Oranje pleases 250 mio Indonesians

But forgets the millions of Dutch fans….

Ah well…it was part holiday, part football development mission, part practice, wasn’t it.

enjoying fans

Robben, Sneijder and Kuyt enjoying the fans

The big guns all were past their big finish lines. RVP winning his first title. Robben winning his first CL. Kuyt surviving the madness of Turkey. De Guzman proving a point to the Spanish and Sneijder lucky to still get a call up…

LVG used a couple of newbies in the team (Nelom, benchwarmer at Feyenoord and Toornstra, midfield motor at Utrecht) and hussled the team nicely up for the second half.

With a couple of more hares for Cillisen (first half) and Dwight Tiendali in the second half.

What was it all about?

About PR. About finally acknowledging all those fans in Indonesia ( ManU / RVP connection but more so, the colonial Dutch Indies connection).

And it was about having fun. A post-season school trip.

Who cares about the game really? Who cares that RVP missed a couple of sitters. The Indonesians enjoyed it. Van Gaal enjoyed himself. The players must have really enjoyed themselves, being treated like Beatles.

And that Robben goal was quite something too.

Many good things to say about the game and a lot of irrelevant bad things to say.

Unfortunately for Lens, he didn’t make it to the end due to injury and his fitness is in doubt for the China game.

Even the Sneijder situation was not really a downer. On the contrary. Louis calls this as he sees them.

He took the band off Sneijder, telling him he is simply not fit for top football at the moment. A harsh but clear message and somehow Sneijder felt relief. He needs to take time to get back and is there a better place for him to do that then under Mourinho at Chelsea? Yes, probably Ajax… But that won’t happen…

Van Persie didn’t mind it either, as the natural leader is now the deserved Oranje skipper. He led Arsenal in the past and is now the undisputed star of Oranje. Arjen Robben had the band in the second half.

skipper RVP

Skipper Robin van Persie

Siem de Jong scored twice with his head. Perfect header as he is. Two goals, that must do him good. Ricky van Wolfswinkel missed luck, just like many other players could have scored if the pitch was a bit more generous.

The surface was wanting, just like the climate was very tough. Humidity up in the 90s and a lot of heat. Van Persie said after the game he had to really grasp for air at times. And this is one of the fittest chaps around….

“It was tough. Playing against teams that only defend is hard in itself, but we couldn’t play our normal fast paced game. Your tank would be empty in 10 minutes… And we don’t know how to play slow…. this is what made us look so bad in the first 45 minutes… “

In the second half, the fitness on Indonesian side ebbed out and Holland got some more space to operate in.

Van Persie is honoured with the skippers role. “Of course. A huge honour. Being the captain of Oranje. You can’t get much higher. Maybe King. Oh and being team manager of course… “

Wesley Sneijder acknowledged he was not able to meet the coach’s requirements. “My year was tough. I didn’t play in Italy for months. At this level, that hurts. Getting back to fitness was impeded by the fact that I wanted to perform for Gala, immediately. We could win the title, we were still in the CL, so you tend to overdo it a bit. And all these little pains start to come, so you are never fit. I will know work as never before to get back to top level. I feel I have let Van Gaal down.”

 

Lens not so fortunate this gamelens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jens Toornstra in his first internationaltoornstra

Bookmark and Share

0 comments

  1. Thanks for this perspective, Jan. Seems right to me.

    If I’d taken the first half less seriously, it would have been more fun. 😉

  2. Something to note guys. As usually RVP was rusty in front of goal. he missed easy chances. Thats why I think Huntelaar is better than RVP . I hope van gaal has noted this.

    1. No wilson…i agree that RVP misses chances,and when comes to important games,it will cost us.But there is No way that hunter would outdo RVP in important games.he is more worse than persie against strong teams.hunter is a scorer against weak teams…i have better confidence in FER and Siem deong as crucial scorers than hunter and many strikeres of Holland…..

      1. I agree with that. And for people who would attack you and ask you proofs, I think you can find them. Fer probably scored more important goals this season, especially in last minutes,than all guys like Van Wolfswinkel, Dost, Luuk De Jong or Huntelaar. Though he is a midfielder.

        Siem De Jong also got this capacity to score important goals, the only use I see in him, as he is a very limited footballer. But we need players like that in a squad, on the bench at least. Currently I would take him as RVP substitute in attack and would definitly use him if we’re losing.

        There are some games (many with the selection) where RVP just misses everything, so Van Gaal shouldn’t hesitate to replace him as soon as possible as he did today. But the risk to make a guy like S.De Jong starting is that if it doesn’t work, people would always say “RVP would have done better”. Like the debate Van Nistelrooy/Kuyt against Portugal in 2006.

        That’s why it’s more logical to start with the player who got better potential qualities, and it’s without any contestation RVP.

        Wilson : Against Indonesia today, Huntelaar would probably have scored 3 or 4, as always. He likes such weak teams. On the box, I do believe he got a better finish than RVP. But in a high level world cup game, how many chances into the box you get ? Few, or even zero, like against Portugal, he played all the game and had none. RVP is able to create his own opportunities, like his goal against Germany, and about teamplay, he is definitly more developped than Huntelaar, better pass quality, better ball protection…

        But yeah, I’m not so confident about RVP for the world cup, pity we don’t have many different strikers style, I would really like us to have one like Bony or Altidore.

