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Holland The Next Generation
Posted by Carlito on 2006-06-09
Let’s go back in time for a minute, the year is 2002, the World Cup is being held on the Asian continent. The biggest names and countries in football are present, or are they? The Netherlands are not there; we’re talking about the nation that produced talents such as Johan Cruyff, Marco Van Basten, Rudd Gulit, Koeman, Kluivert, and my personal favourite Dennis Bergkamp to name a few. No, Holland didn’t make the cut the last time around, and this left a football nation very disappointed, to say the least.
Four years have passed and things have changed, or have they? Soccer legend Marco Van Basten is now at the helm and hasn’t held back in implementing radical changes. Out Clarence Seedorf, bad team spirit? Out Edgar Davids, didn’t bow down to the new coach? Out, Patrick Kluivert, as old as Van Nistelrooy, but just not as effective anymore. Out also Jaap Stam, and place to a new guard, a new generation.
Sneijder, Van der Vaart, Van Persie, Robben will all have the chance to showcase their amazing skills in hope of helping Holland escape the group of Death. A veteran and internationally renowned keeper, Van der Sar, and a striking machine in front, Van Nistelrooy, and the Dutch team is now in a position to silence their detractors.
However, the Netherlands are known to be World Cup underachievers, never doing better than consecutive runner ups in the 70’s. With such a young and inexperienced team (although the likes of Cocu and Van der Sar could argue otherwise), 2006 may just not be the year of the Dutch. In recent years, the team has been plagued by rumors of internal strife; there were even suggestions of a black and white separation in the locker room, white team-mates not liking the Prima Dona ways of the black players. This may explain the exclusion of the above mentioned trio, because, while Davids and Kluivert haven’t shown signs of the past glory in the recent years, the absence of such a smart player like Clarence Seedorf (who is still in his twenties by the way) is questionable at the very least.
I’ve always loved Dutch football, but this time around, I doubt that they will be able to leave the group stage. In 2010, with a more experienced squad, and perhaps a more favorable group draw, Holland should be by then a real force to be reckoned with.
Posted by Carlito on 2006-06-09
Let’s go back in time for a minute, the year is 2002, the World Cup is being held on the Asian continent. The biggest names and countries in football are present, or are they? The Netherlands are not there; we’re talking about the nation that produced talents such as Johan Cruyff, Marco Van Basten, Rudd Gulit, Koeman, Kluivert, and my personal favourite Dennis Bergkamp to name a few. No, Holland didn’t make the cut the last time around, and this left a football nation very disappointed, to say the least.Four years have passed and things have changed, or have they? Soccer legend Marco Van Basten is now at the helm and hasn’t held back in implementing radical changes. Out Clarence Seedorf, bad team spirit? Out Edgar Davids, didn’t bow down to the new coach? Out, Patrick Kluivert, as old as Van Nistelrooy, but just not as effective anymore. Out also Jaap Stam, and place to a new guard, a new generation.
Sneijder, Van der Vaart, Van Persie, Robben will all have the chance to showcase their amazing skills in hope of helping Holland escape the group of Death. A veteran and internationally renowned keeper, Van der Sar, and a striking machine in front, Van Nistelrooy, and the Dutch team is now in a position to silence their detractors.
However, the Netherlands are known to be World Cup underachievers, never doing better than consecutive runner ups in the 70’s. With such a young and inexperienced team (although the likes of Cocu and Van der Sar could argue otherwise), 2006 may just not be the year of the Dutch. In recent years, the team has been plagued by rumors of internal strife; there were even suggestions of a black and white separation in the locker room, white team-mates not liking the Prima Dona ways of the black players. This may explain the exclusion of the above mentioned trio, because, while Davids and Kluivert haven’t shown signs of the past glory in the recent years, the absence of such a smart player like Clarence Seedorf (who is still in his twenties by the way) is questionable at the very least.
I’ve always loved Dutch football, but this time around, I doubt that they will be able to leave the group stage. In 2010, with a more experienced squad, and perhaps a more favorable group draw, Holland should be by then a real force to be reckoned with.