Netherlands national football team
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The Netherlands national football team is the national football team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Netherlands Football Association.
The Netherlands is currently rated sixth in the world by FIFA[Ranking & Statistics], FIFA, May 2006 having won the 1988 European Football Championship (Euro 88), and having reached two consecutive World Cup finals, but losing both (1974 and 1978). At the peak of its success in the 1970s, the team was nicknamed "Clockwork Orange" for its precision passing.
History
The Netherlands made their first appearance at the World Cup final tournament in 1934, and after coming back in 1938, the Dutch national team entered the wilderness of world football.Total Football
They came out of this wilderness in the 1970s with the invention of Total Football (Dutch: Totaalvoetbal), pioneered by Ajax Amsterdam and led by playmaker Johan Cruijff and national team coach Rinus Michels. The Dutch made huge strides, qualifying for two World Cup finals in the decade.In 1974, the Netherlands beat both Brazil and Argentina in the second group stage, reaching the final for the first time in their history. However, the team lost to West Germany in the final in Munich, despite having gone 1-0 up through Johan Neeskens' early penalty kick before any German had even touched the ball. Supported by the crowd, goals from Paul Breitner and Gerd Muller led to a victory for the Germans. In spite of losing the final, the "Clockwork Orange" and Johan Cruijff had already written a new page in football's history.
In 1978, the Netherlands again reached the final, only to be beaten by the hosts, Argentina. This side played without Cruijff, who refused to play in a country which had had a miltary coup two years before. It still contained players such as Neeskens, Johnny Rep, Arie Haan, Ruud Krol and Rob Rensenbrink from the 1974 selection. This time the Netherlands were less impressive in the group stages, as they qualified only as runners-up, after a draw with Peru and a loss to Scotland. In the second group phase, however, the Netherlands topped a group including Italy and West Germany, setting up a final with Argentina. However, the Dutch came second for the second World Cup in a row as they ultimately lost 3-1 after two extra-time goals from Argentina. Agonisingly for the Dutch, Rensenbrink hit the Argentinian post in the last minute of normal time, with the score 1-1.
European Champions
The team's main success has been winning the 1988 European Championship. After losing the first group match against the USSR (1-0), Holland went on to qualify for the semi-final by defeating England 3-1 (with a hat-trick by the tournament's top scorer Marco van Basten), and Republic of Ireland (1-0). For many Dutch football supporters, the most important match in the tournament was the semi-final against West Germany, the host country, considered a revenge for the lost 1974 World Cup final (also in West Germany). Marco van Basten, who would later become national team coach, scored in the final minutes of the game to beat the German side. Some Dutch fans then chanted "In 1940 they came; in 1988 we came", referring to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during World War II. The game is also remembered for its post-match shenanigans, including Ronald Koeman, who, in front of the German supporters, provocatively pretended to wipe his backside with the shirt of Olaf Thon as if it was toilet paper, an action Koeman later regretted.["Cheeseheads vs Krauts": 30 Years of Enmity], Ajax-USA.com, June 14, 2004 Holland won the final with a convincing victory over the USSR, through a header by Ruud Gullit and a sublime volley by Van Basten.[Marco Van Basten Euro '88 The Best Goal In The World] at YouTubeThe team subsequently reached the semi-finals in the Euro 92 tournament.
Recent
In the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Dennis Bergkamp led the team with 3 goals and the Netherlands advanced to the quarterfinal, where they lost 3-2 to to eventual champions Brazil.At Euro 96, after drawing 0-0 with Scotland and beating Switzerland 2-0, they faced the hosts England in the pool A decider, with both teams on 4 points. After 62 minutes, with Scotland beating Switzerland 1-0, Holland were 4-0 down and looked like finishing third behind Scotland on goal difference and going out of the tournament, but Patrick Kluivert scored in the 78th minute to see the Dutch finish second on goals scored. They then drew with France 0-0 in their quarter final and went out 5-4 on penalties.
