Dutch hoping to avoid tendency to self destruct
Source: Agencies |
July 6, 2010, Tuesday
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Print Edition
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ONE game away from a World Cup final, the Dutch are hoping that their notorious tendency to self destruct doesn't come back to haunt them.
After five World Cup wins in a row, including a memorable 2-1 quarterfinal triumph over five-time champion Brazil, the Dutch have an impressive record of results and are strong favorites to beat Uruguay.
But the team is well short of its best form and coach Bert van Marwijk says the Dutch have a history of thinking too far ahead.
"We have witnessed it before in the past," he said. "Think about two years ago in Austria and Switzerland. We beat Italy and France and everybody already thought we would become European champions.
"But we didn't even survive the quarterfinals because we thought that we were already there. That's what I've tried to make clear, that this has to be different. Until now, the players have shown that they've picked that up very well but this will be another important test."
The Dutch are unbeaten in 24 games going back to a 1-2 friendly loss at home to Australia in September 2008. Heading into this World Cup, they outplayed Ghana 4-1 and thrashed Hungary 6-1 in warmup games. But they have not repeated that sparkling football in South Africa despite the consistent results and Van Marwijk is not letting his players assume that are going to beat underdog Uruguay and reach the final.
The Dutch have gained a reputation of being unable to stay strong all the way through competitions, losing in two World Cup finals in the 1970s when they played arguably the best football around. Despite winning the European Championship title in 1988 for their only international success, they have since reached three semifinals and two quarterfinals.
Now they have a golden chance to reach the World Cup again, facing a Uruguay side which came into the competition as a 100-1 shot.
Dutch confidence can be fragile if things don't go so well on the field, and if they struggle to break down Uruguay's well organized midfield and defense there could be the sort of fallouts which have damaged Dutch teams of the past.
After five World Cup wins in a row, including a memorable 2-1 quarterfinal triumph over five-time champion Brazil, the Dutch have an impressive record of results and are strong favorites to beat Uruguay.
But the team is well short of its best form and coach Bert van Marwijk says the Dutch have a history of thinking too far ahead.
"We have witnessed it before in the past," he said. "Think about two years ago in Austria and Switzerland. We beat Italy and France and everybody already thought we would become European champions.
"But we didn't even survive the quarterfinals because we thought that we were already there. That's what I've tried to make clear, that this has to be different. Until now, the players have shown that they've picked that up very well but this will be another important test."
The Dutch are unbeaten in 24 games going back to a 1-2 friendly loss at home to Australia in September 2008. Heading into this World Cup, they outplayed Ghana 4-1 and thrashed Hungary 6-1 in warmup games. But they have not repeated that sparkling football in South Africa despite the consistent results and Van Marwijk is not letting his players assume that are going to beat underdog Uruguay and reach the final.
The Dutch have gained a reputation of being unable to stay strong all the way through competitions, losing in two World Cup finals in the 1970s when they played arguably the best football around. Despite winning the European Championship title in 1988 for their only international success, they have since reached three semifinals and two quarterfinals.
Now they have a golden chance to reach the World Cup again, facing a Uruguay side which came into the competition as a 100-1 shot.
Dutch confidence can be fragile if things don't go so well on the field, and if they struggle to break down Uruguay's well organized midfield and defense there could be the sort of fallouts which have damaged Dutch teams of the past.
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