|
| |
Dutch
National Team Index
Info
Fixtures
Results
Statistics
Players
HistoryWC
HistoryEC
Trainers
All
Caps News
Address
Dutch
National Team News
| Jong
Oranje lose Quarter-Final to Egypt |
02 July 2001
|
| Jong
Oranje have failed to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup for Under 20s
in Argentina - they lost 2 - 1 to a stronger Egyptian side. It was a
repeat of earlier games - the Dutch playing older and physically
tougher opponents, lady-luck often lending a helping hand to get them
through. Egypt were simply too good (they'd earlier beaten the favourites
Argentina 7 - 1!!!) and dominated the match. The Dutch were
fortunate to go ahead in the 1st half through a Rafael van der Vaart
header in the 33rd minute but Hasan Amin leveled the score after the break
and Mohammed El Yamani got the match winner in the 67th minute. |
| Jong
Oranje in Quarter Finals World Cup |
29 June 2001
|
| The
Dutch Under 20s have reached the quarter finals of the World Cup in
Argentina by beating Angola 2 - 0. The African side were previously
unbeaten in the tournament but were off target on too many occasions. Gino
Coutinho turned out to be the hero of the day for Jong Oranje with a
series of brilliant saves. Rahamat Mustapha (52nd) and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
(87th) scored for the Dutch after the break and they now go on to meet
Egypt (who beat the United States) in the quarter finals. |
| Jong
Oranje beat Ethiopia |
25 June 2001
|
| The
Dutch Under 20s have won their 3rd match of the World Cup for Under 20s in
Argentina and beaten Ethiopia 3 - 2. First half goals from Santi Kolk and
Youssouf Hersi looked to have given Jong Oranje a safe lead but, after the
break, the Africans got a goal back with a penalty by Zewdu. Klaas
Huntelaar scored a 3rd in the 70th minute and Andatgawch got a 2nd for the
young Ethiopians 2 minutes before the final whistle. The Dutch now need to
beat Angola on Thursday for a place in the quarter finals where they could
meet the winner of the match between the United States and Egypt. |
| Jong
Oranje fail to beat Ecuador |
22 June 2001
|
| After
losing theirng match against Costa Rica, Jong Oranje have failed to
win their 2nd match of the tournament and could only manange a 1 - 1 draw
against Ecuador in the World Cup for Under 20s held in Argentina. PSV's Jürgen
Colin scored in the 20th minute but an increasingly menacing Ecuador drew
level only 6 minutes later. 'Young Holland' (3rd place in Group E) still
have a chance to make it through to the 2nd round as one of the four best
no.3s out of the 6 groups. |
| Dutch
Under 20s lose to Costa Rica |
19 June 2001
|
| The
Dutch under 20 side have lost their first match of the World Cup for Under
21s in Argentina. They were soundly beaten by Costa Rica 3 - 1. Montero
headed in the first after 37 minutes and, although Rafael van der Vaart
came close in the 1st half, the Costa Ricans went two up after the break.
Goalie Stekelenburg came too far out and Sparks hit a tremendous 40 metre
strike over the goalie's head for the 2 - 0, adding a 3rd later on.
Youssef Hersi got a consolation goal for Jong Oranje. |
| Jong
Oranje squad announced |
06 June 2001
|
Louis
van Gaal has announced the squad for the coming World Cup for Under 20s in
Argentina which begins for Jong Oranje (in
Group E with Ethiopia, Ecuador and Costa Rica) on
June 18th with a match against Costa Rica. Goalkeepers - Maarten
Stekelenburg (Ajax) and Gino Coutinho (PSV).Defenders - Jürgen
Colin (PSV), C. Sprockel (Feyenoord), Johnny Heitinga (Ajax), Glenn
Loovens (Feyenoord), Ruud Knol (Vitesse), Alje Schut (FC Utrecht),
David Mendes da Silva (Sparta) and Jeffrey Leiwakabessy (NEC). Midfielders
- Rene van Dieren (Feyenoord), Youssouf Hersi (Ajax), Said Boutahar
(Feyenoord) and Theo Janssen (Vitesse). Forwards - Santi Kolk (SC
Heerenveen), Arjen Robben (FC Groningen), Thijs Houwing (FC Twente),
Jeffrey de Visscher (FC Twente), Rahamat Mustapha (Vitesse) and
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (PSV). |
| FIFA
refuse to budge on Davids and De Boer |
06 June 2001
|
| FIFA
spokesman Andreas Herren has said that it's a waste of time for the Dutch
FA (KNVB) to test the validity of the punishment handed out to Edgar
Davids in a hearing by TAS (the International Olympic Committee's most
senior sporting tribunal). The decision to ban the Juventus player was not
reached by FIFA's disciplinary committee and, therefore, does not allow
for an appeal. Frank de Boer is also doing his best to maintain his
innocence - he's even had his hair tested for traces of nandrolone, which
gave a negative result but, unfortunately, this latest test (after the
urine and blood tests already carried out in Groningen) is also not 100%
foolproof! A decision on his 'punishment' is expected on June 14th! |
| KNVB
in legal battle for Davids |
05 June 2001
|
| The
Dutch FA (KNVB) are preparing to go to court to try and overturn FIFA's
ban on Edgar Davids. It seems that according to FIFA's own rules Davids
can't be banned from making international appearances because the Italian
FA have only handed out a temporary suspension. If FIFA don't back down a
definitive verdict could be sought by the KNVB in the civil courts. |
| Holland
snatch victory against Estland 2 - 4 |
02 June 2001
|
| The
Dutch really need to win in a big way this evening after Ireland drew
against Portugal this afternoon. Louis van Gaal said before the match that
he would rather have seen either Portugal or Ireland win today and that
Holland will now also need a win against Ireland in Dublin and will
still have to take part in the playoffs to get to Korea. Kevin Hofland
dropped out with gastric flu leaving Van Gaal with last minute adjustments
- Van der Sar in goal, Zenden, Mario Melchiot, Patrick Pauuwe and Michael
Reiziger, Cocu and De Boer, Kluivert and Hesselbaink up front with Roy
Makaay on the right wing and Overmars on the left. Building work has been
going on at the tiny, still half-finished Lillekula
stadium in Tallinn right up to the last minute, installing the last seats
and crowd barriers to meet the minimum standards FIFA have set. Holland
got off in a rather sloppy fashion, with too many bad balls/passes,
against a team with a wildly enthusiastic crowd behind them. The
atmosphere was really great in this cosy venue - lively is not the word.
Holland started to push Estonia back and it began to look (as we might
reasonably expect) as if it was just a question of time before Oranje
finally got into gear and put one away. Unfortunately, after numerous
opportunities to score, and 25 minutes of play there still wasn't a goal
on the board and Estonia were also starting to look more and more
confident. Makaay shot just wide from an Overmars pass but Estonia had the
best chance of the first half in the 43rd minute saved by Van der Sar who
pushed a header away from where it was headed - the top right hand corner.
