You know they say this about champions… If you can win ugly and grind out victories when you are playing bad, you can win the title.
This team may not dazzle with gallery play but they sure impress with grit, worksmanship and effectiveness.
We played four games at this World Cup. We won four and three of those we had to get back into the came after being behind!
This team might not have the pass and move total football of 1974 or the overall quality of 1998 but we sure have the tactical smarts, the laser focus and winners’ mentality to take the opportunity when it comes.
So we were trailing against Mexico 0-1 until late in the game. And it was a thoroughly disappointing Wesley Sneijder who put all his frustration in that spectacular volley to score the equaliser, a taunting Robben who simply collected the penalty he was denied in the first half and the coolest of heads (Huntelaar) to convert the spot kick.
Goosebumps!
I will leave you with this for a moment.
(Me after JanKlas scoring 🙂 )
In my preview of the match I spoke about the quality Huntelaar could bring to the team and like with Kieft in 1988 and Pierre van Hooijdonk in 1998, there are times when 10 minutes of game play is enough to make a player legendary. It is not a nice job to get. As I said earlier, when KJH is brought on, you know we are in trouble. But the coach made the right choices, again, and it paid off. Klaas Jan was key in getting Sneijder on the scoreboard and that penalty he took… We normally do not swoon over penalties. It’s always the flying headers or the long Robben dribbles that get attention, but this particular penalty was probably the perfect penalty, if ever there was one.
Can you imagine. You are only 10 mins on the pitch. You didn’t play all tournament. It’s the last minute of the game. It’s 1-1. If you score, we are in the quarter finals. And to score a penalty in this way, that is just art. Plain and simple, art. With a capital A. Art.
I am processing the game while writing this post. I think I shared with you my concern as the circumstances weren’t super for us and Mexico is really a strong opponent. The first half was quite dramatic. We lost Nigel de Jong very early on in the game and LVG decided not to bring Clasie but to move Blind up and bring BMI back in. At that stage, probably smart. De Jong has a groin injury and it doesn’t look good, I can say (quoting Van Gaal).
We were not really settled and in particular our midfield (Sneijder, Wijnaldum) was struggling, as was Van Persie. Could have been the weather, could have been their form, could have been tactics…or a mix of all. I think Van Gaal did tell the lads to start slowly and to be aware of the hard circumstances. We never really played full throttle except for some bursts from Robben.
Defensively, we were all over the place too, particularly in positioning. 5 Defenders against 2 forwards and upcoming midfielders… I don’t like it. Add to that a very tense Cillesen and there is your recipe for disaster. At times it felt like Mexico was cutting through our defence like a knife through hot guacamole.
We didn’t concede in the first 45 mins but at times it felt like luck. Mexico got lucky too, as we deserved a double penalty when Robben was hacked down late in the first half by two defenders.
Paul Verhaegh started in place of Janmaat and that didn’t really work out well. I never understood this move anyway. Kongolo for Kuyt is a big chance. As is Huntelaar for Van Persie. But Verhaegh for Janmaat is almost literally like for like. And Verhaegh didn’t look any better than Janmaat. Why take that decision? I don’t know…
In the second half, things changed and maybe for the better, in hindsight. Dos Santos scored a cracker. How was this possible, I would like to ask Daley Blind. And Cillesen for that matter. The strike was sweet but from that distance, I would expect the goalie to do better and I do think Krul would have saved that shot.
Anyway, it made the Azteca track back a tad more and it prompted Van Gaal to bring Memphis Depay and resort back to 4-3-3. The whole team played a gear up and bar a couple of breaks by Mexico it was mainly Oranje playing in the second half, with Robben threatening on the right and Sneijder becoming more dominant.
Stefan de Vrij was very close to scoring his second of the tournie on a Robben corner kick but the impressive goalie and the upright saved Mexico. It felt like the equaliser was coming but would the extra time help us win it? Or would we be destined to go into another penalty shootout lottery?
When Robben was fouled yet again by two players in a row when he dribbled into the box but given not even a second look by the ref, it felt like it wasn’t going to be his day.
He had another good run into the box later on, with a wild Marquez lunge, but this time decided to stay on his feet as he had a bit goal scoring opportunity (and the option to pass square to the open Van Persie). Robben took the shot and the goalie blocked it.
Robin van Persie – practically invisible this game – was taken off but his older brother – the referee – would play a part in us getting the victory.
But first it was time for Huntelaar’s entrance. He didn’t get much time from Van Gaal but the Hunter look focused when he came on and with his new RVP-style hairdo, it felt like he could become the day’s hero.
First he cushion-headed a Robben cross back to the spot where Wesley Sneijder had his only good touch of the day. With his majestic right, he took the ball on the volley and found the empty corner to finally put his name on the scoresheet.
It felt like Holland should be able to kill the game in the last minutes, as clearly no one was looking forward to extra time.
In those dying minutes, Robben – again he – started another rush, which ended on the byline and prompted Robben to dribble back into the box again. Veteran Marquez thought “enough is enough” and took a late nibble, motivating Robben to go down. Third time lucky, and the ref pointed at the spot.
With only 2 minutes left on the clock, Robben declined to take the ball. “I guess I could have claimed it but it didn’t feel good. Getting the decision, it’s most often best to let another do it. I was buggered and Klaas Jan felt really good. He converted the penalty in sensational fashion, so all good. I can cry with happiness,” said the Bayern man after the game.
Practically all the players talked about their joy and the tremendous heat. Van Persie: “I am so happy. This team is amazing. The spirit is enormous. I am a big believer. We didn’t play great but the circumstances were outrageous. I have never played in temperatures like this. I wanted to play more attacking than we did, but we simply couldn’t. The space would be too big and Mexico would benefit from that.”
Kuyt (playing international match 100!): “This was so hard. I don’t think I ever had it this warm ever.”
Vlaar: ” We started drinking a lot of fluids 3 days go to allow the body to adjust. I must have drank 3 liters before the game. This was a win of tenacity and patience and grit, but also a result of great preparation by the technical staff.”
