Calling for your stories now :-)….

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by Jan

My dear friends, I took a bit of a breather after the dismal Euros and switching blogs and the intense competitions in England and Holland….

I’m feeding some nice background info into the blog on our prospects in Orange, waiting for the new season to kick off…

Tomorrow, Louis van Gaal officially starts his new role and he has already announced a new dimension to national team management: using computer-analysis, he will analyse the sleeping patterns of our internationals!!

“I have learned that you can get a lot from the sleeping patterns of athletes. They work with this is many other sports. I want our internationals to understand that this is not to check them but more to help them get a better understanding of their physiology.”

Is this the first step towards another debacle?? I hope not…

Tomorrow, Mr Van Gaal will announce his squad for the Belgium friendly, by the way…

We will go on here with reporting on the remaining youth teams of Oranje in the coming days and while we are doing so, I realised that for Feyenoord fans (like me) the season has actually started already :-).


Dutch fans on their way to Brussels already…

Feyenoord played it’s first leg game in Kiev, to qualify for the Champions League.

Dynamo Kiev injected 20 Mio euros in their team, while Feyenoord was only able to invest 300,000 euros. So 20M vs 0,3M.

And where Feyenoord lost mainstays like Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa), El Ahmadi (Aston Villa), Guidetti (back to Man City) and Otman Bakkal ( Moscow) the Club from Rotterdam was able to compete nicely for half a game. Feyenoord even scored the opener and had to allow the equaliser only after a Erwin Mulder mistake in goal (who actually was Man of the Match for Feyenoord). Dynamo Kiev scored the winner in the 70st minute and had opportunities to make it 3-1 and 4-1 but the crossbar and Mulder stopped that.

Ronald Koeman: “I’m happy we still have a home game. Despite the loss, I’m pretty satisfied with the way we played. It’s so early in the season, next week we will be even stronger and fitter, playing in normal circumstances at home.” (it was close to 40 degrees in Kiev)


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Now, the reference to the title:

I think it would be awesome to hear your stories about Oranje. Wonderful memories, stories about how you got to love the boys in Orange, essays on victories or more likely, heartfelt loss…. There is probably a gem in each and everyone of you.

I will collate the great ones (all of them in other words) and publish them here in the months to come!!

Please, take up the challenge and grab your creative writing pen and do it!

So please, send your stories to:

netherlandsworldcupblog@gmail.com

Don’t hold back. Write about your “hook”, your connection to the Dutch national team. Your dreams, hopes, memories, fave players, whatever….

Stay tuned here for more, with Louis’ first squad selection up here soon!!


My new car… A Dutch Spyker…

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0 comments

    1. Messi? naaaa, messi is quick but not smart. He is quick to react but (again) not smart. He can make an individual play and lift the team but he can’t make a play for the team. That’s the big difference between him and Maradona

        1. “He can make an individual play and lift the team but he can’t make a play for the team.”

          You clearly haven’t watched a Barca match, maybe only highlights? Messi is more comparable to Cruyff (in true Barca mold) rather than Diego. He can create and score.

          1. hehe’ fyi I live in spain, I saw to clasicos last year (yeah, at the stadiums)
            I said nothing about scoring,
            yes, he can create (for himself) and ok 16 assist last season behind Ozil. Look, if you like messi fine. But, for me, he is just dribbling (pass defenders, maybe sometimes blindfolded because he makes it look so easy) and scoring but he is not the magician or the creator type.

    3. And again… What an amazing clip. I will put this in our video archive. I have seen sooo many clips of the famous goals he made, but this clip is all about his runs, his dribbles and actions. Really cool. And notice how he played with number 8, 9 and 10 in his career as well :-).

  2. Great work Jan,
    more on the Van Gaal article, he is making a website where all the players (with private usernames and passwords) can log in and see Van Gaal talk about a certain issue (tactical or non-technical). I’ve said it before, he likes intensity and interaction. Since he is not going to get it physically, he is making it virtually.
    But, I’m glad that he has realized one of his weaknesses, and did something about it. He gets my personal credit for this. At least he is starting on the right foot.

