepid first half from the Netherlands, a performance that was similar to the three that preceded it at the World Cup. The country that produced Vermeer and Rembrandt also needs house painters, and that was a house painter’s first half — get the job done and move on to the next one.

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Robben lässt Oranje träumen

In den siebziger Jahren, bei der Weltmeisterschaft von 1974, spielte die niederländische Nationalelf um Johan Cruyff einen berauschenden Fußball - und unterlag im Endspiel den Ergebnisfußballern aus Deutschland. Ein Trauma für Oranje, bis heute. Bei dem Turnier 2010 spielt die DFB-Auswahl bisher den Champagner-Fußball, und die Niederländer haben stattdessen den alten deutschen Spielstil übernommen. Kühl, überlegen, abgeklärt, aber ohne zu begeistern - so bestritten die Niederländer auch ihr Achtelfinale gegen die Slowakei. Die Auftritte der starken Arjen Robben und Wesley Sneijder reichten aus, um die biederen Osteuropäer ungefährdeter, als das knappe Ergebnis besagt, 2:1 zu schlagen.


Robben stand bei dieser Weltmeisterschaft zum ersten Mal in der Startelf, nachdem er sich in den Gruppenspielen noch mit den Nachwirkungen einer Oberschenkelverletzung herumgeschlagen hatte. Sein kurzer Einsatz beim abschließenden Gruppenspiel gegen Kamerun, als er nach seiner Einwechslung mächtig Dampf gemacht hatte, hatte aber schon gezeigt: Robben hat noch viel vor bei dieser WM. Er könnte einer der Top-Stars des Turniers werden - mit Verspätung.

Die Slowaken waren an diesem Montagnachmittag in Durban noch nicht der Gradmesser, um das wahre Leistungsvermögen der Elftal zu ergründen. Die Starspieler um Robben, Mittelfeldregisseur Sneijder oder Arsenal-Stürmer Robin van Persie mussten auch im Achtelfinale noch nicht an ihre Leistungsgrenze gehen. Im Gegensatz zu anderen Teams, auch zu den Deutschen, haben sich die Niederländer bisher mit Schonfußball durchs Turnier gespielt. Nicht besonders schön, aber sehr effektiv.

Holländische Abwehr hat sich stabilisiert

Die vier Partien, die die Niederlande bisher absolvierten, haben aber auf jeden Fall dazu gedient, die vermeintliche Schwachstelle des Teams, die Abwehr, zu stabilisieren. In der Gruppenphase hatte die Verteidigung um Torwart Maarten Stekelenburg erst ein Gegentor kassiert - und das fiel durch einen Handelfmeter, den Kameruns Samuel Eto'o verwandelt hatte. Abwehrchef Joris Mathijsen und seine Nebenleute wurden auch gegen die Slowaken nicht wirklich gefordert. Das hat das Selbstbewusstsein der Oranje-Verteidigung geschärft - wenn jetzt die schweren Aufgaben kommen.

Das Spiel gegen die Slowaken war im Grunde schon nach 17 Minuten entschieden. Als Robben einen öffnenden Pass von Sneijder aufnahm, auf dem rechten Flügel den Turbogang einschaltete - und dann machte, was er gerne tat. Er zog mit dem Ball nach innen, bis er zentral vor dem Tor stand und schoss mit dem linken Fuß ins rechte Eck. Ein Trick, den Robben schon Hunderte Male angewandt hatte und auf den sich viele Abwehrspieler mittlerweile einstellen. Aber bei den Videostudien der Slowaken über den Gegner Holland schien das irgendwie nicht aufgetaucht zu sein.

Danach hatten die van Bommels, de Jongs und van Persies das Spiel bis zum Pausenpfiff sicher im Griff. Die Slowaken taten so, als stünde es immer noch 0:0 und blieben tief in der eigenen Verteidigung stehen, ohne selbst groß in der Offensive tätig zu werden. Damit erschwerten sie den Niederländern zwar das Durchkommen. Einen Rückstand holt man auf diese Weise allerdings nicht auf.

Die 70-Minuten-Robben-Show

Nach dem Wechsel ging die Robben-Show weiter. Erst versuchte er, eine Kopie seines ersten Tores zu erzielen und scheiterte dabei nur am großartig reagierenden slowakischen Schlussmann Jan Mucha. Danach legte er für van Persie auf - wieder war Mucha gerade noch zur Stelle, um das 2:0 zu verhindern. Der Tormann, der in der kommenden Saison in die Premier League zum FC Everton wechselt, zeigte nach einer Stunde auch gegen einen Distanzschuss von Robin van Persie, dass er ein echter Klassemann im Tor ist.

Die Slowaken fanden dagegen mehr als eine Stunde lang einfach nicht den Schlüssel zu diesem Spiel. Wer sie gegen die Niederlande sah - ängstlich, übervorsichtig, ohne Kreativität - mochte kaum glauben, dass diese Mannschaft die Italiener in einem begeisternden Match aus dem Turnier gekegelt hatte. Stattdessen hatte Trainer Vladimir Weiss ein Team aufs Feld geschickt, das sich schon mit dem Anpfiff in die wahrscheinliche Niederlage gegen den hohen Favoriten gefügt zu haben schien.