Some will say Robben was Man of the Match, other will name Huntelaar. The Schalke striker had an assist and a goal. “This is what I dreamt about since 2006. To be important for Oranje at a World Cup”. In the 78th minute, Holland was on its way home, in the 92nd minute, Holland was quarter finalist. In the 88th minute, he saw the cross coming. “I knew it was hopeless to go for a goal. It was too hard, so I decided to cushion it back towards the edge of the box. I know Wes is always lurking for a lose ball.” When Robben got himself his penalty, he asked KJ to take it. “I do tend to get nervous before taking a spot kick, but not this time. They tried to disrupt my focus but I closed myself off completely. I focused on the spot where I’d hit it and that’s it. I am so glad my patience paid out. Finally I can be of value.”
Coach Louis van Gaal: “Our team spirit won it yet again. This was incredible. We have done our best to prepare the lads but at the end of the day, they had to do and they did. I did see our team was fitter. They were done for, it seemed, from the bench. I never panicked, it felt like we would get back into it and the fittest team won.”
Van Gaal does claim a bit of the success: “I am happy I was successful in asking for those drink breaks. It allowed me to put some details in when we needed to change the game. It’s funny, i wasn’t happy with our game in possession and we sort of fixed that somewhat but now I was unhappy with our pressure on the ball when they had possession. They had a number of distance strikes that we should have avoided. Their goal was also a matter of lack of good pressure on the ball.”
Exacrtly seven years ago, Dirk Kuyt’s biggest friend and fan died. His dad passed away after a long disease period. And here in Brazil, seven years later, Dirk plays his 100th international game. After the game, Kuyt received a beautiful trophy of the Federation and a present from the group. And a speech by captain Van Persie. “The words Robin spoke…they really touched me. I was very emotional. Also because of our win of course. Quite a game to have as your 1ooth game. Robin and I know each other well, for 10 years or so now, and we grew close. Gooesebumps.”
The international media have two main topics, as a result of this game. The Dutch media in particular hail King Klaas. The man with steel nerves. De Volkskrant focuses on Van Gaal first. “The coach prepped his team for this World Cup playing different systems. But when all systems are tried and failed, what rests the team is a system based on hard work, tenacity and passion. At the end of this battle, Dutch values of possession, flair and attacking won us the game.”
The international media focused on the dramatic win of Oranje as well but their focus was Arjen Robben and in particular his alleged diving. There are many fun images of Arjen floating around the internet and I will be happy to post a number tomorrow or so. But today, I don’t want to spoil our fun as we are processing this Mexican appetiser with relish.
In closing, Louis used 20 players now. Only Clasie, Vorm and Krul have not yet had their chance to shine. With Cillesen not really impressing this particular match, who knows… LVG is weird enough to suddenly use Krul. As for Nigel de Jong, his injury doesn’t look good which might well mean we will see Clasie vs Costa Rica!
I need to google what the traditional Costa Rican dish is for one of my next posts!!
Happy times are here again! Holland is amongst the best eight now :-).
verhaegh was really bad today, slow and didnt add anything to the team!! good thing is that now have a well rested janmaat, eventhough i have a feeling that this young talent we have “kuyt” will be the right back for next games (and he really deserves it for his unbelievable workrate and passion), thats if daley blind plays as left back. and kuyt also shouldnt be tired since he didnt play the first two games so thats also good. then wijnaldum also didnt play first two games which means he is still fresh!! so those changes we had are really good to keep half of our team fresh!!
that game must have shaved off at least 2 years of my life, so stressful.
being lucky enough to have a family vacation home in costa rica since i was 10, i have a lot of tico friends and pull for the ticos in any game they play aside from when they come up against the US or oranje. as far as tico dishes, look up gallo pinto, or a casado. gallo pinto is a rice and bean mixture that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. a casado is a dinner or lunch plate that has meat (chicken, fish, beef, pork) with rice and beans (separate), a small salad, and usually some fried plantains. as much as i love costa rica, i hope oranje gives them a footballing lesson. i’d say their keeper, navas, is actually better than ochoa, but their defense seems intent on playing offside, hopefully that will result in some 1v1 situations for rvp and robben
What a comeback. Sneijder will hopefully step up like that more often.
I really fear an injured de jong. Besides robben, he is the only player that we cannot replace adequately with a sub from the bench.
I have an idea, what do you guys think of letting kuyt play as our destroyer in nigel’s spot.
Keep blind and janmaat as the backs, and give kuyt a shot at dm. He will give 300%.
57% of brazil is covered by rainforest, the rest is covered by dirk kuyt
That’s a great quote.
Hahahaha nice one yep dirk kuyt was a animal motm for me…
well said Jan! really looking forward to Holland’s next game as Van Gaal is full of surprises. u never know what you’re gona get.
and for me, Kuyt was my man of the match against Mexico. i thought his energy was contagious and was key to making that comeback.
hup holland hup
what an unbelievable game! a donation to the spirit of this beautiful blog was mandatory after such a miracle!! long may this continue!!! 😀 😀
bring on krul and clasie…no more of this cillesen nonsense plzzzz
I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy game. But like what happened last night?? no way I never expected that.
Guys I am dreaming of another final now (before it wasn’t realistic!) I know it’s a bit too early now, but I could not accept another match like this against Costa Rica.
So Argentina will be the match of all! It brings back all the memory of Bergkamp, Kluivert, Davis , Cocu etc
If we really face Argentina, I would be very confident we could take them down!
And Klaas Jan Huntelaar!!!!!!!!!!! Omg I am sooo proud of him! He is such a brave boy to take that penalty! My tears were really coming out after I saw his celebtration!
It’s like he wanted to roar to the whole world proving his worth!
And Sneijder! He never let us down and he did it!! We are so lucky to have brought him to Brazil.
Of course Kuyt! He had been playing 3 different roles in the game!
i had a dream we struggled and sneijder scored and it came through, my friend also dreamed holland won the world cup 1-0 with van persie scoring and lifting the cup. my aunt thinks brazil will win it though. all i know is lets not overlook costa rica because without de jong we need to be careful. de vrij could step up though and play defensive mid. we got de guzman, clasie, fer is questionable. clasie is not ready yet though
also of not the other day when i wrote janmaat out for verhaegh that was news i am refraiing from posting my lineups. right now all my chips and faith is on van gaal if you see a lineup by me its a guess of what van gaal will do or news report that claims something
I hope we can get De Jong back in the Quarter Final (if we can go through Costa Rica).
