Netherlands Schedule & Results | Scouting Report | Road to Euro 2004

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Style of Play:
The Dutch still believe in the philosophy of "Total Football" when it comes to playing soccer - that is, all 11 men on the field defend and all 11 men attack. The idea is that you can switch around one player and insert him into another position and you would not lose anything because everybody on the team can play any position with aplomb - total football. Whatever you want to call it, Holland manages to plays with an attacking, elegant flair. Coach Dick Advocaat switches between a 4-4-2 and a 3-5-2 formation, but is expected to use a 4-4-1-1 in Portugal. The central defensive pairing (Jaap Stam and Philip Cocu) hold the back line. In midfield, the two wingers (Andy van der Meyde on the right and either Arjen Robben or Marc Overmars on the left) take up a deep-lying position on the sides, leading the attack down the flanks. They are crucial to the Dutch success as they support the lone striker while also dropping back to help out with defensive duties in midfield. The two central midfielders (Edgar Davids and Wesley Sneijder) work in tandem, taking on opposing players and trying to win possession. The attacking midfielder (Rafael van der Vaart) lines up in front of the defensive duo and just behind the striker, venturing forward in attack when he has the chance. The lone striker (Ruud van Nistelrooy) plays as target-man, waiting up front for service from those behind him who try to get him the ball as close to the penalty area as possible. Advocaat has said that he might go with the 4-4-2 setup in Euro; if he does, expect Patrick Kluivert or Roy Makaay to partner van Nistelrooy up front, van der Vaart to drop back in the centre of midfield, and one of the wingers to lose their place.

Strengths:
Offence - With the exception of France and Italy, the Netherlands has the most potent attack of any of the teams competing at Euro 2004. Ruud van Nistelrooy is a goal-scoring machine and is widely considered one of the top three strikers in the world. Roy Makaay is equally deadly, Pierre van Hooijdonk is a free-kick specialist and Patrick Kluivert is the country's all-time leading scorer with over 40 goals in close to 80 national team games.

Wingers - The Dutch spread their attack along the full width of the field thanks to quality of their talented wingers. Andy van der Meyde (on the right) is a playmaking threat who can also score, while Marc Overmars (on the left) is an experienced player with a proven track record in international competition. Opposing defenders will have problems handling this fleet-footed pair.

Goalkeeping - Although prone to making the odd gaffe, Edwin van der Sar is still one of the premier shot stoppers in soccer. The tall, lanky goalkeeper organizes his defence effectively, is quick to come off his line and has excellent positional sense. He also distributes the ball with pinpoint accuracy. Sander Westerveld is an excellent backup who has excelled the last two seasons playing in Spain.

Weaknesses:
Team cohesion - The Netherlands is a team made of gifted, talented individuals. But somehow all these talented individuals don't come together to form a cohesive squad. Quibbling over playing time and team tactics is commonplace among the squad, and all too often that manifests itself on the field as players try to win games on the strength of their individual talents.

Defence - Aside from Jaap Stam, the Dutch don't have another defender of equal class. Frank de Boer is well past his "best by" date, Johnny Heitinga is unproven and the likes of Michael Reiziger, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Wilfred Bouma originally started as midfielders before being converted into defenders. If Stam goes down to injury, the Dutch defence will be devastated.

Tactical naiveté - Coach Dick Advocaat is a funny guy to figure out. In Roy Makaay, he has one of the most lethal strikers in the world, but Advocaat rarely starts him next to Ruud van Nistelrooy, feeling the two deadly strikers are too similar to play together in the starting lineup. By going with one lone striker, Advocaat is not using one of his best resources (depth at the striker's position) leaving van Nistelrooy to do all the work on his own.

Key Players to watch:
Ruud van Nistelrooy - Those who argue that Thierry Henry is the best striker in the world will get an earful from supporters of Ruud van Nistelrooy. The Manchester United hit-man is a classic goal poacher who combines deadly finishing skills, power and strength into an awesome scoring package. He can score with either foot and has excellent aerial skills, making him even more of a threat when he's in the penalty area.

Rafael van der Vaart: A playmaker that can also score goals, van der Vaart gives the Dutch a real creative presence in midfield. The 21-year-old Dutch sensation plays with all the flair and attacking verve of Dutch legend Johan Cruyff. Possessing great vision and technical prowess, van der Vaart is one of the many young stars of Dutch soccer that has caught the attention of some of Europe's biggest clubs.