As halftime drew near the home team came close to delivering a
pre-dressing room shock from two corners against a powerless, so-called
'better' Oranje who just couldn't get on target and in gear, looking
rather sleepy. So it was somewhat of a relief that it was still 0 -
0 when the whistle sounded for the break.
In the 2nd half Holland looked more
like they meant business - I'm sure Louis van Gaal had something to say in
the break about the seriousness of the situation. We want to see goals,
lots of them and a flowing Oranje at work! Van Nistelrooy replaced
Hesselbaink and Landzaat came on for Pauuwe in the 59th minute. It didn't
matter as the earthquake-shock came when Estonia broke and scored with a
great move and a great goal from Andres Opper in the 66th minute. Thank
god for Frank de Boer who got the instant equalizer (show of mental
strength under the 'doping' circumstances) with a terrific 30 metre
distance shot in the 70th. Pierre van Hooijdonk came on for Makaay and
Holland finally started to wake up - de Boer is really the heart of this
team, galvanising them into action when none else can. But this incredible
Estonian team, coached by former Cruijff student Arno Pijpers, did it
again in the 78th minute when substitute Indrek Zelinski scored a 2nd and
almost had a 3rd minutes later as a shell-shocked Oranje reeled. Van
Nistelrooy drew Holland level again in the 83rd but, even though the Dutch
looked far more motivated than at any other time in the match, they were
lucky to escape again in the 87th minute. Kluivert snatched a 3rd with a
clear-headed header in the 90th and, in the aftershock, an Estonian
defensive blunder gave Van Nistelrooy the chance to make it 4 - 2 during
injury time. Lucky so and so's - they left it dangerously close to having
no way back before doing the job they're paid for. Oranje have a
reputation for going to the edge, and they did so again tonight against a
brave Estonian team who can look back in pride on the first match in this
great little stadium. |
| Vitesse's
Theo Janssen gets Oranje callup |
02 June 2001
|
| Theo
Janssen, Vitesse's 19 year-old midfielder who played for the Dutch under
21s against Estland yesterday evening , has been called up by Louis van
Gaal for tonight's World Cup qualifier against Estland. He's going to fill
in the midfield slot left empty by the absence of the 'banned' Edgar
Davids and the injured Mark van Bommel. Theo Janssen missed a penalty. |
| Dutch
Under 21s beat Estland 0 - 5 |
02 June 2001
|
| The
Dutch Under 21s have had an easy win in and against Estland 1 - 5. Man of
the Match was RKC's Iwan Redan who scored a hattrick after coming on as
substitute, Dirk Kuyt (FC Utrecht) and Peter Wisgerhof (NEC) got the other
two goals. Ireland lost at home to Portugal 0 - 1 which puts Holland into
1st place on 13 points from 6 games, Portugal have 10 points from 4 games. |
| Mark
van Bommel misses Estland match |
01 June 2001
|
| PSV's
midfielder Mark van Bommel will not be travelling to Estland for
tomorrow's crucial World Cup qualifier. He broke a toe in his left foot
during the Amstel Cup final against Twente and, although it was originally
hoped that he would still be able to play, the injury is going to mean
he'll have to watch the match on tv. |
| Dutch
Under 19s lose in sem-final to Portugal |
01 June 2001
|
| The
Ducth Under 19s have lost their semi-final in the 'Festival
International Espoir' tournament in Toulon to a stronger Portugal... 0 -
1. |
| FIFA
ban for Edgar Davids |
31 May 2001
|
| FIFA
have banned Edgar Davids from playing in international matches for the
same length of time as the Italian FA's suspension. It is a major piece of
bad news for Oranje as they prepare for this coming Saturday's World Cup
qualifier against Estland and a psychological blow for Dutch football.
Frank de Boer will be expecting the same treatment when FIFA meets on June
14th to discuss his case. In the meantime Barcelona's chairman Joan
Gaspart has threatened to sue UEFA if they hand out a ban to the Dutch
captain. At least he'll be representing his country in Estland and it will
be a test of his character to see how he leads Oranje through this crucial
match in their attempt to qualify for the World Cup. |
| Oranje
internationals to create new "union" |
31 May 2001
|
| The
recent doping affairs involving Edgar
Davids and Frank de Boer has, according
to many top Dutch players, shown up the lack of "protection"
afforded footballers by UEFA and FIFA. They have decided to set-up an
international organisation, with the help of former players, to defend
their interests in similar situations. |
| Oranje
must beat Estland |
31 May 2001
|
| The
Dutch national team "Oranje" must win their World Cup qualifier
against Estland this coming Saturday. If they drop any points they can
forget about going to Korea while, if they win, the result of the
Ireland-Portugal match will still be important in determining their group
ranking. |
| De
Boer and Davids join Oranje squad |
30 May 2001
|
| Despite
the cloud of the recent
doping affair hanging over their heads both Edgar Davids and Frank de
Boer have joined the Oranje squad as they prepare for their coming World
Cup qualifier against Estland this coming Saturday. Mark van Bommel has
broken one of his toes and missed yesterday's training session while Jan
Vennegoor of Hesselink and Michael Reiziger trained apart from the rest of
the squad due to minor injury problems. |
| Jong
Oranje in semi-finals tournament |
29 May 2001
|
| Oranje
debut for Danny Landzaat |
29 May 2001
|
| Willem
II's Danny Landzaat has been calle dup by Louis van Gaal to make his debut
for the Dutch national squad Oranje against Estland in a World Cup
qualifier this coming Saturday - June 2nd. He is replacing Schalke 04's
Nils Oude Kamphuis (also called up for his debut) who's pulled out
injured. |
| Dutch
Under 21s beat Italy 2 - 1 |
27 May 2001
|
| The
Dutch Under 21 team have beaten Italy 2-1 in their second match at
the 'Festival International Espoir' in Toulon. It wasn't a great
performance but the young Oranje players made use of the chances that came
their way and scored the goals that mattered. Italy were stronger in the
1st half and had hit the post before Feyenoord's Saïd Boutahar scored in
the 40th minute. Oranje were better organised in the 2nd half and blocked
the Italian attacks - leading to the usual frustrations and fouls.
Heerenveen's Santi Kolk scored a great 2nd in the 67th while an injury
time penalty gave Italy their only goal. |
| Dutch
Under 21s draw against Colombia |
25 May 2001
|
| The
Dutch Under 21 team have had a goalless draw against Colombia in their
first match of the 'Festival International Espoir' in Toulon. On Saturday
they play the United States and on Monday the Italian juniors. The
tournament is seen as preparation for the coming World Cup for Juniors to
be held in Argentina from June 17th till July 8th. |
| Jaap
Stam misses Estland match? |
16 May 2001
|
| Dutch
international defender Jaap Stam tore his hamstring during Manchester
United's friendly against Celtic on Tuesday and looks certain to Miss
Holland's important World Cup qualifier against Estland on June 2nd. It is
a severe blow to Oranje's attempt to gain a place in the tournament. |
| Oranje
supplements didn't contain Nandrolone |
09 May 2001
|
| The
result of tests carried out separately for Edgar Davids and PSV (who were
actually the suppliers of the 'suspected' supplements to the Dutch squad)
have shown that there was no nandrolone included in the ingredients.