This is a joke. For me De Jong is the strongest fighter. He can’t be out of the tournament in this way : (
Had to fight with Mexican black magic people with my soldiers,watched the match with wife,it was heat which caused us trouble coupled with dejong exit.De jong is such an important player for us.i hope he recovers before QF itself.
Finally Holland is lucky other teams are unlucky,finally the curse is over.France is unlucky,Germany is unlucky,Brazil is unlucky,Arjentina is unlucky,Belgium is unlucky.
Kuyt was astonishing fucking Goal.com rated him wijnaldum very poor.Idiots.
Wijnaldum,Roben,Kuyt,Devrij was awesome.Kuyt has become and indispensible player of this team.Finally he plays wher he belonged,LVG gets the maximum effcetive use of kuyt.
@Dear Dirkie you deserve a WC and go strong ,here on this day i am calling off my all calls that i made that team with kuyt will not win a trophy.But Team with kuyt as midfeilder and back will WIN a trophy.Dutch nation is going to get repayed by LVG,who didnt qualify for 2002,LVG is going to repay.Lets stay in our toes.
I would rather not see games decided by penalty calls–they are almost always controversial–but of course it is better to be on the winning side of one than the losing, and I think as a couple of commentators have noted sometimes a penalty call is a a cumulative thing–Robben had rampaged in the box a few times and got no calls, so eventually the official is going to give him one.
Wonderful to see Sneijder come through: The Dutch midfield is a bit of a mess–but he came through at a huge moment. Robben has become a real leader of this team. And Kuyt? Of course he’s not the most talented guy on the pitch–most players lack something–but he’s always had the heart of a lion and the guy is a gamer. I want to see him score a goal! Very happy for Huntelaar: it is not easy to be talented and yet sit on the bench for most of your international career, so very happy for him. Brilliant decision to put him in–a game-winning decision.
I was overslept and only just awake after Dos Santos’ goal. At first I thought “we’ve overturned matches where we left behind first, so this won’t be different”. But after it hit 85th minute, I began to feel nervous. I drank a lot of water, as if the heat of Fortaleza radiated into my room. Then Sneijder smashed in a ferocious volley. Then Robben danced past the Mexican backline, brought down by Marquez. Then it’s the ice-cool Huntelaar. 2-1. Then I could sleep again in peace.
MOTM: Huntelaar. 7 touches. 20 minutes. 1 assist. 1 goal.
Guys, let’s not look past Costa Rica. They are a fast counter-attacking team an in Bryan Ruiz they have a good all-round player. Let’s hope we don’t have to endure the near heart-attack situations of the last games.
Is De Jong really out of the remainder of the World Cup? That will be a big blow.
Some reports claim Robben may get a suspension by FIFA after admitting he dived 🙁 .
I highly doubt that, very highly. The penalty for diving is a yellow card, not a red card. So that makes no sense. Maybe at most a yellow card, but a suspension? Makes no sense at all.
I wanted Jan’s opinion of what Robben did with his admission. I asked the question of what’s the point in being “sincere” at this point but I couldn’t get anyone to chip in. To me it is plain STUPID, idiotic. It will heavily be used against you one way or another and may hurt the team. And the army of idiots will use this as a “further testimony” of cheating from Orange.
I actually did some research into this and FIFA could suspend him for two matches for admitting he dived, what a terrible comment he made.
A one match suspension wouldnt be terrible, as we could beat Costa Rica without him, but a two match ban would ruin our chances.
What a moronic comment to make…absolutely moronic.
Crazy double standard when CR7 and Neymar dive than when Robben dives.
The South American players always get a pass on that shit. Maradona “hand of god”, are you kidding me? HE SCORED WITH A HANDBALL…does anyone in the entire continent think he should have been banned. HE SCORED WITH HIS FUCKING HAND.
I am sick of the double standard. I am glad Robben embellished, because of him we are to the quarters.
The British press can go fuck itself as well. Anything to distract from the fact that their team BLOWS.
I have already said a lot about this game but I still am so happy that I could barely sleep last night. I keep playing the goals on my cellphone. Sneijder’s volley is so ferocious that I bet may be one of the fastest balls in WC history. The way Hunter headed the ball, the speed and coordination with which Sneijder hit it, a thing of beauty. I loved it that he ran to the bench and opened arms for all players to rejoice. I screamed so much that my infant son started crying in fear. At that moment I realized we could go for the jugular and finish this game and in a matter of seconds Robben did it. I could tell he was gonna do something special the moment he got the ball. His face was so tense and focused that I thought he would dribble all the way to the net.
One of the most spectacular games I have ever experienced. That’s what makes football beautiful, you can go from hell to heaven and vice versa in a matter of seconds. Enough said.
LVG says de Jong may be out for the rest of the WC. I hope this is just mind games he is playing. We can’t lose our gladiator.
Blind disappointed me with the way he defended Dos Santos. He should have thrown his body across and not let the ball hit the goal. Perhaps he forgot that we have only a half keeper on goal. I doubt LvG would bring in Krul at this stage of the tournament. Just as LvG brought in KJH to save us, he also made a few mistakes with our formation and players used.
Let’s keep a laser like focus for Costa Rica which plays with no fear as they have already made history.
Robben needs to learn to control his emotion when speaking to the press. There is no need to mention about diving. You don’t have to lie but you can choose not to tell the truth. A “no comment” will simply do. I don’t see he gets suspended by FIFA, but I worry that the next ref will take that into consideration every time he is fouled. That was silly of Robben.
We need other players to step up as team has learned to shut Robben down from scoring. He can still dribble, attract defenders, creating spaces for other players, assist. The save from Ochoa was because the defender prevented him from cutting inside, forcing him to be outside and he had to shoot with his right foot.
I saw a glimpse of De Jong in shirt/dress pant, not in jersey, cheering Sneijder. It tells me that the injury was serious. Hopefully we can get him back for SF.
