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Netherlands Team Information
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Netherlands - Team Profile
23/05/2006
Whether you call them Holland or the Netherlands, the small region of northwest Europe comprising of two others countries has one of the richest international pasts of all the competing nations. Runners-up to Germany and Argentina respectively in 1974 and 1978 they failed to qualify for the 1982 and 1986 tournaments. A poor 1990 (not helped by a resurgent England) was bettered in 1994 when reaching the quarter-finals. In 1998 they reached the semi-finals in France before being knocked out by Brazil after a penalty shoot-out.
Coached by 1988 European Championship hero Marco Van Basten the team seems an organised unit with the famous split camps of black and white a thing of the past. With talented players throughout the side their main weakness looks like defence now Jap Stamm has retired. Van Basten has switched things around during the qualifiers but may play Jan Kromkamp of the mighty Liverpool, Aston Villa's Wilfred Bouma and possibly the German-based pair Nigel de Jong and Khalid Boulahrouz of Hamburg.
Phillip Cocu seems to be the lynchpin in midfield and he will be ably assisted by Mark van Bommel, Denny Landzaat or possibly Rafael van der Vaart. Spurs player Edgar Davids may not even be in the squad.
The front line looks settled with Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy expected to lead it with Chelsea's Arjen Robben on the left and either Dirk Kuyt or Arsenal's Robin van Persie on the right. Their progression may depend on how the squad copes in tournament conditions or maybe the emergence of a new star – Ryan Babel perhaps but they are expected to have their usual following of fervent fans and should make the quarter-finals at the very least.