  3. Coach Louis van Gaal has published the provisional Orange-selection.

    The 32-member provisional selection looks as follows: Ibrahim Afellay (Barcelona), Alderweireld (Ajax), Khalid Boulahrouz (Sporting CP), Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord), Bas Dost (VfL Wolfsburg), Urby Emanuelson (AC Milan), John Heitinga (Everton), Klaas Jan Huntelaar (Schalke 04), Ola John (Benfica), Luuk de Jong (Borussia …Mönchengladbach), Nigel de Jong (Manchester City), Siem de Jong (Ajax), Tim Krul (Newcastle United), Dirk Kuyt (Fenerbahҫe), Jeremain Lens (PSV EINDHOVEN), Joris Mathijsen (Málaga CF), Adam Maher (AZ), Luciano Narsingh (PSV), Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Ricardo van Rhijn (Ajax), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich), Stijn Schaars (Sporting CF), Wesley Sneijder (Inter), Maarten Stekelenburg (AS Roma), Kevin Strootman (PSV), Rafael van der Vaart (Tottenham Hotspur), Nick viergever (AZ), Ron Vlaar (Feyenoord/Aston Villa *), Michel Vorm (Swansea City), Stefan de Vrij (Feyenoord), Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax) and Jethro Willems (PSV). (Translated by Bing)

  8. So…essentially the same players minus van bommel?! allright..here’s to hoping that computer system works wonders, cause this group is unmanagable

  9. LvG will publish the final selection on 10 AUG. So who can stay? Who will be dropped?

    Actually I am more interested in the final selection for the first 2014 WCQ match against Turkey on 07 SEP. Of course the result of this match is very crucial to the Netherlands.

  11. Van Gaal is being smart here. You can´t change a team from day one. Some say this group is difficult to manage and I agree. But Van Gaal wants to hear the players of the debacle of Euro 2012, understand more and more the reasons of how they went down so badly after reaching the World Cup Final to what we saw in Euro 2012. He has his ideas but wants the players to speak, hear and observe which players will be eager to work and die for Oranje and which ones are the trouble makers. For example, if VDV starts with his stupid comments that he deserves a place in the starting eleven and starts making trouble he will certainly be sent home. Period.

    What I find interesting is that Van Gaal is starting to call new players and in defence specially like Viergever, De Vrij, Van Rihjn. He knows Central D is the main problem and will try to fix it from day one. I think Mathijsen and Kuyt will have their minutes with Van Gaal but I expect the new comers to make their mark in the National Team in order to replace the vets. From this list we will probably see many of the young guns being relieved for the game against Belgium and Turkey but sooner or later they will have their chance. There is new talent coming and pushing hard so I think the future is bright for Oranje. This first two games will be very tough but I am confident Oranje will return to winning ways.

    1. I totally agree, especially the first bit. He is using all the resources available without excluding/blaming anyone, he may not pick them in the end but at least waived the “friendly” at the start.

  12. voetbal http://www.vi.nl/nieuws/224964/Feyenoorders-Clasie-en-De-Vrij-in-voorselectie-Van-Gaal.htm

    Doel
    Tim Krul (Newcastle United), Maarten Stekelenburg (AS Roma), Michel Vorm (Swansea City).

    Verdediging
    Khalid Boulahrouz (Sporting Lissabon), John Heitinga (Everton), Joris Mathijsen (Málaga), Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa), Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax), Jetro Willems (PSV), Ricardo van Rhijn (Ajax), Nick Viergever (AZ) en Stefan de Vrij (Feyenoord).

    Middenveld
    Nigel de Jong (Manchester City), Stijn Schaars (Sporting Lissabon), Wesley Sneijder (Internazionale), Kevin Strootman (PSV), Rafael van der Vaart (Tottenham Hotspur), Vurnon Anita (Ajax), Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord), Urby Emanuelson (AC Milan), Siem de Jong (Ajax), Adam Maher (AZ).