On to Costa Rica, they defended with 8 players and there are a lot of spaces to exploit still. In Van Gaal we trust I guess. Like some of you already say, losing Stroot forcing LVG to switch to 5-3-2, losing De Jong may force him to go 4-3-3 attack/pressure style, offense is the best defense. Luckily for us next opponent is Costa Rica and the game is at 18:00 (weather is better) so the timing is not bad. Perhaps it is time for us to see Clasie in the game. Isn’t Clasie the only one not playing yet? It looks like LVG will get all players (except 2 backup keepers) some minutes in this WC because ….we will win this WC.
Aloysius:
Perhaps I wasn’t given a sufficient “cooling break” and experienced the hallucinations you warned about, but I think I actually enjoyed watching your team play for a few minutes on Sunday.
Your players are performing and you are being praised nation-wide for your tactical acumen and genius. Well done!
But tell me, why do you withhold this quality from us for so long? Why must you allow your team to fall behind before you start playing attacking Dutch football?
When you play with width, and use Depay and Robben as wings, everything opens up. There is space. There is opportunity.
And do you see how Mexico paid for being defensive-minded? When they took the lead and substituted Dos Santos, the game changed, and their attack went away.
Fortunately, you have players such as Kuyt who give 100% and have the versatility to play anywhere (and thus allow you to fix your initial mistakes).
Aloysius, your team’s ability to come back from deficits has inspired us. But don’t be such a queen of drama!
I think this is just ego for you. You deliberately fall behind, just so you can come back in dramatic fashion, and recover based on your tactical changes and substitutions.
Get things right in the first half and everyone will still be talking about the brilliance of the players rather than you.
I would certainly prefer that!
Hendrik:
This may be too difficult for you to grasp, but the changes I make are in response to what I have seen in the match so far – and they are generally brilliant I must say.
My players are instructed to probe and test the opposition and learn from their responses. Then we make adjustments and attack their weaknesses, the flaws in their tactics.
For someone who finds himself to be so intellectual, you seem to be a step behind.
That board in front of you can be used to play chess as well as checkers.
Please step up your own game before you question me.
However, I’m glad that you like what you see. If you ask me nicely, in a few weeks I may let you hold the World Cup just so you can see what it feels like 😀
No drama – just smarts
If you attack full on for 90 min in 38 deg C temperature – you will lose.
Simple. (As JC would say)
OJF
@ Mohamed
FIFA will not be taking action against Robben, confirmed.
http://au.eurosport.com/football/no-fifa-action-over-robben_sto4308657/story.shtml
Confirmed again, no action against Robben.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2014/article-2675242/FIFA-NOT-action-Arjen-Robben-Holland-winger-admitted-diving-World-Cup-16-win-Mexico.html
Thanks Paul.
Fifa does not want to risk having Costa Rica in the Semifinals, I guess 😉
Whew !!! Thank You Paul fot the great update.
Honestly , Robben should learn a thing or two from LvG regarding how to deal with the media. He’s a master in that aspect.
This is from Reuters. Still we don’t need the controversy. Shut your mouth Arjen.
By Mark Gleeson
SALVADOR, Brazil, June 30 (Reuters) – Netherlands winger Arjen Robben has said the controversial penalty he won in stoppage time against Mexico to secure victory in Sunday’s last-16 clash was legitimate but admitted he dived earlier in the game.
The Dutch FA (KNVB) issued a statement on Monday seeking to clarify the media interpretation of Robben’s quotes on Dutch television after the match when he discussed the late penalty call that saw the Netherlands win 2-1 at the Castelao arena.
Several media reports had erroneously reported that Robben admitted diving for the penalty that led to the victory.
“In reality Robben apologised for trying to win a penalty in the first half when he went down too early,” said the statement, reported by NOS television.
“That was a stupid action,” said Robben. “I want to say sorry. It was really dumb.”
In the news release, Robben is quoted as saying the decision to award a penalty at the end of the game, when he went down under a challenge from Mexico captain Rafael Marquez, was correct.
In the television interview, Robben also claimed he should have been given two other penalties before halftime.
“He tackled me on the shin and then had to go off himself with injury,” Robben said of Hector Moreno, who suffered a suspected broken leg in the incident.
“I was tackled again and if that wasn’t a penalty, then I don’t know what is,” Robben told NOS.
Angry Mexico coach Miguel Herrera accused Robben of diving three times and said he should have been sent off.
“If the referee was fair, their second goal wouldn’t exist because Arjen Robben would have been sent off for a second yellow card. But if you don’t book him after the first one, then the player knows he can get away with it,” he told the post-match news conference after Sunday’s game.
hey, no harm, no foul…ha
Seriously though, he needs to shut up.
I believe, Robben’s comment about “diving” was misinterpreted by media and disseminated all over the world. I think it is time to close this page. After every round of tournament, media looks for a spicy topic, and Robben’s “dive story” was one of those…Nothing more than that….But I agree Dutch players have to restrict their communication to media to avoid any unpleasant situations that would destruct them.
Completely agree. Big media need something juicy to talk about after the Suarez biting incident died down. Robben just filled the void. Therefore, a sheepish admission of occasional wobbly legs is blown into a damning self-indictment of flagrant diving….
People should move on from Robben/Dutch “diving” thing. Maradona scored with his fist and won the World Cup … tough sh*t, life is NOT fair.
So what’s next with our plan of formation/player selection, assuming Nigel is a scratch from now on? Kuyt is a definite go and I assume Janmaat would be back. Blind really needs to step up. Cillessen does look shaky but who wouldn’t when the defenders in front of them are shaky? So I’m not sure if Krul would make a difference at this point. I am not too impressed by BMI either.
Wes should get confidence boost after that awesome goal. Now that KJH has seen the pitch, perhaps LvG will play Clasie next? I don’t want to underestimate Costa Rica but if next match is played in civilized weather, I just think we have too much quality over their players. In this respect, if we can lead by 2 goals, probably “experimenting” is good to prep for the next matches. In some perverted ways, I am thinking it was probably a blessing that RvP did not show up yesterday. Perhaps he’s saving his best for the last 3 matches?
