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If the under-achieving Netherlands are to be a major force at the Euro 2004 finals much will depend on their opening encounter with Germany and a re-match with qualification bogey team the Czech Republic.
The Dutch have not suffered defeat against arch-rivals Germany since a friendly in 1996, but have not faced them in a major tournament since the European Championship in 1992.
On that occasion the Dutch won 3-1 to top their group, only to lose to eventual winners Denmark on a penalty shootout in the semi-finals.
More memorable was the 2-1 victory in 1988 when Marco van Basten's late effort sent the Dutch through to the final where they beat the former Soviet Union -- their only major title.
While their record against Germany is encouraging, mere mention of the Czech Republic will have Dutch fans breaking out into a cold sweat.
The Czechs were always likely to be the big danger in Euro 2004 qualifying Group Three, and so it proved.
Both matches between the former European champions were pivotal, with a 1-1 draw in Rotterdam and the Czechs' 3-1 win on home soil sealing their place in Portugal and condemning the Netherlands to a playoff against Scotland.
Although the Dutch swamped Scotland 6-0 in the second leg of the playoff for a 6-1 aggregate win, it was not always that easy for coach Dick Advocaat's men.
The Netherlands started their campaign with comfortable wins over Belarus and Austria before facing the Czechs in Rotterdam.
Striker Ruud van Nistelrooy put the home side ahead late in the first half but a brilliant solo run by Milan Baros set up towering striker Jan Koller for the equaliser.
The Czechs celebrated the draw as a victory believing they would clinch top spot by beating their main rivals in Prague in September.
Their optimism was not out of place. After unimpressive wins against Moldova and Belarus, the Netherlands arrived in Prague with Advocaat struggling to find his best attacking combination from a mix of Van Nistelrooy, Patrick Kluivert, Roy Makaay, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Pierre van Hooijdonk.
Midfielder Clarence Seedorf was dropped and all the preparations went out of the window as the Dutch went two goals and a man down at halftime following the sending-off of Edgar Davids.
Advocaat hauled off Van Nistelrooy 20 minutes from the end, incurring the wrath of the Manchester United forward who was left out in the first leg of the playoff which the Dutch surprisingly lost 1-0 at Hampden Park.
Van Nistelrooy returned for the second leg, scoring a hat-trick in a 6-0 romp that silenced the critics -- for a while at least.
As so often with the Dutch, however, the run-up to the tournament could be a headache for the coach.
Advocaat's midfield needs attention, with Davids failing to carry out instructions on several occasions, and he will need help from his assistant Wim van Hanegem.
Former player of the year Ruud Gullit was supposed to assist Advocaat during the finals in Portugal but those plans were scrapped when Gullit signed a two-year contract with Feyenoord in January.
Added to that, Advocaat's squad must avoid the self-destructive squabbling which has marred previous campaigns, Euro 1996 being a prime example.
If they manage that, and avoid any slips against group outsiders Latvia, the Dutch could make a long-overdue impression on a major tournament. - Theo Ruizenaar
only
naturally-born
defender in the Dutch squad.
With his long-time defensive partner
Frank de Boer now in the twilight of
his career and struggling with his
form, much of the Netherlands's
defensive prowess will come down to
how the 31-year-old... [more] |
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window
for players aiming for a big transfer,
but one of the brightest talents in
the Netherlands has already been
snapped up. Arjen Robben, aged just
20, was bought by Chelsea during the
winter transfer period and will go to
Portugal... [more] |
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If Rafael van der Vaart impresses for the Netherlands in Portugal, it is likely he will make a swift return to the Iberian peninsula on a more permanent basis.
The versatile 21-year-old Ajax captain has already attracted attention from some of Europe's biggest clubs, but his
Spanish background is likely to influence a move to the Primera Liga when he eventually goes overseas...
[more] |
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| Advocaat
answers his critics with playoff
success |
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Netherlands coach Dick Advocaat has known his share of success at club level over the years but nothing can have tasted sweeter than guiding his country to the finals of Euro 2004 in Portugal.
After blowing their chance of topping the group with defeat to the Czech Republic, the Dutch had the seemingly simple task of overcoming a mediocre Scotland team in the playoffs.
But after a 1-0 defeat at Hampden Park in the first leg Advocaat was staring elimination in the face. Faced with a barrage of media criticism, Advocaat made some brave selections for the second leg and the Dutch romped to a 6-0 win.
Advocaat began preparing for the onerous task of managing the national team at the tender age of 32 as he began his coaching career with an amateur team while still playing in the Dutch first division.
He combined both jobs for the final four years of his playing career at Sparta Rotterdam and Utrecht before hanging up his boots and joining the Dutch squad as an assistant coach.
Three years later he took over as head coach of his first professional team, Haarlem.
In 1991 Rinus Michels, who guided the Dutch team to European Championship success in 1988, invited Advocaat to become his assistant in the qualifying campaign for Euro 1992 in Sweden.
Michels had taken over from Leo Beenhakker after the Netherlands were knocked out of the 1990 World Cup in the last 16 by Germany.
During the Euro 1992 campaign it became clear that it would be Michels's last job and that Advocaat was expected to take over from the "General".
After a semi-final defeat on penalties to Denmark, Michels handed the reins to Advocaat who faced a tough qualifying campaign for the 1994 World Cup in the United States which included games against Norway and England.
Norway finished top of the group but a draw and a win against England took Advocaat and his squad to the World Cup.
In the run-up to the tournament key playmaker Ruud Gullit fell out with Advocaat over tactics and quit the training camp.
Without Gullit the Dutch scraped through a tight group and beat Ireland in the second phase. But their dreams ended in the quarter-finals where they were beaten 3-2 by Brazil.
Advocaat resigned and a year later he joined PSV Eindhoven where, in three seasons, he won his first trophies as coach including the Dutch Cup in 1996 and the championship a year later.
In 1998 Advocaat accepted an offer from Scottish club Rangers to become head coach and built a team that grabbed the treble in his first year in Glasgow.
The following season they won the double but despite dominance at home Advocaat's side could not make any impression on the Champions League.
In 2001 Advocaat became Rangers' technical director but when the Dutch Football Association approached him in January 2002 to take over from Louis van Gaal, who had failed to qualify the Netherlands for the 2002 World Cup, Advocaat asked Rangers to let him go.
Rangers chairman David Murray refused but agreed to a combined job for Advocaat, who picked Willem van Hanegem as his assistant for the Dutch squad.
In November 2002 Rangers agreed to release Advocaat so he could concentrate on the European Championship qualifying campaign.
Advocaat's Netherlands contract was extended until 2006 after he steered the team to Portugal, although there is clause that will end the relationship if the Euro 2004 campaign ends in dismal failure. |
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