Netherlands: Euro 2012 preview

Will the nation that brought the world ‘Total Football’ return to its roots at Euro 2012?  Although the Netherlands is a relatively small country, they consistently produce many of the world’s best players.  Their 1970’s teams led by Johan Cruyff are always mentioned as one of the all time greatest teams despite not winning a major trophy.  Unfortunately, some of us never had the chance to watch that team.  However, the Oranje’s greatness continues to the present day.  Throughout the 1980’s, 1990’s, and 2000’s, the Netherlands was known for how beautifully they played the game. It was their 1998 World
Cup semi-final loss to Brazil that captured my imagination.  That is the greatest game that I will most likely ever have the privilege to watch.  It was soccer at its purest form.  From the opening whistle until penalty kicks the game was fluid and free flowing with both teams attacking each other from goal line to goal line.  It was a thing of beauty.  This style of play continued through their dazzling but failed attempt to win Euro 2008.  Once again, they captured the hearts and minds of fans across the globe but were unable to add to their sole major trophy, which they won at Euro 1988.

At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, coach Bert Van Marwijk turned away from ‘Total Football’ and shifted towards a defensive, grind it out approach.  Van Marwijk was clearly tired of the Netherlands being known more for its style of play than for its championships.  It nearly paid off as they reached the final, though Spain defeated them in overtime.  While it is understandable for some teams to adopt a defensive style due to their lack of personnel, this is certainly not a problem of theirs.  They have one of the most talented squads in the world.  While winning trophies is memorable, so is changing the way the game is played.  This is why Johan Cruyff is mentioned in the same conversation with legends such as Pele, Diego Maradona, and Zinedine Zidane despite not winning a major championship.  One can only hope that Van Marwijk will step on the accelerator and unleash the devastating attack that the Oranje can bring against any opponent.  Let’s take a look at Van Marwijk’s squad.

AS Roma’s Maarten Stekelenburg maintains his place as the starting keeper.  He has been outstanding since taking over for the legendary Edwin van der Sar.  He gained valuable experience in 2010 and will be a rock in net for the Dutch. 

Since the departures of Jaap Stam and Frank de Boer the Dutch backline has not been their strongest asset.  Few of their defenders are skillful enough to make an attacking run worth the gap it leaves on defense.  They are usually slow to get rid of the ball, and often depress the pace of the game to such an extent that they weaken their midfield’s ability to pierce the opposition’s defense. 

Although the Dutch have an abundance of creative talent in the midfield, the issue is whether or not they will be utilized in an effective manner.  Van Marwijk will most likely start AC Milan’s Mark Van Bommel as a holding midfielder, and have Manchester City’s Nigel de Jong as his replacement.  It is a sham that these players were selected.  De Jong is a thug who the KNVB (Netherlands Football Association) should have expelled from international soccer after his karate kick to Xabi Alonso’s chest in South Africa.  That was not the first or the last violent incident involving De Jong.  If he had learned his lesson from the World Cup it would be one thing, but only a few months later one of his violent tackles broke another player’s leg.  He is an embarrassment to a team that should embody ‘Total Football’.  While I am no fan of Mark van Bommel either, he does provide some value.  However, there are too many times when a gap appears in the opposition’s defense and Van Bommel either does not recognize it or is too slow to deliver the ball.

Now, on to one of the world’s best ensembles of attacking talent.  The rest of the Dutch midfield contingent includes Inter Milan’s Wesley Sneijder, Tottenham’s Rafael van der Vaart, Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben, PSV’s Kevin Strootman, Barcelona’s Ibrahim Affelay, and Sporting Lisbon’s Stijn Schaars.  Sneijder’s superior form in a Dutch uniform has been consistent since his debut.  He is one of the best midfielders in the world and his stellar performances at Euro 2008 and in the 2010 World Cup suggest he will be at his best.  He has great vision, plenty of composure, and terrific accuracy with the ball to create scoring chances for his teammates. 

Ever since witnessing Arjen Robben play against the United States in a 2003 friendly, I knew he would become one of the game’s best.  He is one of the most fearless and exciting players in the sport.  He is not afraid to attack a defender or two alone, and he has the speed and skill to pull it off.  His breathtaking runs from the right flank, in which he often cuts inside to rip shots with his left foot are famous.  He is the type of player that can make something out of nothing.  There are very few players of his caliber in the tournament.  The only negative about him is his propensity to dive after the slightest, if any, contact.

Rafael van der Vaart is a world-class player as well and his resurgence at Tottenham has been remarkable after a forgettable stint at Real Madrid.  Van Marwijk usually prefers not to play Sneijder and Van der Vaart together, but it would be great to see him include both when the tournament kicks off.  Stijn Schaars is an all around solid player and Ibrahim Affelay has terrific playmaking ability.  The player generating a lot of excitement is PSV’s Kevin Strootman.  Due to the lack of Dutch Eredivisie games that are televised I have not been able to watch him.  If the rumors are true, he is an excellent defender with attacking capability.  He may be an offensive minded holding midfielder in the mold of former Dutchman Edgar Davids. 

The Dutch forward line is their greatest strength and is what separates them from every team in the tournament.  In addition to possessing who I think is the best forward in the world in Arsenal’s Robin van Persie, they have the lethal scoring threat of Schalke’s Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.  After being cursed by injuries so often in his career, Van Persie stayed healthy for the entire 2011-12 campaign and led the Premier League in scoring.  With the form that Van Persie is in, he can lead this team to the championship.  He will look to have a strong tournament after an injury in the lead up to 2010 World Cup clearly affected his performance.  

There are few cases of such misfortune as is the case with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.  While Huntelaar does not have the skill of Van Persie, he is a deadly finisher in the mold of Dutch legend Ruud van Nistelrooy.  He scored over 30 goals this past season in the German Bundesliga.  In the classic Dutch formation of 4-3-3 Huntelaar would have a place in the starting line-up.  However, their formation of choice is now the 4-5-1.  With only one forward to choose, Van Marwijk will naturally select Van Persie.  However, Huntelaar would start for many teams in the tournament.  Leaving a player of his caliber on the bench is a severe mistake by Van Marwijk.  Van Marwijk should change formations or play Huntelaar up top and put Van Persie out wide. Van Persie could then move towards the middle at his discretion considering Van Marwijk often selects two holding midfielders that could cover Van Persie’s man against a counter attack.

Prediction: Semi-Finalist.  The Dutch got stuck in the group of death once again with Germany, Portugal, and Denmark.  Every game will be a battle since each team possesses enough talent to score the initial goal and defend for the remainder of the match.  Fortunately, all of their top players enter the tournament healthy.  They are a difficult team to predict considering it is unknown which Netherlands team will show up.  My prediction is that Van Marwijk sticks to the more defensive approach.  The Dutch have enough talent to lift the trophy, but I do not think their defense will hold up against the Spanish or Germans.  If they should avoid both of those teams in the knockout rounds then they may very well lift their second major trophy.  Either way, I hope they show up playing ‘Total Football’. 

By Jeff Graceffo