We will win 2014 … Hup Holland Hup!
I liked BMI yesteday. He is not a great footballer but the guy brought something to the feild when he came in.
I think vlaar didn’t have his best game yesterday though. De vrij was very good imo.
I agree with you on BMI, especially in the 2nd half. He is one of the few defenders we have who will step up and intercept.
Verhaegh was awful and was beatin time and time again on the flank, he is too slow and has general poor positioning, i think Janmaat was the better option out wide as he is a bit quicker.
Truth, i think Van der Wiel should have been brought in, his speed is missed.
Kuyt did a great job and should stay at wing back. He was explosive going forward and along w robben created lots of problems for mexico in the 2nd half.
Yes Paul…have to agree regarding Kuyt on the right flank with Robben. If De Jong is truly out and not a ploy for the game Saturday against Costa Rica then 4-3-3 will look like this:
–Lens — RVP — Robben
–Sneijder — Blind — Wijnaldum
– Martin Indi – De Vrij – Vlaar – Kuyt
———-Cillissen——————-
No way LVG changes goalies at this stage, and no way Blind sits, though I would sit him. Depay to sub for Lens, KJH to sub for RVP and Kongolo/De Guzman for defensive midfield help if Holland has the lead
Any thoughts guys?
Yes, i dont think Blind should be DM, he was totally out of his element yesterday.
Maybe Fer if he is fit, not not Wijnaldum either, that is not his position, no Sneijder.
I dont know enough about Clasie, but many people think he is well suited for the position. But no blind.
I think Nigel will be ready to go, it walked off on his own and i think he will play.
We dont really need him against Costa-Rica, let him rest for the semi finals.
Costa Rica is good, but let’s not give them too much credit. We need to come out strong and build an early lead so we can maintain possession and make Costa-Rica chase the game. This is not a team which can give too much respect to. This guy Campbell is fast and Ruiz is good, but they are not amazing, they are good players.
If we got past this undefeated Mexico, then we should beat Costa Rica.
Kuyt was the Man of the Match for me. He was everywhere.
He has to start the next game.
I am praying for Nigel to get back because he is as important as Robben or RVP.
Here in Mexico people are saying Holland played horrible football and that Robben is a diver but they don’t see the whole picture.
Holland’s players never play in such weather conditions so that was a HUGE disadvantage for Holland, they lost Nigel just starting the game and then to be losing and overcome all those circumstances to win was OUTSTANDING, AMAZING.
This team might not have the abilities of previous Dutch squads but this team has BALLS…and a huge coach in LVG.
Robben will be punished by yellow card. He is so ethical player, but he shouldn’t declare the dive.
Another incident, van persi pushes herera to shake hands with the referee
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hpjw9jvHt3A
Two incidents by our captain and vice captain
False post.
Robben will not be punished in any way.
Jad, where do you get this mis information from? I posted numerous links stating the opposite? Are you trying to stir the pot? Or just spread false information?
RVP didnt “push” Herrera, is this a joke? Please dont clutter this board with your nonsense and misinformation.
I do believe the weather conditions affected Holland.
But now it’s time we start attacking more. Having Depay, RVP and Robben on the same field will drive crazy any defensive line. Nigel’s injury has to be well replaced it is a shame Fer is injured as well, I believe it’s time for Clasie to take over.
———————–Cillessen———————–
———-Kuyt——DeVrij—–Vlaar——-Blind——-
————Wijnaldum—-Clasie—-Sneijder————
————Robben——–RVP———-Depay———–
I am very annoyed that people are blaming Robben for Mexico loss. And the spanish commentators stating that Robben did nothing all game, and MExico dominated the entire game.
Even in the first half we had spells of dominating possession. True, we didnt create chances, but we did keep decent possession.
After the Mexico goal, and especially the last 20 min, it was wave after wave of Dutch attacks. Funny that no analysis mentions the relentless Dutch attacks whcih led to 10 corners and Sneijder’s wonder strike.
We won this game based on grit and class.
Yes, we need to stop this non-sense talks about diving and pushing…It is already a history, and train has gone. Adiós Mexico, see you next time….
I do not want to underestimate Costa Rica, but I feel that LvG might try to play traditional 4:3:3 formation
Robben—KJH —-RVP (Robben and RVP can constantly change the wings)
Kuyt—–Sneijder—-Weijnaldum
Janmaat —Vlaar—DeVrij—Blind.
I feel with this formation, our midfield looks weak though…Would be great to have Fer instead of Wijnaldum
What was going on between Sneijder and the Mexican coach during the game yesterday? The referee had to come over and intervene.
Also, people can say what they want about Robben, and yes he has a history of hitting the ground easily, but he had two pretty clear penalties overlooked in the first half, and then, on what would have been the most obvious foul in the second, he managed to leap over the defender’s leg and shoot. So in reality, the final call was probably just a culmination of fouls in the box that could no longer be overlooked.
Both incidents happened, we are all dutch fans, our players has to behave on and off the field
What incidents?
LOL, typical, finding anything negative, we are in to the quarterfinals and you are still complaining about nonsense!
I hope The Netherlands can win this tournament, but it is clear that the Dutch need some more dynamism in midfield. I’m watching France and Nigeria and they’ve each got some thoroughbreds–guys who can really push the ball down the field. Holland have one dynamic starter with the ball–30-year-old Robben! Depay is athletic but of course doesn’t start. We are missing athleticism generally and attacking strength in the middle of the field.
Nigeria have a good team but lack finishing touch and they fell apart defensively late to a very good French team that will give Germany problems. The French should have had a man sent off in the second half after he injured a Nigerian with a terrible tackle.
Maybe we watched a different game.
Kuyt was repeatedly charging forward through the game, as was Robben and Depay. Wijnaldum also made some forward runs.
Not sure what some of you are seeing.
The reason our midfield wasnt great yesterday was because we lost Nigel 10 minutes in. Van Gaal will sort it out and make the midfield better.
Agree, Paul, that that they’ll get the midfield sorted out. Losing NDJ so early caused organizational problems, and LVG has a week to get that right. Wijnaldum is a player who I think deserves credit in this WC, doing a lot of unseen work—tracking back, closing down, retrieving the ball—showing that he is much more than an offensive midfielder.