The mystery of how the banned substance entered the bloodstream of
Davids and
De Boer deepens. See our earlier stories! |
| Under 18s/Under16s miss European Cup |
02 May 2001
|
| The
Dutch Under 18s and Under 16s have been knocked out of the qualifying
rounds for the European Cup in Finland after losing 3 - 2 to Denmark.
Despite having a strong squad which included Ere Divisie players Rafael
van der Vaart (who scored both goals), David Mendes da Silva and Arjen
Robben the Dutch Under 18s have missed the boat and will be just as
disappointed as coach Mark Wotte obviously is. The Under 16s are also out
- after losing to Turkey (0-1) and and beating Poland (2-0) they drew 0 -
0 with Russia. |
| Sigh
of relief as Holland beat Cyprus |
25 Apr 2001
|
| The
lineup at the kickoff - Van der Sar, Seedorf, Melchiot, Hofland,
De Boer, Cocu, Overmars, Zenden, Van Bommel, Kluivert, Hasselbaink. They
should do well tonight in the Philips stadium in Eindhoven (a good
choice, good atmosphere), especially with the likes of Van Hooijdonk,
Sikora, Makaay and Van Nistelrooy on the bench waiting to get a chance
to shine. Overmars had the first chance after 3 minutes of rather
nervous play, breaking down the left and beating the goalie but failing
to put it away, Kluivert had the 2nd in the 7th but it ended up on the
roof of the goal. Cyprus didn't look overawed by either the atmosphere
(the Dutch enjoy a wonderfully noisy following with their bands and
singing), the venue or the occasion and showed they could threaten down
the wings and on the break. After a series of unfruitful attacks Holland
finally got ther in the 29th minute when Hasselbaink scored from a
freekick - the stadium erupted! Now we're talking music! The Dutch
piled on the pressure but the goal was also reason enough for the
Cypriots to try and strike back. Marc Overmars scored with a beautiful
strike in the 34th minute - fitting reward for all his good work.
Kluivert got the 3rd in the 43rd with a nimble, improvised touch -
everybody happy. The Dutch pressure continued after the break and there
were early chances to add to the score in the 1st 10 minutes of the 2nd
half. 15 minutes passed and still no goals - Van Nistelrooy and Van
Hooijdonk started their pitchside warm-up, much to the Dutch 'legions'
appreciation. The level of Dutch play started to slack off too much for
comfort - time for Van Hooijdonk and Van Nistelrooy to come on for
Hasselbaink and Seedorf. Frank de Boer hit the bar from a well struck
freekick in the 75th - almost but not quite. A great Van Bommel through
ball sent Zenden off down the right, crossing the ball to give Van
Nistelrooy the first of a couple of great chances in quick succession
before he headed in Holland's 4th of the evening in the 82nd. Sikora
replaced Overmars for the last 7 minutes as Oranje went for the extra
goal-average sweeteners. A good result but it could and should have
been even better - as Louis van Gaal confirmed after the match, going as
far as to say that Holland played, in his opinion, a pretty poor match
but stil lmanaged to get 4 in - the funny twists of football! |
| Jong
Oranje win 4 - 2 against Cyprus |
25 Apr 2001
|
| After
making it more difficult for themselves than necessary, Jong Oranje
ended the evening with a 4 - 2 victory against the Cypriot Under 21's.
Holland got off to a good start with a goal from Dirk Kuyt in the 8th
minute, Cedric van der Gun adding a 2nd in the 35th, but were given
something to chew on in the dressing room when Garpozis got one back
just before halftime. Ruud Knol made it 3 - 1 in the 58th but Garpozis
scored his 2nd in the 73rd minute before Andy van der Meyde scored
Holland's 4th a minute later. Holland can't catch group leaders Portugal
but do have an excellent chance of being one of the 7 (out of a total of
9) 2nd placed teams who will go on to qualify for the European
Championships. |
| Dutch
driven to distraction |
23 Apr 2001
|
| Louis
van Gaal's work with the Dutch national squad in their preparations for
tomorrow's World Cup qualifier against Cyprus has been severely
disrupted during the last few days by several distractions . First
there was the tug-of-war over the Barcelona players, then the Davids
"doping affair", followed by the news of Ruud van Nistelrooy's
transfer to Manchester United - even Pierre van Hooijdonk managed to
miss his plane from Portugal. It remains to be seen whether Oranje will
be focussed enough to put on a decent show against the Cypriots
tomorrow!! |
| Oranje
return for Van Nistelrooy |
19 Apr 2001
|
The
long awaited return of Ruud van Nistelrooy to the national squad,
'Oranje', is a fact. He's been named by Louis van Gaal for the World Cup
qualifier against Cyprus next Wednesday April 25th. The 24 year-old
striker made his last appearance for his country against Germany in
February 2000. The Barcelona players Boudewijn Zenden, Philip Cocu,
Patrick Kluivert, Marc Overmars and Deportivo's Roy Makaay will join the
rest of the squad on Monday 23rd - ending the dispute between Van Gaal and
his old club Barcelona. Mario Melchiot and Clarence Seedorf also return to
the Dutch lineup: Edwin van der Sar (Juventus), Sander
Westerveld (Liverpool), Ruud van Nistelrooy, Arnold Bruggink, Kevin
Hofland, Wilfred Bouma and Mark
van Bommel (PSV), Patrick Paauwe (Feyenoord), Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink
(FC Twente), Victor Sikora (Vitesse), Philip Cocu, Marc
Overmars, Frank de Boer, Boudewijn Zenden, Patrick Kluivert (FC
Barcelona), Roy Makaay (Deportivo La Coruña),
Mario Melchiot and Jerrel Hasselbaink (Chelsea),
Pierre van Hooijdonk (Benfica) and, last but not least, Clarence Seedorf
(Internazionale). |
| Van
Gaal in conflict with Barcelona |
18 Apr 2001
|
| National
coach Louis van Gaal is in conflict with Barcelona over his demand that
the Dutch contingent at the Spanish club be released on Sunday morning for
Oranje duty. He would like to see Patrick Kluivert, Marc Overmars,
Boudewijn Zenden and Philip Cocu at the first training session on Sunday
afternoon. At the same time Holland starts it's training in Hoenderloo
Barça will be facing Osasuna in an important league match - they are in
5th place and fighting for a place in the Champions League next season. It
had looked as though Deportivo's Roy Makaay would also not be available on
time but their match against Celta del Figo has been moved to Saturday.
