Group E
Manager: Calm
Star Player : Rafael van der Vaart, Robin van Persie
Best result: Runner-up (1974, 1978)
All-time record: 36 games played, 16 wins, 10 draws, 10 losses
Goals for: 59, Goals against: 38
Biggest victory: 5-0 vs. South Korea in 1998
Biggest defeat: 3-0 vs. Czechoslovakia in 1938
Top scorer: Johannes Rep (7 goals)
Most appearances: Johannes Rep, Ruud Krol and Wim Jansen (14 matches)
Hosted the World Cup: Never
LIVE STREAM NETHERLANDS MATCHES :
June 14, 2010 @ 12:30BST Group Stage Group E
Netherlands vs Denmark
at Soccer City Stadium
June 19, 2010 @ 12:30BST Group Stage Group E
Netherlands vs Japan
at Durban Stadium
June 24, 2010 @ 19:30BST Group Stage Group E
Cameroon vs Netherlands
at Cape Town Stadium
Short History of Netherlands:
FIFA member since: 1904
Team nickname: Oranje
All-time caps leader: Edwin van der Sar (130)
All-time leading scorer: Patrick Kluivert (40 goals)
Notable achievements: European Champions (1988)
Legendary Player: Regarded as one of the game's greatest players, Johan 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.
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22 G Sander Boschker
1 G Maarten Stekelenburg
16 G Michel Vorm
12 D Khalid Boulahrouz
15 D Edson Braafheid
3 D Johnny Heitinga
4 D Joris Mathijsen
13 D Andre Ooijer
5 D Giovanni Van Bronckhorst
2 D Gregory Van Der Wiel
20 M Ibrahim Afellay
8 M Nigel De Jong
14 M Demy De Zeeuw
18 M Stijn Schaars
10 M Wesley Sneijder
6 M Mark Van Bommel
23 M Rafael Van der Vaart
19 F Ryan Babel
17 F Eljero Elia
21 F Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
7 F Dirk Kuyt
11 F Arjen Robben
9 F Robin Van Persie
Want to know more about Netherlands ? Read more !! 1 G Maarten Stekelenburg
16 G Michel Vorm
12 D Khalid Boulahrouz
15 D Edson Braafheid
3 D Johnny Heitinga
4 D Joris Mathijsen
13 D Andre Ooijer
5 D Giovanni Van Bronckhorst
2 D Gregory Van Der Wiel
20 M Ibrahim Afellay
8 M Nigel De Jong
14 M Demy De Zeeuw
18 M Stijn Schaars
10 M Wesley Sneijder
6 M Mark Van Bommel
23 M Rafael Van der Vaart
19 F Ryan Babel
17 F Eljero Elia
21 F Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
7 F Dirk Kuyt
11 F Arjen Robben
9 F Robin Van Persie
Appearances at finals:
1934 - First round
1938 - First round
1974 - Runners-up
1978 - Runners-up
1990 - Second round
1994 - Quarter-finals
1998 - Fourth place
2006 - Second round
Overall record at finals: Played 36, Won 16, Drawn 10, Lost 10.
Best performance: Runners-up in 1974 and 1978.
Most appearances at finals: Johnny Rep (1974, 1978), Ruud Krol (1974, 1978), Wim Jansen (1974, 1978) - 14.
Most goals at finals: Johnny Rep (1974, 1978) - 7.
World Cup high: Bringing 'total football' to the World Cup in 1974 when, in beating both Brazil and Argentina in the second group stage, they made it to the final despite it being a first appearance in the tournament for 36 years.
World Cup low: The ugly incident involving Netherland's Frank Rijkaard and Germany's Rudi Völler, resulting in both players being sent off and Rijkaard spitting in Voller's hair.
World Cup legend: Johan Cruyff, who, despite only playing in the 1974 finals, was central to the country's brand of 'brilliant orange', which catapulted the Dutch from obscurity to World Cup entertainers in the 70s.
The story so far: Netherlands' World Cup history is surprisingly sparse considering their modern reputation. After taking part in the first two tournaments, they failed to qualify again until the 70s, when they lost in two consecutive finals.