Robben is really stupid admitting to diving. He really brought unecessary attention on himself. Now he will litrally need a leg breaking challenge in the box to get a penalty from now on and he will also struggle to get free kicks.
I have to agree with you on that one, Nad.
Although I thought Robben said he went down “too easily” in the first half, i.e., when contact was made he didn’t keep his feet as well as he could have. It seems like the media have blown this up and said he has admitted to “diving” which is a bit different. Whenever he went down, it was because of contact or a foul.
Now Robben will have to join the ranks of Neymar, Iniesta, Costa, Saurez, and others who are put in this category. Unfortunately none of the others admit it.
We are making too much of a fuss. I dont think this episode will influence referees in future matches. Also the penalty not given balances out the winning penalty and in fact many people are ‘forgiving’ Robben because of this fact.
By the way, just paid you some more beer Jan 🙂
I thought Wijnaldum seemed unaware of where the Mexican midfield was half the time. He had his back to them from what I could see (from behind the sofa).
What about Clasie? Can you guys tell me if Clasie is the real deal?
To all my fans:
I appreciate your inventive and varied responses regarding my request for help with my next tattoo:
Among my favorites received so far are:
“Oranje Glad You Hired Van Gaal?”
“Tactical Masterclass 2014”
“World Cup; Interstellar Tactics”
“The Smartest Man in the World (Cup)”
“Football. Louis van Gaal.”
Then I saw this, which both flattered and horrified me:
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/06/23/article-2665384-1F00477F00000578-897_634x843.jpg
The likeness is just not there, I hope you would agree.
However, now I wonder if I just shouldn’t get this image in summary of my (our) tournament:
http://s2.glbimg.com/0d978OoxVA3m9u28BMQLOgQYIbA=/620×390/s.glbimg.com/es/ge/f/original/2014/06/29/huntelaar_reu4.jpg
Please let me know your thoughts.
Aloysius
Now Holland must not underestimate Costa Rica because they’ve already beaten Uruguay, Italy and Grece.
Costa Rica also did better than Mexico during qualifying so please no slack from the NL. And I want to see a good performance to shut some critics.
Marseille reportedly after Afellay
Alexander Buttner to Dynamo Moscow. Done deal
Porto reportedly have agreed deal for BMI
Koeman wants Pelle and Tadic
Regarding Koeman: I dislike it when Dutch coaches who travel abroad try to strip the good players or youngsters away from their Dutch teams, only to travel to mediocre teams abroad. Jol is an example of doing this with Fulham for instance. Pelle is an excellent player, although I have heard that he is getting restless in the Eredivisie.
Watching bits of France and now Germany games I can’t believe we played in such horrible heat conditions yesterday. This makes yesterday’s victory even more heroic, I would say epic.
Algeria is handling Germany pretty well and if they could hit the side of a barn they could 2-3 goals up by now. This will come to haunt them when they run out of steam.
I hope Robben doesn’t think too much about his foolish comments so that it doesn’t affect his performance. What’s said is said. Learn, move on, score a couple of great goals and put a lid on it.
Germany does not look good.
Germany did not look good against the USA. They have trouble scoring goals and are poor defending.
This German team is very very overrated.
I think as long as Germany don’t play with Lahm not in a fullback position they will not go far.
I mean they have no width from the fullbacks. They should use Khedira in midfield and Lahm as a fullback.
But I huess it’s the Bayern fraction that is calling the shots for Germany …
It’s the Bayern without Robben (and Ribéry and Shaqiri). Nothing special.
Looks like Lowe heard you. Khedira in, Lahm to right fullback.
Kuyt>>>Lahm
I mean come on, if Kuyt can play left back, right back and striker in one single game, why can’t Lahm switch positions?
They have been bamboozled by Guardiola and his stupid tactics.
Yeah, exactly. Who can call it a succesfull season if you change the playing of one of the most successful and entertaining teams in Europen teams, lose and be outplayed terribly twice and still call the coach the best in the world?
Well, I guess if any fans can make themselves believe their own illusions, it’s those from FC Hollywood, aka FC Bayern….
Imagine if van Gaal had the quality of players that Germany have, we would bamboozle the whole of world football!
It really is the coach who makes the difference …
Özil is playing so bad it is embarrassing. Kind of remind me of one of ours. No, wait. That one scored a hell of a goal at the most important moment.
I agreed. Had we had the same quality of players, we would win the WC easily hand down. I’m not surprised that the German are so fit, they just kept runnning and attacking like those Energizer bunny…except scoring. Muller just tried to copy the Bergkamp’s goal, except the finish…
The Algerian goalkeeper is having a game of his career, like Mexican goalkeeper yesterday.
I would trade Cilesen for Neuer 😉
Neuer had 2 big tournaments (2010 and 2012)as experiences. Cillessen just became a starter for club this year and this is his first tournament. Cillessen does not need to steal game for us I think. He needs to be more mentally confident and better positioning, but I think he is growing well in this tournament.
Is’nt Algeria’s coach Bert Van Marwijk’s brother? Just kidding.
Neuer made some good decisions and surely saved a couple of goals by coming way out of goal to sweep the ball away from Algerian forwards who had broken past the last German defender on counter-attacks. it is not always easy for a keeper to judge if he can get to a ball before the opposing forward but he always did. Germany will be tough for anyone to beat.
How legendary would it be, if Germany went out against, of all teams, Algeria!
Now that would be fun. I could repay some of the stick they gave in 2006 after the Protugal game…
Yeah, except all of this is in favor of the frigging french. Please no French team in the final again.
I’m hoping for Netherlands-Colombia final and Netherlands finally lift its deserving WC.
Ok, looks like I can go to sleep now …
But there would still be either of Brazil/Colombia/France, so no walk in the park anyway….
Remind me to never use Germany as a positive example again.
I was initially hoping for another Holland – Germany final, but now I’m not sure that they (Germany) are going to make it, considering they’re going to have to beat France and Colombia / Brazil.
