Worldchampionship for the Dutch?

The Dutch soccer team is preparing for the World Championship in South Africa and their results so far are striking. Especially players Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder from Inter Milan and Robin van Persie (and let’s not forget Rafael van der Vaart from Spanish giant Real Madrid) are on the top of their game in the last months and in the Champions League final Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Mark van Bommel (son in law of coach Bert van Marwijk) played a great game.

The Dutch team has made it to the World Cup final twice in a row, in 1974 in West Germany and 1978. In 1974 Dutch captain Johan Cruijff was by far the best player of the world and Johan Cruijff was also chosen best player of the tournament in 1974. The world still wonders how it was ever possible that the Dutch team lost that final against West Germany. In 1978 it was top player Rob Rensenbrink who hit the post in the last minute of the World Cup against Argentina. Although less impressive than in 1974, the Dutch only lost after extra time, the first World Cup final that didn’t end after 90 minutes but went into extra time. Argentina, with key players Mario Kempes and Osvaldo Ardiles eventually won 3-1.

The Dutch team has always had top quality players (in recent history everyone remembers strikers Marco van Basten and Dennis “The Iceman” Bergkamp) but never really came as close again as they were in 1978. In 1988 Marco van Basten had led them to the European Championship, the only title the Dutch have won so far, with an incredible goal in the final. The reached the semi final in 1998 but lost it on penalties against Brazil. Dennis Bergkamp had scored his famous goal in the 89^th minute of the quarter final against Argentina, a goal for which the English supporters honored him with the slogan “Dennis is God.”

This year it seems to all depend on the form of Wesley Sneijder and Arsenal’s Robin van Persie, although the other teams probably fear dribble king Arjen Robben most. His very first season in Germany with Bayern Munich was a total success and Robben seemed to score his goals in every important for Bayern, including the incredible strike against fellow Dutchman Edwin van der Sar, goalie of Manchester United in a most memorable quarter final of the Champions League.

If all Dutch players play like they played with their club teams this season, the Dutch are not just an outsider for the World Cup, but a likely winner. Only time will tell.