| Player | Position | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Edwin van der Sar | Goalkeeper | Manchester United (England |
| Maarten Stekelenburg | Goalkeeper | Ajax Amsterdam |
| Henk Timmer | Goalkeeper | AZ Alkmaar |
| Kew Jaliens | Defender | AZ Alkmaar |
| Jan Kromkamp | Defender | Liverpool (England) |
| Andre Ooijer | Defender | PSV Eindhoven |
| John Heitinga | Defender | Ajax Amsterdam |
| Khalid Boulahrouz | Defender | SV Hamburg (Germany) |
| Joris Mathijsen | Defender | AZ Alkmaar |
| Giovanni van Bronckhorst | Defender | FC Barcelona (Spain) |
| Tim de Cler | Defender | AZ Alkmaar |
| Mark van Bommel | Midfielder | FC Barcelona (Spain) |
| Philip Cocu | Midfielder | PSV Eindhoven |
| Denny Landzaat | Midfielder | AZ Alkmaar |
| Hedwiges Maduro | Midfielder | Ajax Amsterdam |
| Arjen Robben | Midfielder | Chelsea (England) |
| Wesley Sneijder | Midfielder | Ajax Amsterdam |
| Rafael van der Vaart | Midfielder | SV Hamburg (Germany) |
| Dirk Kuijt | Forward | Feyenoord |
| Ruud van Nistelrooy | Forward | Manchester United (England) |
| Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink | Forward | PSV Eindhoven |
| Robin van Persie | Forward | Arsenal (England) |
| Ryan Babel | Forward | Ajax Amsterdam |
| Head Coach: | Marco van Basten | |
Scouting Report
Style of play: Coach Marco van Basten uses an attacking 4-3-3 formation - originally made famous by the Dutch - with two wingers (Arjen Robben and Dirk Kuijt) who are given licence to leave their posts from the flanks and roam into the centre of the field. By doing this, the wingers create open spaces for the attacking midfielders in the centre to exploit. The four-man, flat back defence is anchored by Giovanni van Bronckhorst on the left and Jan Kromkamp on the right. The trio of midfielders - Philip Cocu, Mark van Bommel and Rafael van der Vaart - all have individual assignments but work in tandem. Cocu is the defensive stalwart in the middle, while Van Bommel and Van der Vaart on the left and right side of midfield are more attacking in nature and try link up with the two wingers. Up front, lone striker Ruud van Nistelrooy offers his team a menacing presence around the penalty area. The Dutchman is a classic goal poacher and relies on service from the wingers, ideally low balls played to him with his back to goal inside the penalty area so he can use his strength to turn defenders.
Probable starting formation (4-3-3): (GK) Edwin van der Sar - (D) Jan Kromkamp, Khalid Boulahrouz, Andre Ooijer, Giovanni van Bronckhorst - (M) Philip Cocu, Mark van Bommel, Rafael van der Vaart - (F) Arjen Robben, Dirk Kuijt, Ruud van Nistelrooy
Strengths:
Team cohesion - Unlike past teams, this Dutch side plays as a cohesive
side. Coach Marco van Basten has come in and quickly won the respect of his
team by giving young talent a chance and showing veteran players with attitude
(a long-time problem in the Dutch squad) the door. The players are solidly
united behind the coach (teams in the past haven't) and they believe in Van
Basten's coaching style and methods.
Momentum - The Netherlands are brimming with confidence after an incredibly
successful qualifying campaign. The Dutch were the class of the European qualifiers
by winning 10 of their 12 games with two draws and outscoring their opponents
27-3 and winning their group by five points over the formidable Czech Republic.
A confident team is a dangerous one, and right now, few teams are more dangerous
than the Dutch.
Goalkeeping - Although prone to making the odd error, Manchester United
star Edwin van der Sar is still one of the best shot stoppers in soccer. The
tall, lanky goalkeeper organizes his defence effectively, is quick to come
off his goal-line and has excellent positional sense. He also distributes
the ball with pinpoint accuracy in launching counterattacks.
Weaknesses:
Inexperience - The Netherlands last played at the World Cup eight years
ago and for the majority of the roster this will be their first major tournament.
While Van Basten's youth movement is commendable, it is also somewhat short-sighted.
The team lacks international experience and it's hard to imagine them being
able to fight back in a game if they're down a few goals.
Group of Death - The Dutch are ranked No. 3 in the world by FIFA, but
that doesn't guarantee them success in such a difficult group. If the Netherlands
thought their qualifying group was tough (Romania and the Czech Republic)
wait until they have to take to the field against two-time World Cup champion
Argentina, talented Serbia and Montenegro and tricky Ivory Coast.
Right side of midfield - A serious problem area for the Dutch, similar
to how the left side of midfield is England's Achilles heel. Van Basten uses
a 4-3-3 system with two wingers in support of the lone striker, but he doesn't
have a right winger to counterbalance the effectiveness of Arjen Robben on
the left. Such is the depth of the problem that he's even experimented - and
failed - with using striker Dirk Kuijt on the right side.
Players to watch:
Ruud van Nistelrooy - The Manchester United star, considered to be among
the best strikers in the world, will be looking to make a big impression in
his first World Cup. Is there a more dangerous goal-poacher in soccer? Not
likely. Van Nistelrooy has the uncanny ability to always be in a scoring position.
He combines deadly finishing skills, power and strength into an awesome goal-scoring
package.
Arjen Robben - One of the most dangerous wingers in soccer today. A
regular starter for English Premiership champions Chelsea, Robben is a precocious
talent who mixes brilliant technique, blinding speed and precise dribbling.