Barça cannot afford themselves the same luxury as they face Liverpool on
Thursday in the return of their UEFA Cup duel and don't want to have to
play again only two days later. It's ironic to see the roles reversed now
that Van Gaal is coaching Oranje - he was the man who, when coaching
Barcelona, fought so hard to hang onto players when they were called up to
serve their countries. The Dutch squad have few opportunities to train
before next Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against Cyprus which is why
clubs were informed about the date and time of the callup last December.
The Dutch Premier League matches are being played on Friday and Saturday
to allow other players to be free for Sunday. In the meantime Van Gaal and
Barça supremo Joan Gaspart are meeting to try to resolve the
conflict. |
| Van
Gaal has Ajax - Vitesse postponed |
06 Apr 2001
|
| National
coach Louis van Gaal has had the game between Ajax and Vitesse, planned
for April 22nd, postponed - Holland face Cyprus on the 25th in their next
World Cup qualifier and he wants all his players available and uninjured.
A new date for the Ere Divisie match has yet to be decided. |
| Jong
Oranje draw with Denmark 1 - 1 |
06 Apr 2001
|
| Holland's
youth team drew last night against Denmark and have made their
qualification for the 2002 European Cup, to be held in Finland, more
difficult than necessary. Vitesse's John van Beukering put them ahead
after PSV's Nyron Wau had earlier hit the post with a header. A possible
victory was denied them when Ajax's Melvin Fleur gave away a penalty and,
only 5 minutes later, Feyenoord's Glen Loovens got a red card. The return
is on May 1st. |
| Oranje
neutralize themselves against Portugal 2 - 2 |
28 Mar 2001
|
| The
match got off to a careful start as a hard working but cool-headed Holland
invited Portugal to come forward - it gave them a chance to get an early
goal in the 11th but Overmars was too wide to stand a good chance of
beating the keeper. The match heated up in the 18th minute, when Frank de
Boer's length-of-the-pitch passd up the Portugese defence -
Hasselbaink rushed into the penalty area only to be brought down by the
goalie - penalty! Who was going to take it and free Holland from the
penalty-curse afflicting them - Hasselbaink bit the bullet and saw his
spot-shot ricochet off the inside of the post - goallllll!!!. It had an
immediate effect on the home side who wasted time on quarrelling
amongst themselves. Stam got a yellow card for hacking at Figo's ankles
from behind - he'll miss the next match (if there's to be one). On the
half hour Holland came close again when Hasselbaink was free in the
penalty area but the angle was too great and the ball was snapped up by
the goalie. Cocu and Davids got yellow cards within 5 minutes of each
other to bring Holland's total to 3 in the 1st half. Holland kept up the
pressure, Kluivert had a go and Hasselbaink came close with a nicely taken
edge-of-the-area shot while the Portugese sometimes threatened to do
something in their counters. Luiz Costa came closest for them in the last
five 1st half minutes as Holland looked a little under pressure for the
first time. The 2nd half got off to a cracking start in pouring rain - in
the 47th Overmars' cross found Kluivert waiting to score, simply and
elegantly putting it away - he'd been working his ass off and deserved
it!! Van Bommel got Holland's 4th yellow card in the 50th minute and
it was followed by Portugal's best chance of the match but the shot went
just over. Figo was neutralized throughout the first half of the match by close and often
tough marking - though he had more than his
fair share of freekicks - but he got better as the 2nd half progressed. Reiziger collected the 5th yellow card just
before Van Bommel was replaced by Bosvelt in the 69th, while Roy Makaay
substituted for Zenden in the 73rd, Van Hooijdonk came on for Hasselbaink
in the 80th. Pauleta got one back for the Portugese - the sign to throw
everything into attack as the crowd got behind them. Holland struck back
and almost got a 3rd in the 87th. The last few minutes were nail biting
ones as Portugal came within inches of equalizing - suddenly they had a penalty in
injury time which Figo slammed away, showing his class in turning the
match around. Holland now have to win every remaining match in their group if they
are to go to Korea. |
| Jong
Oranje debut for Arjan Robben |
27 Mar 2001
|
| Groningen's
young talent Arjan Robben is to make his debut for the national team
tonight against Portugal. Coach Mark Wotte is very enthusiastic about the
youngster and the potential he's showing for the future. |
| Paul
Bosvelt feels the strain - Davids and Van Bommel back |
27 Mar 2001
|
| Feyenoord's
Paul Bosvelt has been feeling the strain after giving his all during last
Saturday's 90 minutes against Andorra. He had to miss Monday's training in
order to give his hamstring a rest but should be available tomorrow. Edgar
Davids and Mark van Bommel are back in training after, respectively, a slight thigh and knee
injury necessitated extra rest on Sunday. |
| Oranje
training abandoned - complaint follows |
27 Mar 2001
|
| The
Dutch squad have had to abandon Monday evening's training session in the
Del Mar stadium in Portugal because the pitch was unplayable and
dangerous. The Dutch FA (KNVB) will be handing in a complaint to FIFA
about the Portugese FA's lack of hospitality in neglecting to provide
adequate facilities for the Dutch squad. |
| Van
Hintum replaces Hofland |
23 Mar 2001
|
| Marc
van Hintum has been called up by Louis van Gaal to replace Kevin Hofland
in the coming World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Portugal
(respectively 24th and 28th March). The 33 year-old Vitesse left back saw
action in the friendly against Turkey but also only when injury had
already eliminated Hofland and Wilfred Bouma. |
| Hofland
leaves Oranje training camp - others doubtful |
21 Mar 2001
|
| Kevin
Hofland has left Holland's training camp and will miss the coming World
Cup qualifiers. The wound on his shin we reported earlier is still
infected and Louis van Gaal is desperately looking for a replacement,
adding to the other defensive problems he's got to contend with. Frank de Boer
was being troubled by a slight groin injury and Wilfred Bouma has a slight
concussion as his souvenir of PSV's clash with Utrecht. Holland have
plenty of forwards for the March 24th and 28th games but a rock
solid defence will be essential against Portugal next Wednesday. |
| Hofland
injury blow for Van Gaal |
21 Mar 2001
|
| Holland will
almost definitely be without Kevin Hofland in the coming World Cup qualifiers
against Andorra and Portugal. He was injured during last Sunday's match
against Utrecht and has a deep cut on his shin which will not be healed in
time for Holland's make or break matches. A decision will be made by
Fridayb as to whether or not he'll be able to play at all. |
| Oranje
squad announced |
19 Mar 2001
|
|
Louis van Gaal has
announced the 21 man strong squad he feels will stand the best
chance of getting Holland a win in their coming World Cup
qualifiers on Saturday March 24th and Tuesday 28th. Clarence
Seedorf is missing, while Pierre van
Hooijdonk has indeed rejoined, and those who had hoped to see Ruud
van Nistelrooy's name will be disappointed because he's clearly
not ready yet to restart his international career just yet. The
rest of the squad are Edwin van der Sar (Juventus), Sander
Westerveld (Liverpool), Michael Reiziger, Frank de Boer, Philip
Cocu (all Barcelona), Jaap Stam (Manchester United), Kevin
Hofland, Wilfred Bouma (PSV Eindhoven), Paul Bosvelt, Patrick
Paauwe, (both Feyenoord), Mark van Bommel (PSV Eindhoven), Edgar
Davids (Juventus) Marc Overmars, Boudewijn Zenden (both Barcelona),
Roy Makaay (Deportivo la Coruna), Patrick Kluivert (Barcelona),
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (Chelsea), Pierre van Hooijdonk (Benfica),
Victor Sikora (Vitesse Arnhem), Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (FC
Twente), Arnold Bruggink (PSV Eindhoven).