In 1998 FIFA World Cup, Netherlands, whose team included Marc Overmars, Phillip Cocu, Edgar Davids, Ronald de Boer and Patrick Kluivert, met Argentina in the quarterfinal, a rematch of the 1978 final, and won 2-1 after a Bergkamp goal in the 89th minute. In the semifinal, the Netherlands took Brazil to a penalty shootout after a late Kluivert goal tied the match 1-1, but Brazil won the shootout 4-2 and advanced to the final. Netherlands lost the 3rd place match to Croatia 1-2.
Netherlands reached the semifinals in both the Euro 2000 and Euro 2004, but failed to qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
The Netherlands qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany and finished second in Group C after beating Serbia & Montenegro (1-0) and the Ivory Coast (2-1) and drawing Argentina (0-0). Both Argentina and the Netherlands finished the group stage with 7 points, but the Argentinians had a superior goal difference and finished first as a result. The Dutch were eliminated in the second round after losing 0-1 to Portugal, in a match that produced a World Cup record of four red cards (two for either side) and was nicknamed "the Battle of Nuremberg" by the press[link]. Despite criticism surrounding his selection policy and the lack of attacking football from his team, Marco van Basten was offered a two-year extension to his contract by the Dutch FA, which would allow him to serve as national coach during Euro2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The move was widely regarded as a vote of confidence in Van Basten and his assistants by the KNVB officials.[link]
Netherlands begin their Euro 2008 campaign in their first qualifying match against Luxembourg on 2 September 2006.
Origin of shirt colour
The Netherlands national football team does not wear the colors of the Dutch flag of today, but instead plays in bright orange. Orange is the historic national color of the Netherlands, originating from the coat of arms of the Dutch founding father William of Orange-Nassau. The top (red) band of the current flag was originally orange. The current Dutch away shirt incorporates the flag colours as a diagonal stripe.Rivalry with Germany
Main Article Dutch German Football Rivalry
The Dutch national football team has a long standing rivalry with the German National Football Team. Although it might date back to the Second World War, usually people date it to 1974 World Cup, where Holland lost the final to Germany, despite being regarded as the better team. Other notable clashes between the two nations were in the semifinal of Euro 88, where Marco van Basten slided the winning goal in the last minute past the German keeper, and the game in the Round of 16 in the 1990 FIFA World cup, with Germany beating Holland, after a famous spit-incident involving Frank Rijkaard and Rudi Völler
Competitive record
World Cup
European Championship
Summer Olympics |
Current players
- WC06 indicates player was part of 2006 World Cup squad.
Goalkeepers
Defenders
- Khalid Boulahrouz WC06
- Wilfred Bouma
- Tim de Cler WC06
- Urby Emanuelson
- Serginho Greene
- John Heitinga WC06
- Kew Jaliens WC06
- Jan Kromkamp WC06
- Joris Mathijsen WC06
- Mario Melchiot
- André Ooijer WC06
- Barry Opdam
- Gio van Bronckhorst WC06
- Paul Verhaegh
- Ron Vlaar
- Gianni Zuiverloon
Midfielders
- Ibrahim Afellay
- Ryan Babel WC06
- George Boateng
- Romeo Castelen
- Phillip Cocu WC06
- Daniël de Ridder
- Nicky Hofs
- Denny Landzaat WC06
- Hedwiges Maduro WC06
- Haris Medunjanin
- Arjen Robben WC06
- Stijn Schaars
- Wesley Sneijder WC06
- Mark van Bommel WC06
- Andy van der Meyde
- Rafael van der Vaart WC06
Strikers
- Klaas Jan Huntelaar
- Collins John
- Patrick Kluivert
- Dirk Kuyt WC06
- Roy Makaay
- Martijn Meerdink
- Ruud van Nistelrooij WC06
- Robin van Persie WC06
- Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink WC06
- Tim Vincken
Famous past players
Listed according to when they debuted for Netherlands (year in parentheses):
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