Netherlands World Cup 2010 Profile

April 30th, 2010 | by: chris |

Will this finally be ‘the year’? They’re not quite a favorite – that’s somewhere between Brazil and Spain right now by most accounts – but they’re certain lurking in that second tier, somewhere behind the Braspana favorite and the darkhorse tag. While most won’t predict it, very few would be surprised if the Netherlands finally get their World Cup.

What is assured is that they’ll look awfully good with the ball at their feet going forward. One of the most technically astute European teams, they have a rich history of churning out brilliant attacker after brilliant attacker, something some might call a curse, but no less pleasing to the casual fan. They’re likely to be a neutral’s dream when running at full speed, along with those Spanish fellas and that juggernaut Brazil rolls into the World Cup every four years.

No matter what, there will be a few orange shirts on the pitch at all times well worth the price of admission on their own, which instantly makes them, at the very least, a fan favorite. Moreover, they’re very much capable of making this ‘the year’.

Nickname: Oranje (Free guesses)

Group: E; Japan, Cameroon, Denmark

FIFA World Ranking as of April 28th 2010: 4th

Coach: Bert van Marwijk It was always going to be difficult taking over for the legendary Marco van Basten after their high-flying Euros adventure in 2008, but Bert hasn’t lost a step. The Dutch waltzed through qualifying unscratched and were the first European side to qualify for South Africa. The early bar has been mighty high.

Key Players: The Oranje are an embarrassment of technical riches. Perhaps the hottest player in the world is winger Arjen Robben, the signing of the season and making a late run for player of 2009/10. It’s not quite quantifiable, but no one is more ‘electric’ than Arjen, with pace and dribbling for days on end. Wesley Sneijder isn’t far back as this year’s signing, the diminutive playmaker behind the strikers with tremendous vision, passing and free kicks. Meanwhile the one playmaker Real did keep last summer, attacking mid Rafael van der Vaart, is no technical slouch himself.

And while the names will dominate, Eljero Elia is a budding European star whose ‘electricity’ is positively Robben-esque. Ibrahim Afellay, Ryan Babel also: young, gifted, technical.

The strikers aren’t quite the glittering group that is the men who sit behind them. Robin van Persie is back from a very long injury layoff and was in the midst of the form of his life, which he’ll want to recover in time from the World Cup. Workhorse Dirk Kuyt has his admirers, but he’s not quite the poacher normally to lead the line. That poacher is Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who’s suffered through something of a nightmare first year in Milan and won’t be towing a great deal of good form or confidence along with him to South Africa.

The hardmen in the middle are Nigel De Jong and Mark van Bommel, who earns the special distinction of being van Marwijk’s son-in-law. That could go either way, obviously.

In the back is where opponents will look to defeat the Dutch, with John Heitinga and Joris Mathijsen the two likely to fall in the center, rising star Gregory van der Wiel on the right and captain ageless Giovanni van Bronckhorst filling out the left. Maarten Stekelenberg, long the future No. 1, is now the No. 1.

Player with best YouTube video: With such talent, it’s unfair to have to pick between them. (Ruud gets an honorary cameo.)

Player with best name: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, one of the more adaptable names in football. It contributes to such nicknames as The Hunter; it allows for the very simple but highly distinguishable use of initials, KJH; and it also allows for such lines as “Klaas is class”. A treasure trove of possibilities.

Player with best nickname: Khalid Bouhlarouz - ‘Khalid the Cannibal’.

Really, could dribbling into a defender sound any more intimidating?

Qualification: Sometimes numbers tell a better story than words: 8, 8-0-0, 17, 2, +15.

An absolute walk in the park.

Interesting: The Netherlands are the best team in the world – at least unofficially. They currently hold Nasazzi’s baton, which they wrastled from Norway, obviously the previous “best team in the world”.

The Baton changes hands when the holders are defeated in a match regarded by FIFA and both participating teams as a full international.

Obviously this is how the World Cup should be handled.

National Anthem: Het Wilhelmus (”The William”)

Kit: Orange. Black. Best kit at the World Cup. (One of those may be a matter of opinion…the second one.)

oranje

You can buy the Netherlands World Cup kits in our store.
World Cup History:

oranje

Expectations: This line is going to be played out for many teams by the time the World Cup arrives, but it rings no less true: quarterfinals, and then it depends on the draw.

Squad: TBA

Blog: Jan steers the Netherlands World Cup Blog behemoth.

- More World Cup 2010 Team Profiles.

Netherlands World Cup Guide

International Football News – World Cup Blog RSS Feed

http://allthebandswelovedaredead.blogspot.com/ toby

nope.
Seth

Wow, best Dutch kit in a while! I need to buy me one of those.

As for how far they will go, I predict a quarterfinal exit at the hands of Brazil. Hopefully I’m wrong.
http://inter.theoffside.com/ Johonna

I was partial to their Euro kits from 2006. This year’s away is also particularly nice.
http://japan.worldcupblog.org/ Aidan

I’ve not heard of Nasazzi’s baton before, but the Netherlands are also the current holders in a well known equivalent (well known on the British side of the Atlantic anyway) is the “Unofficial Football World Championship” which follows the winners of matches since the very first international in 1872 between England and Scotland.

The winner is the champion, and they hold onto it until beaten, and the title moves on to a new champion – like in Boxing.

Check out http://www.ufwc.co.uk/

Netherlands have been champions for quite a while now, with their most recent challengers being the USA. But the yanks couldn’t take the title, losing 2-1 in March in what the rest of the World called a friendly – but it was actually a UFWC title match.

Incidentally, the World Cup Final has on occasion also been a UFWC title match, but not always – after all the holder may draw a match (and exit the World Cup) but therefore still be the holders of the UFWC, or may even not have qualified for the World Cup but beaten the title holder in a friendly match.
Zakwan

I have a very strong feeling that this year the FIFA World Cup will be stolen and raised by Nistelrooy and his clan so I wish you all the best and please don’t disappoint me this year. JUST CONCENTRATE.

Go on DUTCH LIONS lets see your magic in SA
pencho15

They got an amazing qualification, and they are one of the strong teams, I see them at least on quarter finals, there according with my predictions they would face Brazil in what would be a fantastic match wich I don’t dare predicting, if they pass that then they could be champions.
http://englandworldcupflag.com John Storm

In the Netherlands you can have a frothy Heinekan with your super skunk spliff then wander across the canal and pick up a gorgeous prostitute and nobody will bat an eyelid becausethey are very laid back, BUT, put 22 dutchman in a world cup and they can be guarenteed to squabble and fight and self destruct. Thats why one of the worlds best footballing nations will never win a world cup – they aint got the love!
http://www.just-football.com/ Jonathan

The white stripe on that kit is eurgh..

Haha John Storm, I like your assessment of Spain btw!
Deckard

John Storm, too bad you’re so ignorant. In 1998 Holland went out cuz it came down to penalties. The team spirit was like never before, in fact, most of the squad were friends. For example Stam played for PSV at the time and Frank de Boer for Ajax, but outside of football they were friends. This was a squad that wanted to put in heart and soul for one another. But PK’s weren’t their strongest side and that’s what cost them.

In fact, only WC 1990 we could genuinely say was ruined cuz of internal bickering and a coach(Leo Beenhakker) who severely lack authority.

Btw, England’s now 44 years looking back to 66. Don’t sound like a hypocrite.
ashish10

Robben, Sneijder and Van der Vaart should play in the midfield every game without any changes…. If these three control the midfield, the Dutch have a tremendous chance. Their lies the key for Holland, the trio in the midfield!