|
|
| Oranje
under 19's win friendly Morocco 2 - 0 |
15 Mar 2001
|
| The
Dutch Under 19's (coached by Louis van Gaal) have won their friendly
against Morocco 2 - 0 in Haarlem's stadium. MVV midfielder Ralph van
Doorend the score in the 27th minute and Utrecht's defender Alje
Schut got the 2nd 15 minutes before time. The match is preparation for
the World Cup for Juniors tournament to be held in Argentina this
summer. |
| Holland
and Turkey in scrappy draw |
28 Feb 2001
|
| Oranje
started this evening's friendly with a lengthy list of injured players,
Van Gaal had to dig deep to put this eleven together. After only 5
minutes Holland had their first chances starting with a break by
Reiziger down the right wing , spurting past defenders to cross,
Kluivert narrowly missing (a question of timing) and he was close again
only minutes later. They kept up the pressure in theng 15 minutes,
Kluivert and Makaay getting a couple of chances each and the Dutch
looked to have the edge. In the 18th minute Jaap Stam got a yellow card
for blocking a Turkish break. Theng high tempo dipped and the play
got sloppier, passes not connecting, balls unnecessarily going out.
Things livened up for the wrong reasons when a Davids' charge sparked
off a confrontation, the usual pushing and shoving between a bunch of
players which was just as quickly over. Cocu's athletic shot in the 42nd
minute was pushed over, and he was close again from the corner following
it as the 1st-half-seconds ticked away and Holland piled on the
pressure. The overall impression at the half-time whistle was one of
flashes of good play from Holland, a lack of structure/cohesion and a
couple of players who weren't 'on the ball'. Turkey had one or two
moments on the break but little else. Cocu, De Boer and Van der Sar were
substituted by Seedorf, Ooijer and Westerveld for the 2nd half. Oranje
started the 2nd 45 minutes looking hungrier than before the break and
had an early chance but Van Bommel's shot sailed over. After 10 minutes
the play was starting to get scrappy again when a moment of excitement
arrived - Stam made a lone and brave dash down the right only to see
Kluivert slice his pass into the stand. After 20 minutes 2nd half play
Kluivert had his last, and best chance (which curled to the right of the
post) before he was replaced by Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Marc
Overmars by Victor Sikora (his first appearance). The match was drifting
to an inconclusive end - the Dutch applying pressure without success,
Turkey having one of their very fewngs in the last 10 minutes,
an injury-time-edge-of-the-area freekick proved to be the last
thrill....no goals tonight. |
| Half
century for Kluivert in tonight's Turkey friendly |
28 Feb 2001
|
| After
the commotion created by his comments last week, which seemed to cast a
shadow over his future with Barcelona, Patrick Kluivert will be glad to
have the opportunity to celebrate something tonight - namely his 50th
appearance for Holland! It will also be his 21st consecutive international
appearance! He proved again at the weekend that he is a striker to be
reckoned with, scoring twice for Barcelona in their 3 - 0 win over Real
Sociedad. Holland and Turkey have met 6 times before with both teams
winning two matches, losing twice and drawing twice (the last time on
October 11th 1999 was a draw). |
| Van
Gaal's choice for Turkey friendly |
27 Feb 2001
|
| Louis
van Gaal's choice for tomorrow's friendly against Turkey is: goalkeeper
- Edwin van der Sar, defence - Michael Reiziger, Jaap Stam, Frank de
Boer and Marc van Hintum, midfielders - Makn van Bommel Phillip Cocu and
Edgar Davids, forwards - Patrick Kluivert, Roy Makaay and Marc Overmars. |
| Van
Hintum and de Jong get the Oranje call |
27 Feb 2001
|
| Marc
van Hintum and John de Jong have been called up for Holland's friendly
against Turkey on Wednesday. They replace, respectively, Kevin Hofland
and Wilfred Bouma. Bobby Petta was the original choice for Bruggink's
place but the Glasgow Celtic striker has since been injured. |
| Oranje
squad for Feb 28th Turkey friendly |
22 Feb 2001
|
| In
goal - Edwin van der Sar (Juventus) and Sander Westerveld (Liverpool),
defenders - Michael Reiziger en Frank de Boer (FC Barcelona), Kevin
Hofland en André Ooijer (PSV), Jaap Stam (Manchester United), midfielders
- Clarence Seedorf (Internazionale), Mark van Bommel en Wilfred Bouma
(PSV), Edgar Davids (Juventus), Phillip Cocu (FC Barcelona)
and up front - Arnold Bruggink (PSV), Roy Makaay (Deportivo La Coruña),
Patrick Kluivert en Marc Overmars (FC Barcelona), Jan Vennegoor of
Hesselink (FC Twente), Viktor Sikora (Vitesse). This is Sikora's debut in
the national squad, Glasgow Celtic's Bobby Petta has been called up as
reserve because of the long list of injured players - Mario Melchiot,
Boudewijn Zenden, Paul Bosvelt, Patrick Pauuwe, Giovanni van Bronckhorst,
Michael Mols, Winston Bogarde, Arthur Numan and Ronald de Boer. Roy Makaay
and Jaap Stam are back after long absences through injury. Bruggink and
Overmars are not 470 and Jerrel Hasselbaink will also be missing - he got
a red card in the last friendly against Spain. |
| Oranje
players take FIFPro to court |
30 Jan 2001
|
| A
large group of Oranje players are taking the international footballers
union FIFPro to court over the use of players' portraits and names in the
computer game "FIFA 2001" without prior permission. It
turns out that the game (manufactured by Electronic Arts) has been on the
market for some years and is a best seller. The players are taking legal
action initially as a matter of principle but they do want to know
who gave permission and how much money is involved. Theo van Seggelen,
FIFPro secretary and chairman of the Dutch players union VVCS, has hinted
that some players had been approached for permission to use
their likenesses and names. Others have obviously not been told and would
like to see all players concerned receive a fair share of any money owing.