Robben creates chances for teammates with his direct and probing runs down
the left side of the field. He can also score goals.
Rafael Van der Vaart - Despite his youth, the 23-year-old midfield
playmaker sports all the flair and attacking verve of Dutch legend Johan Cruyff.
Van der Vaart is renowned for is versatility: he can play as a striker or
a central midfielder, but is at his best when he lines up on the left side
of midfield. Technically gifted and very athletic, he also possesses a booming
left-footed shot that has proven to be deadly accurate in free kick situations.
Key injuries/omissions: Coach Marco van Basten did not select veteran midfielders Clarence Seedorf and Edgar Davids, making this the first tournament since 1992 that their country has competed at a major competition without the pair. In a major shock, Van Basten did not select Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, even though the striker was the top scorer in the Dutch first division with an incredible 33 goals in 34 games. Defender Barry Opdam and midfielders George Boateng and Nigel de Jong also did not make the final cut. On the other hand, the inclusion of defenders John Heitinga and Jan Kromkamp was a bit of a surprise. Ivory Coast-born forward Salomon Kalou had his application to be fast-tracked for a Dutch passport turned down, ruling him out to be selected by the Netherlands. Midfielder Rafael van der Vaart suffered an ankle injury during a recent training session. His status remains up in the air.
Prognosis: It's been said so many times before, but this could be the year the Netherlands finally lives up to its reputation and wins the World Cup. The Dutch, eager to prove they belong among the game's elite class after failing to qualify four years ago, head to Germany with a great deal of confidence. And why shouldn't they? Unbeaten in 12 qualifying games, united under coach Marco van Basten and boasting an exciting crop of youngsters, the Netherlands have the potential to go all the way in Germany. Still, success is not guaranteed, especially when you have such a young side competing in the toughest group of the draw. If the Dutch continue their recent brilliant form, there's no reason why they can't finish first in Group C ahead of Argentina and advance to final for the first time since 1978. Look for them to make it the quarter-finals where their inexperience will finally catch up to them.
Road to the World Cup
Current FIFA Ranking: #3
1st round matches:
June 11 vs. Serbia and Montenegro in Leipzig
June 16 vs. Ivory Coast in Stuttgart
June 21 vs. Argentina in Frankfurt
2006 qualification route: Finished first in Europe's Group 1 (32 points)
ahead of Czech Republic (27 points).
Qualifying record: 12 games played, 10 wins, 2 draws, 0 losses
Goals for: 27 Goals against: 3
Top goal-scorer in qualifying: Ruud van Nistelrooy (7)
Qualifying results: (home team listed first)
Sept. 8, 2004 -Netherlands 2, Czech Republic 0
Oct. 9, 2004 - Macedonia 2, Netherlands 0
Oct. 13, 2004 -Netherlands 3, Finland 1
Nov. 17, 2004 -Andorra 0, Netherlands 3
March 26, 2005 - Romania 0, Netherlands 2
March 30, 2005 - Netherlands 2, Armenia 0
June 4, 2005 - Netherlands 2, Romania 0
June 8, 2005 - Finland 0, Netherlands 4
Sept. 3, 2005 - Armenia 0, Netherlands 1
Sept 7, 2005 - Netherlands 4, Andorra 0
Oct. 8, 2005 - Czech Republic 0, Netherlands 2
Oct. 12, 2005 - Netherlands 0, Macedonia 0
World Cup History
FIFA member since: 1904
Team nickname: Oranje (Orange)
All-time caps leaders: Frank de Boer (112)
All-time leading scorer: Patrick Kluivert (40 goals)
Number of Previous World Cup Appearances: 7
All-time record: 32 games played, 14 wins, 9 draws, 9 losses
Goals for: 56 Goals against: 36
World Cup History:
1930 - Did not enter
1934 - First Round
1938 - First Round
1950 - Did not enter
1954 - Did not enter
1958 to 1970 - Did not qualify
1974 - Runners-up
1978 - Runners-up
1982 - Did not qualify
1986 - Did not qualify
1990 - Second Round
1994 - Quarter-finals
1998 - Semifinals (4th place)
2002 - Did not qualify
Biggest victory: 5-0 vs. South Korea in 1998
Biggest defeat: 3-0 vs. Czechoslovakia in 1938
Overall top scorer: Johannes Rep (7 goals)
Most appearances: Johannes Rep, Ruud Krol and Wim Jansen (14 matches)
Hosted the World Cup: Never
Other Achievements:
European Champions: 1988
Olympic Bronze Medal: 1908, 1912, 1920
Greatest Players:
Johan Cruyff: Regarded as one of the game's greatest players. Cruyff was
a sublimely talented star who was at the heart of the mighty Ajax Amsterdam
team that won three straight European Cups from 1971-73. He joined Barcelona
in 1973-74 and helped the Spanish club win its first league title in 14 years.
A three-time European player of the year (1971, 1973, 1974), Cruyff led the
Netherlands to the final of the 1974 World Cup against West Germany.
Marco van Basten: The current Dutch coach was also one of its greatest
players ever, helping the Netherlands win the 1988 European championship.
He began his career at Ajax Amsterdam but made a name for himself with Italian
giants AC Milan. Van Basten was regarded as the best striker of his era and
was named European player of the year three times (1988, 1989 and 1992) and
FIFA world player of the year in 1992. A rash of injuries cut short his brilliant
career when he played his last game for Milan - at age 28 - in 1993.