    Aanval
    Ibrahim Afellay (Barcelona), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke 04), Luuk de Jong (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Dirk Kuijt (Fenerbahçe), Luciano Narsingh (PSV), Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Arjen Robben (Bayern München), Bas Dost (VfL Wolfsburg), Ola John (Benfica), Jeremain Lens (PSV).

  13. Agree with Mario.

    I think it would be unwise if LvG begin his period holding and axe.

    It´s wise and polite call all the BvM players not only to listen to them, as Mario said, but also because LvG can´t be direct confrontational. Imagine the problem LvG can cause if he drops at first instance for example VdV, Huntelaar, Heitinga or Mathinsen! If he does that the people can think that LvG think that these players are guilty for EC debacle.

    But there is no problem if he doesn´t call Van Bommel because he is retired or Bouma because he is old.

    So. He needs time to the whole team to give the same opportunity to all the players that played on the EC 2012 and then began the real pick up process. Also, he called the new ones (Emanuelson, Anita, Clasie, Maher, etc)

    I think for this game, the choosing criteria will be:

    1. Physic condition
    2. Whose fix in his system
    3. Age. LvG as BvM will choose the youngest over older if they provide the same level.

    So, maybe will see that on the final selection, Mathinsen, Boulahrouz, and Kuyt will be dropped, because of their age.

    My first impression:

    1. LvG definability wants to try new midfield: younger and faster. That is why he called Anita, Clasie and Maher.

    2. LvG need a new defence. It’s interesting that he called van Rhijn over Bruma. Isn´t?

    3. And LvG wants a classic 9 striker, that´s why he called Dost. Maybe LvG sees RvP as right wing or number 10. Who knows!

    4. LvG wants real wingers. Olah John and Narsingh.

    5. There are interesting players who didn´t make it: Van Wolkswinkel, Wijnaldum, Leroy Fer and Bruma. Personally I rather Wonswinkel over Dost, but I trust in LvG criteria!

    1. Tiju, might you are right. I haven´t see M. Indi enough. Is he good playing on LCB too?

      The fact is that this team lack of left footers defenders.

      Left footers 3 players: Mathinsen (LCB), Viergiver (LCB) and Willems (LB).

      Right footers 6 players: Boulahrouz, Heitinga, Vlaar, De Vrij, Van Rhijn and VdW. (LvG should cut 3 of them on the final selection)

      So, Orange needs a new LCB for next WC to replace Mathinsen. The options at the moments are: Viergiver, Nuytinck, Douglas, Pieters, B.M. Indi,……. maybe in few years Denswill and Blind… but is too early to say.

      Other options are use a right footer player in LCB, like Feyenoord did last year playing Vlaar at the left (LCB) and de Vrij at the right (RCB).

      Do you think this is a good option?

  15. Of the young defenders in current selection, my money is on Stef De Vrij (who btw is the newly appointed captain of Feyenoord) to make an immediate impact in Oranje senior. Van Gaal LOVES defenders who can ‘play’ the ball. SdV fits the billing very nicely… he is an intelligent passer, and is very comfortable having the ball on his feet. Not surprising because he used to play in a central midfielder role for the youth setup. My knock on him is his physical strength, or lack thereof. He needs to add some muscles and have ultra-aggression in his game so he doesn’t get pushed around. He is not very quick, either but I expect his positioning will get better over time.

    Another youngster, Jeff Bruma, has eerily similar mold to SdV in terms of strengths and weaknesses. He would have been my preferred choice, but for the time being he needs to get his situation at his club sorted first. He needs to fight hard to get regular playing times.

  17. dissatisfied with this list!

    LVG should have had the balls to start fresh!

    looks like more of the same to me …. and for a friendly game!

  20. Olympic soccer might suck, Olympic field-hockey on the other hand rules, esp. the dutch women’s team. I’m bleeding Oranje for them too. lol

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