The are starting to believe once again. After topping Group F with ten goals in three matches, Ronald Koeman's side head into the Round of 32 playing with a familiar feeling. Could this be the generation to deliver the country's elusive first World Cup triumph?
Over the years, it has felt at times that the Dutch are out to settle a historic debt when it comes to the World Cup. Few national sides have done so much to deserve victory, left such a mark, and come so close, so many times, without ever getting their hands on the trophy.
Since 1974, when the Netherlands took the world by storm with a footballing revolution that changed the game forever, the dream of becoming world champions has been passed from one generation to the next.
The latest crop of dynamic Dutch talent in their final Groupn F game to secure first place and set up a . And Koeman, captain of the Netherlands when they lost their World Cup quarter-final in the United States 32 years ago, is happy to talk up his nation’s chances.
“We don’t fear anyone,” Koeman said. “If you’re at the World Cup, you’re there to win it, but there’s still a long road ahead of us.”
The Oranje produced another assured performance against Tunisia, after their over Sweden in the second game. Against already-eliminated opposition, they broke the deadlock early, grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and made the result feel all but inevitable.
Koeman’s side have topped their group with authority, rediscovering something of that old mechanical memory. The former Barcelona defender has built a versatile, flexible and well-balanced system, capable of adapting to different situations without losing its identity.
“From a footballing point of view, they’re a very good team,”Koeman told FIFA. “There are players who love to get on the ball. I’ve got a group of lads that work really well together and have a great team spirit.”
It is an opinion shared by Koeman’s captain Frenkie De Jong – the latest in a long line of talented Dutchmen to call Catalonia home.
“We’ve got a lot of strengths,” said De Jong, the beating heart of the Netherlands midfield. “We’re capable of scoring different types of goals: from set pieces, on the counter, and through build-up play. So I think we’re a tough team to stop.”
But the Netherlands know, better than most nations in world football do, that the road to World Cup glory does not end after the first three group games. “We need to up our game if we want to win the World Cup. I think we’re getting better every game and we want to keep that going,” said De Jong.
The Netherlands are progressing not just on the strength of their big names, but also because of the range of options that allow them to operate comfortably in more than one system. The introduction of Brian Brobbey, a traditional No9 who scored a brace in their second game and found the back of the net again against Tunisia, is one of the clearest options within that attacking depth.
“I think the team are used to playing different systems” Koeman explained. “We’ve got a very strong squad, with some excellent players at our disposal, and that’s important. I think we need to improve defensively when we don’t have the ball. Sometimes we leave too much space for the opposition to play in.
“We know we’re a creative side that puts in strong performances. We’ve scored ten goals in three matches, and that shows our attacking prowess. I’m not overly concerned, because we’re scoring enough goals to win matches.”
The Oranje now boast a remarkable record: they have gone 15 World Cup matches unbeaten in normal or extra time. Their last defeat came in the 2010 final against Spain. Since then, they have been knocked out by the same opponent and in the same way: Argentina ended their World Cup hopes on penalties in the 2014 semi-finals and the . The latest foray into the World Cup knockout stage brings a mouthwatering clash with Morocco on June 29.
“Overall we did well, we topped the group, but now the real test begins. It’s clear we’re going to be up against a strong opponent,” Koeman said. , the skipper and leader at the back, also set the tone for the next challenge: “I’m expecting us to come up against a fantastic team, with plenty of quality, especially in footballing terms. But they also have some weaknesses, and we need to try and capitalise on them.”
Sources: FIFA Official
