The Netherlands - World Cup 2006 Team Profile

Marc Fox reports...

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Road to Germany

The Netherlands dominated a tough qualifying Group 1 and qualified ahead of the Czech Republic and tricky Finland at a canter. They finished five points clear at the top of the Group with a qualifying-high total of 32 after beating the Czechs 2-0 home and away.

Holland conceded only a handful of goals, the last of which was scored by Finland's Teemu Tainio back in October 2004.

Analysis

The policy which saw Marco van Basten handed the reins of the national side has been fully adopted by the rookie coach since his surprising appointment in 2004. Van Basten took charge after just one season's experience coaching the reserves at Ajax and has confidently trusted a similar model for his team selections ever since.

He has shied away from selecting high-profile names such as Clarence Seedorf and, more recently, Roy Makaay. In their place, the likes of Hedwiges Maduro, Wesley Sneijder and the exciting Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (see one to watch) form the new generation.

The Maduro example encapsulates Van Basten's policy perfectly. The Ajax youngster became the club's fastest Oranje debutant over the past 25 years in last March's World Cup qualifier with Romania after having played only four top division matches.

He is one of a raft of players with fewer than 10 caps named in Holland's provisional 33-man World squad - notable for the absence of Bayern Munich's Makaay who had found the net just six times in 43 internationals.

The Bundesliga is represented by Hamburg trio Rafael van der Vaart, Nigel de Jong and Khalid Boulahrouz. Van der Vaart's attempts at dodging an increasingly demanding Dutch media by escaping to the German side of the border conversely earned him an international recall following a sterile spell at Ajax.

He played in the final four Dutch qualifiers, scoring the opener in the 2-0 defeat of the Czechs which confirmed a World Cup berth.

If Holland have an area of vulnerability, it's in defence. The central defenders have been accused of lacking the necessary ball skills for today's elite standards while the defence in general is scarily short of international experience if you take Barcelona's Giovanni van Bronckhorst (a converted left midfielder) out of the mix. Furthermore, no natural right-sided player is holding his hand up for Van Basten's problematic wide position in his preferred 4-3-3, hence Van Basten's support for Ivory coast-born Salomon Kalou's attempt to gain Dutch citizenship.

Key player

A toss-up between the clinical Ruud van Nistelrooy and cultured 35-year-old PSV midfielder Phillip Cocu. Cocu's greater know-how at the top level perhaps swings the mantel in his direction. For all his predatory instincts, Van Nistelrooy, who turns 30 in July, will make his World Cup debut this summer.

One to watch: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar

Likened to Fernando Morientes in front of goal, Klass-Jan Huntelaar is something of a late developer on the senior international scene (he will turn 23 in August). The Ajax striker's eleventh-hour inclusion in Van Basten's preliminary squad - despite not yet making his Oranje bow - was hurried through after a prolific domestic season.

Even an expensive mid-campaign switch to the Amsterdam Arena from Heerenveen failed to diminish his goal-a-game strike rate to the point Van Basten just couldn't resist.

Coach

Oranje supporters were in dire need of a fresh approach following the antipathy of Total Football offered by Dick Advocaat during Euro 2004. Van Basten was tasked with making the team popular once again even if a World Cup place failed to materialise.

As it was, qualifying came easy but getting his young side to consistently play fashionable football was a greater challenge.

Recent Previous tournaments

1994: Quarter-finals
1998: Semi-finals
2002: Did not qualify

Soccerphile says …

If Holland can drag themselves out of the Group of Death, (Argentina, Serbia & Montenegro and Ivory Coast make up the teams) a probable second round fixture against Portugal or Mexico awaits - they could go all the way.

World Cup Squad

Bet on the World Cup

Goalkeeper: Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United), Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax), Henk Timmer (AZ Alkmaar).
Defenders Khalid Boulahrouz (Hamburg SV), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Barcelona), Tim de Cler (AZ Alkmaar), Kew Jaliens (AZ Alkmaar), Jan Kromkamp (Liverpool), Joris Mathijsen (AZ Alkmaar), Andre Ooijer (PSV Eindhoven), Johnny Heitinga (Ajax).
Midfielders Mark van Bommel (Barcelona), Phillip Cocu (PSV Eindhoven), Denny Landzaat (AZ Alkmaar), Hedwiges Maduro (Ajax), Wesley Sneijder (Ajax), Rafael van der Vaart (Hamburg SV).
Forwards Ryan Babel (Ajax), Dirk Kuyt (Feyenoord), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United), Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Arjen Robben (Chelsea), Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (PSV Eindhoven).

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