[Europe Group 7]
8 Matches 6 Wins 1 Tie 1 Loss (19 points)
| 10/5/96 | Vs. Wales | Win | 1-3 |
| 11/9/96 | Vs. Wales | Win | 7-1 |
| 12/14/96 | Vs. Belgium | Win | 0-3 |
| 3/29/97 | Vs. San Marino | Win | 4-0 |
| 4/2/97 | Vs. Turkey | Lose | 1-0 |
| 4/30/97 | Vs. San Marino | Win | 0-6 |
| 9/6/97 | Vs. Belgium | Win | 3-1 |
| 10/11/97 | Vs. Turkey | Draw | 0-0 |
| Offense |
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Defense |
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| Organization |
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Experience |
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| Talent |
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Capacity to surprise |
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Appearing in their seventh World Cup, the goal for the Dutch is, of course, their much sought after first championship. In both of Holland's two trips to the final match, the team tasted defeat at the hands of the home country. The reason why Holland is not taken quite seriously despite its acquiring one of the strongest positions among Europe's leaders is the lack of cohesiveness. One reason for this is the strong rivalry between Ajax and PSV. Currently, the balance on the team under Hiddink is tilted towards the PSV team he once led and the presence of Ajax members is much less than it once was. Also, conflict between Caucasian players and Surinamese black players is severe and is a major reason why the team does not come together.
However, looking at just the skills of the individual players, the Dutch have the horses that could win the championship. Bergkamp, Cocu, and Kluivert are without a doubt world class players, Jonk's middle-distance shooting is a threat and the devastating power of the intelligence and amount of movement of the De Boer brothers combined with the speed of Overmars are the real thing. In particular, if the midfield functions skillfully, they are so strong as to brook no rivals. Thus, the final topic is what can be called a "traditional" optimistic mood that comes from overconfidence. The first focal point is whether or not Holland can eat up the Belgian team that it disposed of so easily in the qualifiers. Looking just at its fighting capacity, Holland is a candidate for the championship.
*KONINKLIJKE
NEDERLAN-DSCHE
VOETBALBOND
[Address]
- Woudenbergseweg 56-58,
- postbus 515,
- NL-3700 AM Zeist
[Established] 1889
*7th World Cup
(1934, 1938, 1974, 1978,
1990, 1994, 1998) |
Dennis BERGKAMP
* Forward
The advance of the Orange team depends on the mental condition of its ace.
Since his brilliant international debut in the 1992 European Players' Cup, Bergkamp has reigned as the ace of the Dutch national team. He has fine technique that belies his physical size and a sharp scoring sense in front of the goal. At one time, he had fallen into a horrible slump, but after his transfer to Arsenal (England), he gradually started back upward again and currently has not only returned to his top form, but is further broadening his play, for example by growing to another level as a game maker. However, he can be somewhat uneven in his mental condition and sometimes this weakness robs him of his concentration.
Guus HIDDINK
After a playing career with de Grafshaf, PSV, the Washington Diplomats, and other teams, Guus Hiddink became a coach. He captured three consecutive league championships with PSV from 1986 and won the Champions Cup in 1988. Then he coached for FENERBAHCE (Turkey) and VALENCIA (Spain) and became the coach of the Dutch national team in 1995. His coaching is characterized by solid convictions and psychologically skillful player handling and he emphasizes carefully prepared strategy and organization. In France, he will be aiming for the much sought after title with a solid PSV-style 4-4-2.
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