Colombia in my view is playing some of the best football in the tournament, and I think that we are as well, especially when we decide to attack.
Friedel comes to defense of Robben, more or less:
http://fan.football.sony.net/blog/2014/06/30/friedel-dont-blame-robben-theatrics/?ICID=WC_SY_1
Most goals in the WC:
7: Rep (74,78)
6: Robben, Sneijder (10,14) Rensenbrink (74,78) Bergkamp (94, 98)
5: Van Persie (10,14)
100 caps or more:
130: Van Der Sar
112: Frank De Boer
109: Van Der Vaart
106: Van Bronckhorst
103: Sneijder
101: Cocu
100: Kuyt
86: Van Persie
According FIFA stats:
Most Goals: Ned: 12 goals
Best Attack: Fra: 77 attemps of shots
Best Passers: Ger: 2154 passes
Best defence: Bra: 121 attemps of tackles, blocks & saves
It says how this tournament ends. Ned and of those 3 in the final.
My highlights of the game.
México was better in the first half and when they scored the goal they simply stopped doing what had worked for them: attack.
Oranje push forward but Herrera made wrong choices and the team defended, something they are not use to do. Van Gaal brought good substitutions and the 4-3-3 really help the team.
I think against Costa Rica the 4-3-3 is a must. Anyway, I am impressed how the team never broke down specially considering the weather. Van Gaal really prepared the team amazingly and phisically the players are very strong. It helps a lot that we have many young guns but the veterans are playing with hunger. Very happy for Sneijder and KJH.
I am from México and Mexico´s national team has played above expectations but something always happend to México in the fourth game. They don´t kill the game. They had Holland with damage, and they simply did not kill the rival and this Oranje never surrenders.
I think Van Gaal has to realice that in the first halfs the team must improve because not always you can revert the result.
I think Costa Rica will be very tough but Oranje will progress and after that anything is possible. This Oranje has no limitations in terms of luck and mentality. Yes, they are not the strongest Oranje but luck and mental strength are key to win a tournament…and having a very good team environment, something that is very present in the Dutch campo today.
Hup Holland…it would be amazing that Holland becomes world champs in Brazil…first European team to win in America. Holland deserves it.
My eleven vs. Costa Rica.
Cillessen; Kuyt / Janmaat (no Verhaegh please), de Vrij, Vlaar, Martins Indi; Blind, Wijnaldum, Sneijder; Depay, RVP, Robben.
Would like to see Clasie playing in second half. Many of us have said Cillessen is not that good. Dos Santos goal could be stopped, but was not a mistake in my opinion considering he surprised many of us with that powerful shot. Jasper saved some key shots, yes, sometimes he was out of position but is a young lad and will be a top keeper. I don´t blame him for the goal because he saved some crucial situations.
I am amazed of the tactical flexibility of this squad and how many players can play in different positions during the same game.
Bring on Costa Rica, Argentina, Germany-France or Brazil. This Oranje can beat anybody.
Just play well the 90 minutes not only the second half!! My blood pressure is crazy this days!! Hehe, just kidding.
We surely are enjoying this WC. Van Gaal washed the 2002 situation. My respects for this man.
Hup Holland.
Must be tough for you to see Mexico out, but hey, as you said, your 2nd favourite team is moving on.
I watched the goal again. I think Vlaar probably could stop the shot if he tried, and Blind could not keep up so it is more Vlaar/Blind then Cillessen.
I would prefer Kuyt at De Jong’s position than Blind, and yes to Janmaat rather than Verhaegh.
I’m not sure if Depay will start. I wonder if LVG is either concerned with Depay’s fitness or using Depay in 2nd half as part of his tactic. We may see Lens starting first, making a lot of run to wear out Costa Rica’s defenders then Depay comes in 2nd half for the kill if needed.
One more comment. Huge improvement in defence after Euro 2012. Holland does not have the best defence but certainly does not look so vulnerable back there.
De Vrij has been outstanding, Blind and Vlaar too…Martins Indi very well. Janmaat performing well, hell Kuyt is a good option too.
Verhaegh just did not convince…Van Gaal noticed it and will not play him unless something extraordinary happens.
Many of us thought the defence was extremely low. Yes, they are not the fastest guys but if we compare this defence to Heitinga or Mathijsen, no comparison, this simply are better, faster and with better positioning. Van Gaal and Blind = good job there!
This is a cool clip… mixing NED – MEX with 1974 Oranje and 1998 Oranje. Cool
http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/worldcupvideo/item?vh-video=1274956&vh-asset=1
Alistair and Srinjoy, I saw your donations of course!!
Thank you very much. We are getting close. Liveblogging is still a problem but then again, not sure if people really enjoy that anyway….
Thank you!!!
Wait Jan. You didn’t see mine? 🙂 My email starts with b and ends with I.
I am sorry, I did. I didn’t want to ignore you….thank you 🙂
Cheers Jan…and on this blog and the oranje march!!
I’d like to try Clasie and Kuyt in the midfield against Costa rica. I think it can be great.
Blind and Janmaat as wingbacks.
Any updates on Nigel’s injury , guys ?
I read that he is definitely out of Costa rica game.
Nigel could be out of the World Cup altogether
Please tell me this is not true Jan.
I would be devastated if Nigel is out for the whole tournament.
But why?? It just doesn’t make sense he did not even get a hit or something by anyone..
For sure the win of Mexico was great, but without our strongest defender , how far can we really go?
Hey Guys been so busy and haven’t been able to post but been reading everyday and absolutely enjoying this world cup. I posted before the world cup how i thought that Van Gaal had really brought back a real team camaraderie and that a champion team will always beat a team of champions. i think this is what we are exactly seeing.
On the one negative i am also quite worried about Cilesen in goal. he already looks shaky, i cant imagine what he would be like if we start to go further
Here are IMO our best starting eleven and subs so far, should we use them all?
I think LVG has his own idea, it looks like he always want to keep his secret weapons for the most important game, he has done think differently and keep winning tough games without even using his best eleven yet. That’s is important if we want to go further.