Even after that, the Dutch missed out on the finals in 1982 and 1986 and, later, in 2002. They have always promised much yet there is still the feeling that the Dutch have generally under-achieved in world football.
Qualification: Netherlands found their route to the finals in faultless fashion, becoming the first European side to qualify for South Africa in June 2009. They were handed an easy group with just four other nations, none of which had qualified for any finals tournament since 2000. The Dutch had a 100% record in Group Nine, but were not exactly prolific in scoring 17 goals in 8 games. Qualification was virtually assured by back-to-back 3-0 and 4-0 home wins over Scotland and Macedonia in the first qualifiers of 2009.
Qualifying record: P8, W8, D0, L0, F17, A2, Pts24.
Most appearances: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Andre Ooijer, Dirk Kuyt, Joris Mathijsen, Giovanni Van Bronckhorst (8).
Top goalscorers: Dirk Kuyt, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (3).
The final or bust. The Oranje have set lofty aims for their campaign in South Africa, 32 years after their 3-1 extra-time defeat by Argentina in the showpiece game, which itself came four years on from their 2-1 final loss to West Germany. Since the retirement of pioneering coach Rinus Michels, a multitude of players have followed in the footsteps of the Johan Cruyff generation without ever advancing as far as the final hurdle, though one particularly talented crop did claim the European title in 1988. Often seen as spectacular but mentally fragile, the Netherlands hope to banish that image under Bert van Marwijk, who took over in the wake of their disappointing UEFA EURO 2008 campaign.
He and his charges at least have history on their side this time around. The last team to reach a FIFA World Cup™ finals without dropping a single point in qualifying - West Germany in 1982 - went on to contest the final. The current Oranje vintage have made no efforts to conceal their ambitions and, once again, look on paper to have all the ingredients necessary to go far.
The road to South Africa
It was a full house for the Netherlands as they picked up eight wins from eight games. The Van Marwijk era has proved to be a faultless one so far, with the former Feyenoord coach leading his troops to the top of Group 9, where Norway and Scotland came equipped as their major rivals. As it happened, the Dutch let in the only two goals they conceded all campaign against Iceland and FYR Macedonia, while hitting two of their 17 efforts to secure slender but controlled 1-0 victories in Glasgow and Oslo.
The coach
Not the most heralded player in his time, having collected a solitary international cap, Mark van Bommel's father-in-law has known far more success in the dugout. He shone especially brightly at Feyenoord, leading the Rotterdam outfit to the UEFA Cup trophy in 2002 before taking the Dutch crown upon his return after a two-year stint with Borussia Dortmund in Germany. Calm, affable, discrete but approachable, the 56-year-old believes it is important to be close to his players, saying: "An international coach has few opportunities to work with his squad. Because of that, I want to make the most of the time I spend with my players, mix with them, take part in training, and add and vary exercises to get to know them better." Although his style marks a real break with that of his predecessor, Marco van Basten, the tactics remain similar. "Marco put a 4-2-3-1 formation in place," he says. "The players got used to that and I intend to keep it." Flanked by former stalwarts Phillip Cocu and Frank de Boer in the assistant coaching roles, Van Marwijk's record is impeccable thus far.
The star players
With Edwin van der Saar and Ruud van Nistelrooy having called time on their international careers, Van Marwijk has needed to apply his own touch to the core of players he inherited from Van Basten, without shaking things up too vigorously. The key men now are Arjen Robben, Joris Mathijsen, Andre Ooijer, Dirk Kuyt, Mark van Bommel, Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, all of whom enjoyed considerable playing time under the previous trainer. Rafael van der Vaart, Robin van Persie, Nigel De Jong and Wesley Sneijder also remain closely involved.
Previous FIFA World Cups
In their eight finals appearances, the Oranje have reached the showpiece match twice, falling narrowly short of the global crown in 1974 and 1978. They also came in fourth at France 1998.
Honours
- 1 UEFA European Championship (1988)
What they said
"We have a mission: that mission is to be champions of the world," Frank de Boer, assistant coach
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