  3. To finish, I read once DRB talking about Van Ginkel as striker, I definitly agree that it’s something to try. First because he is faster than all the strikers we use, he can kick a ball with his head probably better than Van Wolfswinkel, his finish isn’t bad at all,he scores quite often, knowing that everyone compliments him about his discipline, I think he can get the positionning to be striker.

  4. I have some notes for Vangaal and Corpot..
    First of all I must say our U21 team is doing well,while seniors are just ok.here goes my observation.
    Luuk De jong-Seems like a hardworker and team players but scoring ability and skills/Ball control is joke. I think Seim or Ricky wolf should be the understudy of RVP.No room for established hunter and establishing Luuk.
    Wijnaldum-Sleeps in intervals of game,but with ball this guy is one of TOP dangerous/effective goalscorrer.He can score a goal at crucial times than many established players Afellay and kuyt.My point is with Wijnaldum orange is more threat than kuyt and Afellay.
    Strootman-Is showing way to negligence to his duties,no one assures defensive security as (IF) fit Nijel dejong.
    Devrij is way to slow ,goals fo Dries matrins and Holtby penalty incident exposes it clearly,though his build up play is awesome. Dutch have no chance of winning a WC with such a slow CB.Hello Vangaal..pls listen to this.
    Mike vander Hoorn-This guys so strong and way to faster than devrij.its the time for MVH.
    FER-fer is 23 now and this is the time to use FER,but when I look his body I have feel that he will become overweight at the age of 28.So he is a winner and 2014 is bets time for FER.so use him now.
    Clasie-is little man and will have struggles against physical team eg turkry game WCQ2014.
    Deguzman-He the most trustworthy holding mid fielder after Nijel Dejong.
    Blind- Is pretty vulnerable at times,we need stronger athletetic defender for that spot against strong teams, PVA is the answer ,no matter how headless he is.
    Interms of effective scoring play Lenz,Wijnaldum and ola john stands head and shoulder above other wingers like Elia,kuyt and Afellay.
    So van gaal,,,like u said dutch have no chance of winning WC if you take kuyt,Afellay,Vlaar,Jozefoon,Nelom,Luuk,Devrij,vaart,unfit wesly and unfit Nijel.and it would be a big SIN if you drop the players like Fer,Vander hoorn,Clasie,Maher,Ginkel,Seim,PVA,.for forementioned players..

  5. Here’s my report on the boys in Jakarta.

    First of of all I dont think anyone realizes how “Godlike” the Oranje players are worshipped here. The KNVB should take note – Ajax/PSV/Feijenoord should take note. Do some trips here and you have an immediate 20 million + supporters for your website/shirts etc.
    Most popular = RvP – Stands had huge banners thanking him for coming here – 2nd Robben – 3rd Kuyt then the rest incl ex Captain Sneijder. At the stadium it was covered with Orange clad supporters 90,000 stadium looked 95% full to me. Every chance Oranje got and missed came with sighs of disappointment and everyone was hoping vP would score.
    Everyone saw the match comments or saw the match – not worth anything my wife Catherine almost fell asleep. Many 50/50 chances for goal were shunned to prevent injuries. the biggest Screams and Ovation cam when Robben scored, it was like a home game for Holland. Each time Sneijder/Robben came to take a corner that section of the crowd nearest broke into raptures.
    It was a very friendly friendly……thats about all one can say about the game.
    I am looking forward to see a real Oranje tomorrow night against Russia 🙂

  6. LVG in the AD:

    My captain needs to be a player I will always call up. Sneijder and Kuyt are not those players anymore for different reasons. Sneijder lacks fitness. He can’t play top football at the moment. RVP can. He is super fit and he is a leader. So now it’s RVP and Arjen Robben as vice captain. Sneijder and Kuyt cannot expect to be called up automatically.

    For Sneijder, it’s fitness, for Kuyt its age and the fact that some others have be overtaken him. Kuyt now has Robben in front of him on the right flank (and Schaken, Narsingh and even Ola John, probably) while Siem and Luuk de Jong are good subs for RVP and Huntelaar as central strikers….

  7. Jens Toornstra’s career is going really fast. He came to FC Utrecht in the winter of 2012/13 and coach Jan Wouters already predicted that he would definitely make it into the Dutch squad one day. And Wouters is no fool.

    Toornstra started his pro career at ADO Den Haag. He is a dynamic left midfielder, with tremendous grit and power and scoring skills.

    He played a pretty good game against Indonedia, playing one-touch whenever possible and trying to cross pass to the wingers whenever he could. LVG allowed him to play the full 90 minutes.

  8. Dear Arjen,i am sorry for some fake Oranje fans’ hurt to you.i’m a chinese fan of you,a girl.i know they’are ugly,but as you believe,we true fans love you the most.they like money,but we love you.i regret for i can’t go to watch your games.it’s my dream.chinese fans love you the very most.but many Oranje fans don’t like you and even hate you.sorry for our hurt to you.they like criticise your mistake in 2010 WC.but we still love you.please don’t feel regret to us fans.you are the best in our eyes.
    i believe and hope you bring Oranje to the top of the world in 2014.no matter what the result will be,we will still love you.
    so don’t metion those people who hurt you.they are not your and even not Oranje fans.
    good luck to you.
    love you the most,
    roffen.

Start a Conversation

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.