Best starting eleven
Cillessen
Kuyt, de Vrij, Vlaar, Martins Indi, Blind
Wijnaldum, NDJ, Sneijder
RVP, Robben
Best 2nd half eleven after subs
Cillessen
de Vrij, Vlaar, Martins Indi; Blind
Kuyt, NDJ, Sneijder
Robben, RVP, Depay
Next game vs Costa Rica
Cillessen
de Vrij, Vlaar, Martins Indi; Blind
Kuyt, Clasie, Sneijder
Robben, RVP, Depay
Possible best squad against Argentina/ Germany/ Brasil/ France
Cillessen
Kuyt, de Vrij, Vlaar, Blind
Clasie, NDJ, Sneijder
Robben, RVP, Depay
Best subs: WIjnaldum, Fer, Huntelaar
And lastly the less impressive subs so far are lens and verhaegh, expect LVG won’t use them in the next games.
Did any of you guys know that Huntelaar had missed 4 of his last 5 penalties before he scored yesterday? A mazing courage.
No, and apparently Robben didn’t know either when he offered Hunter the ball. 😉
That’s someone who takes the chances when given them. Was so happy for him
I’m glad that Robben “bravely” declined to take the PK when he was not feeling good, and if RVP was there, I doubt he would be capable to deliver it too. I feel RVP are more a leader to make everyone play better, but once he feel under pressure, his performance may not be too good.
C’mon guys, no need to diss Cillessen! He’s young and he’s getting a lot of experience in the WK to grow into a great goalkeeper. Back in the day the Oranje had important players that grew while sporting the National in the field. Defenders Ernie Brandts and Jan Poortvliet come to mind, and they were even younger. Cillessen is doing fine so far, and I think he’s going to come out of this WK as a star.
On a side note, I was playing the best-ever 11 tonight and came up with this team. All of my favorite stars fit, except for F. de Boer, which I had to move to the right side. Have a look at my all-time 11 here: http://i.imgur.com/BNA8LPa.jpg
In the AD newspaper, Cillesen is joking: “I am now getting concerned that Dirk Kuyt might be taking my spot as well!”
This match(Holland-Mexico 2-1)was hell.Maybe a good introduction to the matches(if any) with Argentina and Brasil…Much greater hell.Many are waiting a heavy defeat Holland.(Brazil and Argentina can be dangerous when there is no pressure for them.)Especially Brazil(waiting four years on Holland).
Holland is an inspiration for everyone,obviously.
I would like semifinal Belgium/USA-Holland.
But these are all dreams and imagination.
Today ,the only reality is Costa Rica.
They are good.It,s practically their territory and weather conditions .And they are among the eight on the tournament.And they have euphoria.And they must not be underestimate.This is the moment.(Greece was not the best ream in 2004.but..they had the moment.)
Holland seem sometimes “clumsy”in defending.And one on one.It can be a big problem.Mistakes in the first half…
Now is Dutch ship on the high seas,moon rising and vampires are around.
Arjen Robben was affected by sunstroke ,probably.It was 1,5 PK for Holland,during the match.I don,t know what he told.Dirk Kuyt was great.
Van Gaal is not bad also.He does what he can to does.
In South Africa we had practically the first 4 matches relaxing and then 3 tense.In Brazil all matches(5 or 7) will be tense…
Any Updates on De Jong and Leroy ?
de jong out of next game for sure
what about Leroy Fer, I think he can take De Jong place, since De Guzman was pretty shakky in the first stage games.
Guys,
after Germany-Algeria match, I realized how much I can not stand Muller’s ugly face….
Oh fuck …
I need to present myself.
First, i’m sorry about my bad english, I will try to express myself as clearly as possible.
i am a french guy who is living in paris.
But with Dutch origins (my father), I’ve always been a supporter of my country heart: the netherlands: Since i was young (My first competition as spectator : World cup 1998 semi final against … fucking Brasil)
When there is football (especially the EURO and World Cup) I feel alone in this country which is France …
All my friend is 100 % french and support france, of course. (Except one friend who is England’s supporter ! He is crying since 6 years…. )
Anyway i have searched,(and i search) a website where I can talk with my brothers heart ! lol.
When i saw this Oranje Blog, i was very happy… especially when I saw that the site was living with a small community.
I have register on your website today, but I look at your blog since the beginning of the 2014 World Cup.
Moreover, i need to “talk” to an AZ-ALKMAAR (user in that blog)
1. AZ-forever says:
June 29, 2014 at 6:00 pm
I told you, guys, Sneijder would score at most important time, and he did. God, I am so happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AZ-forever, you need to know something.
I read your comment there 1 week (something like that)
Since then, I think about what you say, 10 times a day, until the match against Mexico.
I thought about what you said because I wanted to believe.
Sneijder is one of my favorite players, I’m totally a fan of Wesley.
Since 2010 with stolen golden ball through a reorganization of system completely crappy vote . … It is no longer the genius that was previously, and it is understandable.
He is an human foremost.
So…see Sneijder like “that” in that World cup 2014, hurt my heart.
I hoped so much that AZ-ALKMAAR was right and Sneijder would mark a decisive goal for oranja… and he did it. HE DID IT !!!
When Sneijder launched the missile…. It was unbelievable.
I was with a french friend.
Normally, when oranje score a goal, I express my joy and screams of the most beautiful ways.
After the goal, the 1st thing I said to my friend, it was the sentence that you had said a few days earlier ! Lol.
I was so exciting.
Then, u know whats happened…
This game against Mexico was very very difficult. Lost Nigel in the beginning.. is probably the worst thing to us (de jong & robben : the masterchief of oranja 2014)
But they have done with the courage and perseverance (and a tactical error on the part of Mexico) …
Now, Nigel is injured for the quart, & definitely for the rest of competition.
I’m so pissed. Fucking misfortune… the middle without De jong couldn’t compete against team like Brasil or Argentina (also argentina for us).
What do u think Dudes ? Could we have a chance to going to the final this year ?
I seriously doubt…
You’ll replace me here as I lost my bet with Goldstone…
King Louis is leading our ship, why wouldn’t you just sit back and enjoy the gorgeous sight of the sea? Haha.
HUP HOLLAND HUP!!!
PS: Cool off, P222. No need to swear here. 😉