Erst nach fast 70 Minuten sendeten die Slowaken Lebenszeichen Richtung holländisches Tor. Zunächst prüfte Hamsik Torwart Stekelenburg, dann entschärfte der niederländische Keeper auch noch einen Schuss des ehemaligen Nürnberger Bundesliga-Profis Robert Vittek. Dieser tauchte kurze Zeit später noch einmal im Strafraum auf, ließ sich aber viel zu viel Zeit für den Abschluss.

Als die Slowaken gerade anfingen, sich für einen möglichen Schlussspurt zu wappnen, machte Wesley Sneijder fünf Minuten vor dem Abpfiff alle Hoffnungen der Osteuropäer zunichte. Dirk Kuijt hatte sich auf der linken Angriffsseite durchgesetzt, er schob den Ball überlegt im Strafraum quer, Sneijder gab nur noch den Vollstrecker.

In der Nachspielzeit dann doch noch das Erfolgserlebnis für die Slowaken: Vittek machte sein viertes WM-Tor, als er einen Foul-Elfmeter verwandelte. Stekelenburg war zuvor zu vehement in einen Zweikampf gegangen.


Zu diesem Zeitpunkt war Arjen Robben schon nicht mehr auf dem Feld: 20 Minuten vor dem Ende war ihm die Puste ausgegangen. Für ihn spielte ab dann HSV-Profi Eljero Elia. 70 Minuten Robben reichten allerdings aus, um das Team von Trainer Bert van Marwijk locker ins Viertelfinale zu befördern.

Die Niederlande warten noch auf den ersten Prüfstand. Aber der wird bald kommen: Am Freitag wartet wahrscheinlich Rekordweltmeister Brasilien.

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Op maandag 28 juni 2010 21:58 schreef Jane het volgende:
Het wedstrijdverslag van de NY Times is hier en daar wel melig.
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http://goal.blogs.nytimes(...)herlands/?ref=sports

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Op dinsdag 29 juni 2010 01:14 schreef Fir3fly het volgende:
Bij de BBC waren ze lyrisch over de Brazilianen en gaven ze Nederland geen schijn van kans .

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Op dinsdag 29 juni 2010 01:14 schreef Fir3fly het volgende:
Bij de BBC waren ze lyrisch over de Brazilianen en gaven ze Nederland geen schijn van kans .

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Op dinsdag 29 juni 2010 @ 01:16 schreef Kluivert_Vandervaart het volgende:

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Wie zei dat dan? Onzin natuurlijk dat Nederland geen kans heeft.

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Op dinsdag 29 juni 2010 01:21 schreef Fir3fly het volgende:

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Alan Hansen en John Motson. Ze vonden het positiespel van de Brazilianen briljant ( ). Ze vonden het zo goed dat het middenveld de aanvallers niet ondersteunen. Nou hadden ze dat dus niet nodig tegen Chili. Maar toch, ik vind het een beetje getuigen van overschatting, zo van 'onze aanvallers zijn goed genoeg om het af te maken'.

Van der Gijp had het hier ook over in VI, en hij merkte terecht op dat er een enorm gat zit tussen het middenveld en de aanval. Met Van Bommel en Sneijder in die ruimte zou het nog best wat kunnen worden...

Maar ja ze vonden Nederland vervelend en slecht, en ze gaven eigenlijk meer de schuld aan Slowakijke voor het slechte verdedigen en afmaken dat de uitslag van de wedstrijd zo was. De commentator vond zelfs de penalty terecht .

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Op dinsdag 29 juni 2010 @ 01:19 schreef ellevehC86 het volgende:

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Het lijkt misschien onvolwassen, maar ik begin er toch langzaam aan wel een beetje jaloezie in te zien

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Op dinsdag 29 juni 2010 02:10 schreef Lekiamh het volgende:
Nou, als Oranje zo speelt zoals vandaag dan is de kans toch zeker groter dat Brazilië doorgaat.

Het was zoutloos, en laks. Dat kun je je gewoonweg niet permitteren op zo'n niveau.

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Op dinsdag 29 juni 2010 02:11 schreef Afhaalchinees het volgende:

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Ja want Nederland heeft het heel moeilijk gehad en het was kantje boord!

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Op dinsdag 29 juni 2010 01:48 schreef herbert64 het volgende:
Of ze nou winnen of niet, ik denk wel dat we een vrij goed Nederland gaan zien komende vrijdag. Nederland is altijd op z'n best tegen toplanden.

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Op dinsdag 29 juni 2010 01:21 schreef Fir3fly het volgende:

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Alan Hansen en John Motson. Ze vonden het positiespel van de Brazilianen briljant ( ). Ze vonden het zo goed dat het middenveld de aanvallers niet ondersteunen. Nou hadden ze dat dus niet nodig tegen Chili. Maar toch, ik vind het een beetje getuigen van overschatting, zo van 'onze aanvallers zijn goed genoeg om het af te maken'.

Van der Gijp had het hier ook over in VI, en hij merkte terecht op dat er een enorm gat zit tussen het middenveld en de aanval. Met Van Bommel en Sneijder in die ruimte zou het nog best wat kunnen worden...

Maar ja ze vonden Nederland vervelend en slecht, en ze gaven eigenlijk meer de schuld aan Slowakijke voor het slechte verdedigen en afmaken dat de uitslag van de wedstrijd zo was. De commentator vond zelfs de penalty terecht .

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Op dinsdag 29 juni 2010 05:22 schreef popolon het volgende:
Samenvatting ESPN NED-SLV met Gullit en MacManaman