I find it somewhat surprising that such a successful computer game has
escaped the attention of those representing players' financial interests
till now. The case will be heard on February 6th in the Hague (Den
Haag). |
| Oranje
play Andorra in Barcelona |
30 Jan 2001
|
| The
World Cup qualifier against Andorra on March 24th will be played in
Barcelona in a small stadium called Miniestadi (which has a capacity of
20,000). Andorra's own stadium has insufficient space for the number of
fans wanting to see the match. |
| Oranje
play England in August |
11 Jan 2001
|
| The
Dutch national team will play England in a friendly this summer at White
Hart Lane (home to Tottenham Hotspur). It's the first time the two sides
have met since England beat Holland 4-1 in the European Cup of 1996 at
Wembley. The last time England played a match at the Spurs' ground was in
1949. A return match has already been booked for 2002. The match on August
15th is preparation for the important World Cup qualifiers away against
Ireland on September 1st and at home to Estland on September 5th. On
February 28th Holland will be in action against Turkey in a friendly and
they have their first World Cup qualifier against Andorra on March 24th. |
| Three
new Dutch under 18s |
21 Dec 2000
|
| The
Oranje under 18 trainer Mark Wotte has added 3 new names to his squad. The
lucky youngsters are Ivar van Dinteren (RKC), Darl Douglas (RBC) and Serge
van der Ban (Ajax), who replaces Telstar's injured Dorus de Vries in
goal. |
| Holland
move up to 8th in FIFA rankings |
20 Dec 2000
|
| The
Dutch national team Oranje have moved up to 8th place in the official FIFA
rankings. They were 10th but have leapfrogged over Germany and Yugoslavia.
Brazil remain No.1 with a clear 20 points between them and France,
Argentinia are 3rd. |
| Dutch
Under 18s beat France 2 - 1 |
07 Dec 2000
|
| The
Oranje Under 18s have beaten France's youngsters in Rotterdam in their
European Cup qualifier. PSV's Klaas Jan Huntelaar was the hero of the hour
(and a half) getting both goals. Dalmat scored for the French. Ruud
Kaiser's team go on to meet Denmark in the playoff. |
| Dutch
Under 18s beat Germany 4 - 2 |
01 Dec 2000
|
| The
young Dutch talent beat Germany 4 - 2 with goals from Youssouf Hersi
(Ajax) in the 19th
and 32nd minutes, Klaas Jan Huntelaar (PSV) in the 36th and Said Boutahar
(Feyenoord) in the 65th. They are now top of their group and welcome
France to Holland for the last match on December 6th. |
| FIFA
votes Holland Team of the Year |
24 Nov 2000
|
| FIFA
has announced that Holland is its team of the year - probably for its
attractive football, despite losing a game now and then. The prize will be
presented in December. Either Luis Figo, Ziedine Zidane or Rivaldo will
get their hands on the Golden Ball for best player. |
| Oranje
stars take FIFPro to court over CDRom |
22 Nov 2000
|
| The
majority of current Dutch internationals are not amused with the
appearance of a CDRom called FIFA 2001. The publishers, Electronic Arts
(a SONY company!), say they were given permission by FIFPro (the
international players' union) to use the photos (it says so on the
packaging!). The players obviously think otherwise and a legal team has
been engaged by Sportpromotion, Pro Athlete and Worldsoccer management
bureaus to sort it out. They have had no response to written requests to
FIFPro for an explanation and it has been decided that legal steps are
necessary. FIFPro's general secretary Theo van Seggelen is not losing
any sleep over the affair. He said that if anyone fights for
players' rights it is his union and that it is a storm-in-a-teacup
affair. |
| Holland
did it! Surprise win in Spain 2 - 1 |
15 Nov 2000
|
| The
Dutch caught Spain by surprise in Sevilla with goals by Hasselbaink and
Frank de Boer. Holland began nervously, allowing Spain to take contol of
the midfield and launch attacks at will. Van Gaal had been forced to
completely reshuffle his deck of players with so many regulars injured and
even introduce a 4-4-2 system to compensate. Van der Sar was in goal,
despite his lack of form at Juventus, Kevin Hofland was making his
debut, the 4-4-2 meant Hasselbaink had been called up again (thank
goodness), Frank de Boer was collecting his record 85th cap and Mario
Melchiot was making his 2nd international appearance (and making a good
impression). Back to Spain, who were putting the Dutch under pressure in
the 1st half, playing attractive football and radiating confidence. In the
1st 30 minutes Raul had theng chance for them but Van der Sar was
having nothing of it, while only Hasselbaink looked dangerous for Holland.
Holland started to get more of a grip on things after that and Kluivert
had a great chance to score but it went wide (Hasselbaink would have put
it away). Holland were unable to disrupt the Spanish onslaughts which
increased in number as the 1st half drew to a close - Mendieta, in
particular, constantly feeding balls up front or looming large in front of
Oranje's
goal. Spain began the 2nd half with 4 substitutions but continued to show
cohesion as a team, keeping the Dutch on the defensive. Their better play
was rewarded in the 65th minute - Davids committed a foul on the edge of
the penalty area and Hierro hit a wonderful freekick into the left hand
corner of the net. A little relaxation by the Spaniards gave Holland the
chance to strike back in the 73rd minute when De Boer fed Makaay a ball
who headed it on to Hasselbaink- a split second was enough time for him to
slice the ball between the defenders legs, across goal and into the net.
Minutes later Hasselbaink was heading for the dressing room along with
Hierro after a totally unnecessary confrontation (a little kick here and a
head butt there). The reduction to 10 men on both sidesd up the game
and made for an exciting end to the match. Seedorf's rather wild shot at
goal gave Oranje a corner from which De Boer crowned his 85th appearance
with a smartly timed header to give Holland a long awaited victory over
Spain. Van Gaal was visibly pleased and so will be the fans. |
| Mario
Melchiot |
15 Nov 2000
|
| The
tall 24-year-old defender was born in Amsterdam and brought up by his
mother. She came to Holland from the former Dutch colony of Surinam (at
the top right hand corner of South America) where many of Holland's top
footballers hail from. The streets of Amsterdam were his first footballing
school and was/remains an important factor in the quality of
football/footballers that Holland produces. Even when a player is training
with a club he still goes out to knock a ball about with neighbours and
friends. The street gave him the basics and graduation to Ajax's reknowned
youth training gave him the competitive edge needed to make it
professionally. Every year there was a test to pass, a report which had to
be good if you wanted to be noticed. His mother provided the security,
guidance and support to keep him focussed on his schooling alongside his
football. By the time he got a place in the first team at Ajax the club
were losing players fast to foreign clubs. After 3 seasons playing for
Ajax he started to feel that he wasn't progressing as quickly as expected
and started to look around for a new challenge. He knew he wanted to play
in a team where there plenty of internationals to stimulate his
advancement as a player. He'd been following Chelsea ever since Ruud
Gullitt approached him as his contract with Ajax drew to an end. Even when
Gullitt had left Chelsea the new man Vialli knew him as the 19 year-old
who'd been lucky enough to play against his old club Juventus in the
European Cup final in 1996. Vialli made sure that Mario knew how important
he was for Chelsea's future, made him feel welcome, so that the decision
to go to London was an easy one. The passion to be found in the English
Premier League is the one factor that sets it apart
from even his experiences at Ajax. The rough and tumble of life on
the pitch and in the boardroom have been part of the short time he has
spent at Chelsea. As soon as he was off the plane he was off the pitch
thanks to a leg injury serious enough to put him out of action for almost
12 of the last 18 months. Chelsea had to wait until last April to see what
they had missed - a tall, agile and athletic defender ready to move
forward. The way back has been long and hard - a test of discipline, both
mental and physical. Watching his new club do so well in Europe must have
been hard to watch but he was able to help them win in the FA Cup
final and was elated to score a goal in the Charity Shield match (enjoying
the atmosphere of Wembley's last days). Vialli's sacking came as a shock
but under Claudio Rainieri he is back to playing at the right of a back
three - a system he knows well from his years at Ajax. Last month he
got his first, much coveted cap for Holland and joins his Chelsea
colleagues Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Winston Bogarde against Spain
tonight.
