SPAIN
NETHERLANDS
CHILE
AUSTRALIA
GROUP B
POSSIBLE STARTING XI
MICHEL VORM
Goalkeeper
He is renowned for his
remarkable penalty
saving abilities, earning
him the nickname
‘penalty killer’.
G. VAN DER WIEL
Right-back
He plays efficiently an
attacking right back
and is known for his
speedy runs down
the flank.
RON VLAAR
Centre-back
A leader on the field
and with his wealth of
experience, he can
help organise the
back four for the team.
DARYL JANMAAT
Right defender
An aggressive player
who attacks down the
right flank and can
provide dangerous
crosses.
THE KEY PLAYER: Arjen Robben, itching to show he can perform, and triumph, on the biggest stage
NETHERLANDS
FIXTURES
June 13, Salvador
Versus Spain
June 18, Porto Alegre
Versus Australia
June 23, Sao Paolo
Versus Chile
HOW THEY QUALIFIED
Uefa Group D winners
WORLD CUP RECORD
1974 Runners-up
1978 Runners-up
2010 Runners-up
APPEARANCES
10 (1934, 1938, 1974,
1978, 1990, 1994, 1998,
2006, 2010, 2014)
FIFA WORLD RANKING
15th (May 2014)
After a disastrous Euro 2012, in which Bert Van
Marwijk’s Netherlands team lost all three of their
group games, the Dutch have bounced back in
style. They qualified for the World Cup.
Coming off the back of a superb World Cup in 2010, many
expected the team to go one better in their more localised
major tournament. But the Dutch crumbled both on and
off the pitch. On the pitch in group games against Germany,
Portugal and Denmark; off the pitch as a fractious, volatile
atmosphere developed within the squad.
But that is in the past, and as we head towards the finals,
the squad as a whole looks to be in very good shape. Louis
Van Gaal has ushered out a chunk of the 2010 squad and has
stumbled upon an encouraging blend of established squad
members and blossoming youngsters. It means that worldclass players like Robin Van Persie and Arjen Robben still
remain key figures, but they are supported by lesser-known
burgeoning talents like Kevin Strootman, Bruno Martins-Indi
and Jordy Clasie.
Despite their rip-roaring qualifying performances, there is
a sense that this tournament might be too much too soon for
this redeveloping outfit.
With players of the calibre of Robben and Van Persie
performing at their very best, the Oranje have it in them to
beat anyone on their day.
JETRO WILLEMS
Left-back
A very good attacking
player; he’s not afraid
to make runs with
ball down the flank or
directly to the net.
J. DE GUZMAN
Midfielder
He earned his slot
in the team because
of a series of strong
performances in the
English Premiership.
KEVIN STROOTMAN
Midfielder
A tough-tackling,
tactical midfielder,
possessing good
vision and balance
on the ball.
WESLEY SNEIJDER
Attacking midfielder
With short stature, he
is quick, strong on the
ball, and his passing
range is enhanced by
his ambidexterity.
ARJEN ROBBEN
Winger
He is expected to set
an example to the
younger players
with his new found
work-rate quality.
ROBIN VAN PERSIE
Striker
The captain of the
team. He is regarded
as one of the best
strikers in the world
today.
JEREMAIN LENS
Winger
A versatile offensive
player best known for
his pace and stamina.
He is used as a
winger or a striker.
THE COACH
LOUIS VAN GAAL
He is an avid promoter of attacking football. As a
coach, he is known as a slow starter who frequently
finds his players needing ample time to grasp his
tactics and intent of play. On 6 July 2012, hewas
presented as the new Netherlands coach. He led
the Netherlands through their 2014 World Cup
qualification group as the team won nine and drew one
of their 10 matches with a goal difference of 34-5.
sports magazine t h e g a m e
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