Jaap Stam - The personification of steel and grit, Stam is an uncompromising central defender who uses his strength to take control of the area just outside the penalty area. He is one of the best man-markers in the business and is one of the most feared defenders in the game due to his power, strength and athletic ability. The anchor of the Dutch defence, his country's progression through the tournament rests on his shoulders.

Key injuries/squad omissions:
Influential midfielder Mark van Bommel withdrew from the team due to an Achilles tendon injury. He was replaced by midfielder Paul Bosvelt. Winger Arjen Robben (hamstring injury) was still called into the team by coach Advocaat despite his nagging injury problem. The two most glaring names left off the team sheet are striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and defender Mario Melchiot. Also overlooked were defenders Fernando Ricksen and Andre Ooijer.

Prognosis:
Four years ago, the Netherlands looked well on their way to winning Euro 2000 on home soil before they ran into a pesky Italian side in the semifinals and lost on penalty kicks. This time, the Dutch are looking to take that extra step and claim its second Euro title. Buoyed by a strong midfield and a first-rate crop of strikers, Netherlands has the talent on paper to win Euro 2004. Whether this collection of great individuals can gel as a team is another story. The Netherlands has a history of self-destructing due to player unrest and discord in the locker-room, brought on by egotistical players who are only interested in themselves and not the overall benefit of the squad. Teams that don't play together don't win tournaments, especially Euro, something a few of the Dutch players need to keep in mind. Another problem is defence. Jaap Stam has a heavy burden on his shoulders, having to carry the back line on his own. If Stam goes down with injury, the Dutch will be buried alive. As long as Stam stays healthy and the Netherlands' strikers do their job, the Dutch can make it to the semifinals. If the strikers can't find their scoring touch, they'll be returning home after the quarter-final stage.

Current FIFA Ranking: #5

First-round matches:
June 15 vs. Germany (Porto)
June 19 vs. Czech Republic (Aveiro)
June 23 vs. Latvia (Braga)

Euro 2004 qualification route:
Finished 2nd in qualifying Group 3 (19 points) and then defeated Scotland in a two-game playoff, winning 6-1 on aggregate.

Record in qualifying: 7 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses
Goals for: 26 Goals against: 7

Qualifying results:
09.07.2002 - Netherlands 3 Belarus 0
10.16.2002 - Netherlands 3 Austria 0
03.29.2003 - Netherlands 1 Czech Republic 1
04.02.2003 - Netherlands 2 Moldova 1
06.07.2003 - Netherlands 2 Belarus 0
09.06.2003 - Netherlands 3 Austria 1
09.10.2003 - Czech Republic 2 Netherlands 1
10.11.2003 - Netherlands 5 Moldova 0
11.15.2003 - Scotland 1 Netherlands 0
11.19.2003 - Netherlands 6 Scotland 0

Number of Previous Euro Appearances: 7
All-time record: 25 GP -- 13 W, 4 D, 8 L
Goals for: 44 Goals against: 27
Biggest defeat: 1-4 vs. England in 1996
Biggest victory: 6-1 vs. Yugoslavia in 2000

Euro History:
1960 - did not qualify
1964 - first round
1968 - did not qualify
1972 - did not qualify
1976 - semifinals
1980 - first round
1984 - did not qualify
1988 - CHAMPIONS
1992 - semifinals
1996 - quarter-finals
2000 - semifinals

Other Achievements:
World Cup finalists: 1974 in West Germany, 1978 in Argentina
Olympic Bronze Medal: 1908 in London, 1912 in Stockholm and 1920 in Antwerp

Greatest Players:
Johan Cruyff: One of the greatest players of all time, Cruyff was the indomitable leader of the Ajax Amsterdam side that dominated European club soccer during the early 1970s. The stylish goal-scoring machine led Ajax to three European Cups and led his country to the World Cup final in 1974 against West Germany. Amazingly, Cruyff scored 33 goals in 48 games for the Netherlands. A three-time European Player of the Year.

Marco van Basten: According to most, the greatest striker of his era. The classy van Basten was a standout with Ajax, scoring 128 goals before moving on to AC Milan. It was while playing with the Italian giants that he cemented his legend, scoring goal after goal and leading the club to unequalled success domestically and in European competition. A former FIFA World Player of the Year, van Basten led the Dutch to victory in the final of Euro '88 over Russia.