|
| Five
Dutch players nominated for Golden Ball Awards |
14 Nov 2000
|
| The
French football magazine France Football has nominated five Dutch players
for the prestigious "Golden Ball" award. They are - Patrick
Kluivert, Dennis Bergkamp, Edgar Davids, Jaap Stam and Boudewijn Zenden.
Kluivert has a good chance of a place in the top 3 as he was top scorer in
the Euro 2000 tournament. Out of a total of 50 nominations for the award
(best player in European football), 11 were French, 6 Argentinian, 6
Italian and 6 play for Manchester United! Last year's lucky man was the
Brazilian Rivaldo - journalists from 50 countries will choose the
winner to be announced in December. |
| Van
Gaal remains confident - Holland can do it! |
14 Nov 2000
|
| This
evening's friendly against Spain will be a welcome opportunity to restore
some pride to the Dutch national squad. Louis van Gaal remains convinced
that his team can turn things around after the poor showing of their last
3 matches. For outsiders it may seem difficult to see what inspires his
confidence. Holland have plenty of injured players (Stam, Van Bronckhorst,
Numan, Zenden, Overmars and Ronald de Boer will all be missed). He has had
to call up players who are out of favour at their clubs - Frank de Boer is
one of them (getting his 85th cap tonight and passing Aron Winter's old
record) and Winston Bogarde (who watches most of Chelsea's matches from
the stands) is another. Van Gaal's much loved 4-3-3 system will also be
absent tonight and Kluivert and Hasselbaink (back in the team) will be on
their own up front. Louis points to the (relative) success of Dutch clubs
in Europe this season as the source of his confidence. Only time - 90+
minutes of it - will tell. We wish them luck! |
| Dutch
Under 21's lose to Spain's under 21's 0 -2 |
14 Nov 2000
|
| The
Spanish fielded a team that was already convinced of its footballing
powers and proved too strong for a Dutch side missing a couple of key
players. Kevin Hofland had been called up for the Seniors, NEC's Wisgerhof
and Zonnerveld had cup commitments to fulfill. In the 1st half they kept
up with the Spaniards - Kuyt and Bobson had scoring chances - keeper Ten
Rouwelaar did well to prevent any 1st half Spanish goals. Lamey and Knol
were making their debut in defence, and early in the 2nd half Spain
profitted from their inexperience. Pablo and Guayre scored in quick
succession within minutes of the half beginning. All efforts to get a
Dutch goal on the scoreboard failed but it was, nonetheless, a good test
for the young side. |
| Holland
lose 0 - 2 to Portugal |
11 Oct 2000
|
| Tonight's
match showed once again how inconsistent the Dutch are at the moment - the
fact that so many changes were made to the lineup can't have helped and
the inclusion of inexperienced players such as Melchiot (his first cap),
Vennegoor of Hesselink (1st cap), Van Bommel (2nd cap) and Bouma (his
3rd) will be seen as a mistake. In fact there were only four players
who started the match in the same positions as last Saturday against
Cyprus - was this the time to take such risks? They started well enough in attacking mood but the Portugese defence was
literally a wall. The first goal against them came in
the 9th minute and was an
error of judgement - Overmars was
distracted by a whistle in the crowd, other colleagues also froze and
thought the referee had stopped play, giving the Portugese the chance to
sneak a goal -Sergio set up Conceicao in front of goal - he didn't have to
think twice! The second was a pure defensive error in the 43rd
minute by Reiziger
giving Pauleta his chance.
Holland kept moving forward in the 2nd half
and their attacks looked increasingly more desperate but the Portugese were able to deal with everything the Dutch threw at
them, happy to pull back as many players as necessary to fend off
Holland's attacks, ready to break back when possible and always looking a
threat when they did. Van Gaal missed Van Bronckhorst, Ronald de Boer
and Zenden through injury, tried putting on Talan for Overmars and let
Vennegoor of Hesselink have a go but to no avail.The comeback Holland made
against Ireland didn't happen and, apart from a few good chances from
Seedorf's corners, a good attempt by Kluivert (who left the pitch injured
after 60 minutes) and Cocu's best chance that Holland had to get a goal back, the match was over and out. The Portugese
just looked smarter, better and stronger - solid as a rock in defence and with
their talented forwards to keep the Dutch occupied. After getting
everyone's hopes up against Cyprus those same hopes were dashed tonight
and it remains to be seen if Holland will be able to get their act
together to save their World Cup bacon!
|
| Dutch
under 21s 1 - 1 against Portugal |
11 Oct 2000
|
| The
Dutch under 21 team drew against Portugal last night. Theo Janssen put
them ahead in the 16th minute and they had enough space and chances
to secure victory. Unfortunately Candido Costa equalled the score for the
Portugese in the 37th minute. The Dutch team share the top position in
their group with Portugal. |
| Holland too
hot for Cyprus 0 - 4 |
07 Oct 2000
|
| Holland
began cautiously and although they moved the ball around well and gained
in confidence as the first half progressed they didn't look very sharp. In
the last 15 minutes in particular they had six or seven good chances
through Kluivert and Overmars (amongst others) to score. Overmars got
pulled down in the penalty box, in a moment of controversy, but the referee thought a penalty
unwarranted. For their part the Cypriots looked dangerous on the break
and solid in defence, falling back to cover with every Dutch attack.
The second half started in a higher gear
with Holland showing more aggression, finally being rewarded for their
determination and constant attacking with a goal scored by Seedorf (substitute
for Talan) from a
free kick in the 69th minute. He promptly earned himself a yellow card.
The Dutch looked hungrier and Cyprus more worried after that - Kluivert
hit the bar with a header in the 72nd minute. Bosvelt was replaced with
PSV's Van Bommel, getting his first appearance for his country. Seedorf
got the second goal in the 78th minute right in front of goal thanks to
Ronald de Boer's perseverance. The killer punch came quickly in the 81st
minute - Patrick Kluivert's smooth pass back gave Overmars the chance to make
it 3 - 0. Ronald de Boer was replaced by Bouman in the 83rd minute after
being at the heart of it all for the Dutch. By this time the Cypriots had
gone into shock. Kluivert had a couple of really good chances, as the
Dutch piled on the pressure, to get a goal of his own - it looked as if it
was not his night to score. Still, he wasn't giving up - we're
talking about one of Holland's all time top scorers here with 15 goals in the last
15 matches. Tonight was to prove no exception as he finally got his well
deserved reward in the 90th minute. Holland ended the match looking in
much better shape than when they began and will hopefully will go on where
they left off here tonight.
|
| Holland's
under 21's beat Cyprus 1 - 0 |
05 Oct 2000
|
| Holland's
under 21's beat Cyprus in the sun in an uninspiring match where most of
the team didn't seem interested in the outcome.The game was watched by
only 200 spectators (which certainly didn't inspire anyone) who had little
to get excited about. PSV's Kevin Hofland scored the only goal from the
penalty spot and was the only Dutch player willing to work and was
the motivating force in the team. They will have to do better on Tueday if
they want to avoid being punished by Portugal. |
| Holland
under 18's beat France 2 - 1 |
04 Oct 2000
|
| The
Dutch under 18's have beaten France in Amiens in their qualifier for the
European
Championship. Ajax's Hersi and FC Twente's Muhamadu scored Holland's 2
goals while Ajax's
Rafael van der Vaart got himself sent off. They go on to play
Germany on October 25th. |
| Holland
and Ireland 2 - 2 |
02 Sep 2000
|
| After
trailing 0 -1 in the first half and seeing a second goal scored against
them in the second half Holland fought back to get a draw out of their
World Cup qualifier against Ireland. The Irish played with far more
motivation and aggression, showing their famed fighting spirit and being
allowed too much possession of the ball by the Dutch during long periods
of the game. However, the Dutch showed that even 0-2 down in the second
half they had enough quality and grit to fight back with a goal by
substitute Talan and in the last spell of the match the equaliser from
Bronckhorst. Louis van Gaal's intense efforts from the sideline to keep
motivating his team ( in an untried and unfamiliar lineup) bore fruit
and confirmed the status and reputation of Holland's new trainer. In the
light of the long list of absent and injured players it was definitely
no mean achievement to end up with a draw against a team whose desire to
win and do their best for their country should never be underestimated. |
| Van
Gaal's first obstacle looms |
01 Sept 2000
|
| Louis
van Gaal is already faced by his first test of character in tonight's
qualifier for the next World Cup in 2002 as Holland meet Ireland in the
Amsterdam Arena. A list of injured or absent players and the
unwillingness of clubs to 'risk' their top players in this (and any
other kind of) international means that his skill as a trainer and
tactician will be sorely tested. He can no longer expect sympathy from
the Dutch clubs with their powerful and influential chairmen, especially
when these clubs are concentrating on the coming matches to be played in
the Champions' League. The Spanish and Italian leagues are getting off
to a slow start, which means seven of his key players (Van der Saar,
Seedorf, Reiziger, Frank de Boer, Cocu and Kluivert) start their new
footballing season having no recent form to reveal evidence of their
current matchworthiness to the trainer. To make things worse Numan,
Davids, Stam, Overmars, Zenden, Van Bommel, Van Nistelrooij, Makaay and
Bogarde are not available and Bergkamp and Winter have put a full stop
behind their international careers. The lineup for Holland tonight will
include five young hopefulls (Lurling, Bouma, Vennegoor of Hesselink,
Bruggink and Ricksen) and two other players who didn't take part in Euro
2000 (Witschge and Telan). The Irish may not pose the threat they once
did under Jackie Charlton but could prove difficult enough for the
handicapped Dutch team. |
| Cool
Van Gaal sees Holland win |
16 Aug 2000
|
| Louis
van Gaal's recent interviews on Dutch television have shown a calmer man
than in his years as former Ajax manager. His approach, however,
has certainly not changed. Leaving aside all the complex technical and
tactical analyses, he has come to one obvious conclusion: Holland
will only be successful if the combined talents of the current crop of
young players are harnessed together and allowed to mature properly, and
sooner rather than later, so that they will develop and ripen
collectively. During last night's friendly against amateur side
AGOVV (9-0) three new talents made their first appearance for Holland,
Twente's Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Wilfred Bouma, and PSV's Marc
van Bommel. Van Gaal said after the match, in which Jan Vennegoor of
Hesselink scored a hat trick in the second half, that he was extremely
satisfied with the squad's performance. |
| New
coach Dutch youth team |
12 Aug 2000
|
|
Mark Wotte, who recently resigned from
second division club Den Bosch, has been appointed as team coach for
Holland's youth team. The 39 year old coach signed a two year contract.
Holland's new manager/coach Louis van Gaal, is now only in need of a new
goal-keepers trainer to complete the newly reorganized staff.
|
| New
Dutch coach gives youth a chance |
11 Aug 2000
|
| Holland's
new manager/coach Louis van Gaal has wasted no time in revealing his
intentions by announcing the selection of five young and talented new
faces for the friendly against AGOVV next week. The former Ajax and
Barcelona coach has included Wilfred Bouma, Arnold Bruggink and Marc van
Bommel from PSV, along with Twente's up and coming star Jan Vennegoor of
Hesselink as well as the former AZ and recent transfer to Glasgow Rangers
Fernando Ricksen in the new squad.
Van Gaal said this afternoon that even more young players will be given
a chance to show their worth in the near future, but that a balance of
youth and experience was still essential. Ruud Krol, up to the Euro 2000
championship the most capped Dutch player, was also named as new
assistant-coach, replacing Johan Neeskens (who recently became the new
trainer at Utrecht FC).
The Squad
Van der Saar, Westerveld, Reiziger, Ricksen, Stam, Konterman, Frank de
Boer, Numan, Van Bronckhorst, Seedorf, Van Bommel, Davids, Bosvelt, Cocu,
Bruggink, Ronald de Boer, Overmars, Vennegoor van Hesselink, Zenden,
Kluivert and Bouma. |
| Bergkamp
Says No |
01
Aug 2000
|
|
Dennis Bergkamp has
confirmed his decision to no longer make himself available for the Dutch
national squad. He told journalists at a news conference that he wanted to
concentrate on his career at the English club Arsenal and spend more time
with his family.
|
| |
|
