Van der Vaart to fill Cocu role

[Madferret]

Van der Vaart to fill Cocu role
5 October 2005
by The Press Association

Rafael van der Vaart is expected to replace Phillip Cocu in Holland's midfield for the upcoming qualifiers against the Czech Republic and FYR Macedonia.
Marco van Basten's men are assured of at least a play-off spot in Group 1 but a draw in Prague on Saturday will confirm their passage to Germany as pool winners.

With PSV Eindhoven's Cocu absent through suspension for the trip east and the home clash with the Macedonians in Amsterdam next Wednesday, Van Basten was left with the choice of selecting Van der Vaart or Edgar Davids.

And it appears form has taken preference over experience with the 22-year-old, who has made a wonderful start to his career at Hamburg, getting the nod over Tottenham veteran Davids.

"I want to play a specific type of game against the Czechs," Van Basten told AD Sportwereld. "If Rafael plays in an attacking midfield role then the other two midfielders can control the match.

"We are the side to beat in the Group and the Czechs have many question marks because of their injury problems." Arsenal striker Robin van Persie left training early with a minor injury but is expected to be available, as is Ajax midfielder Wesley Sneijder.

Oranje Saturday (http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/051005/21/4u98.html)

http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/fifa/gen/xp/20050907/i/2474952906.jpg

[Madferret]

QUALIFIED!

Dutch delight in Prague
8 October 2005
by FIFAworldcup.com

The Netherlands qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup? in impressive fashion on Saturday night as goals from Rafael van der Vaart and Barry Opdam secured a 2-0 victory in the Czech Republic.

While the three points confirmed Marco van Basten's men as winners of European qualifying Group 1, the Czech Republic now face an anxious wait until Wednesday when they will need three points in Finland if they are to wrestle second place from Romania.

The Netherlands went into the match needing just a point to guarantee qualification for next summer's finals, but the hosts knew nothing less than a victory would be good enough to either catch the Dutch at the top of the group or qualify as one of the two best group runners-up. All the ingredients were there for another dramatic instalment of what has been a classic fixture in recent years.

It did not help the Czechs, however, that they were deprived of the physical presence in attack of Jan Koller and Vratislav Lokvenc, both missing through injury, which meant coach Karel Bruckner opted for a front line of Milan Baros and Jan Stajner. Dutch coach Marco van Basten, meanwhile, called Rafael van der Vaart into the starting lineup after his blistering recent form with Bundesliga club Hamburg.

In front of 20,000 fans in Prague, the hosts looked confident and made the better start. However, it was the Netherlands' Arjen Robben and team-mate Denny Lanzaat who fired the first shots on goal, both going close from long range. The Czech team had to wait until the quarter-hour mark for their first sight of Edwin van der Sar's goal, which came when Khalid Boulahrouz misjudged a clearance to send Baros free on goal. However, the defender redeemed himself, rushing back to win the ball from Baros before the Czech striker could shoot.

Baros broke free again on 30 minutes only to be brought down by Boulahrouz, prompting referee Alain Sars to point to the penalty spot. Tomasz Rosicky placed the ball down to take the hosts' first shot on goal of the night, and watched in despair as Van der Sar leapt to claw his well-placed penalty out of the corner. The Czechs' dismay was immediately compounded as the Dutch struck on the counterattack. Van der Vaart exchanged a one-two with Robben before slotting home from 13 yards to give the Netherlands a 1-0 lead.

Stajner's headed goal from the restart was ruled offside and if the hosts looked shell-shocked during the minutes that followed, Van Basten's men continued to grow in stature. Ruud van Nistelrooy was narrowly off-target on 36 minutes, but Barry Opdam was more accurate two minutes, leaping above the crowd from a corner to head his side's second goal. It was his first international strike in just his third appearance.
The Czech Republic emerged for the second half in determined mood but while Bruckner's men threw caution to the wind they still failed to create any clear openings. Only the tireless Baros and Vladimir Smicer created occasional problems in the Dutch defence. Smicer, introduced for Martin Jiranek in the first half, produced one the hosts' best chances on 63 minutes, shooting narrowly wide from 25 yards.

Van der Sar's goal only came under fire again in the 75th minute, but the Dutch keeper was well-placed to save Smicer's effort from a wide position. Baros steered the ball onto the bar from a Rosicky cross shortly afterwards but that was to prove the extent of the Czech assault.

The Dutch closed out the game intelligently and with a small measure of fortune. The Oranje defence in particular, which last conceded a competitive goal in the 3-1 home victory against Finland in October 2004, showed in the second half how it can be relied upon. The Czech Republic on the other hand never found their rhythm and now face a must-win match in Finland in four days' time.

http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/fifa/gen/fifa/20051008/i/3254662358.jpg

[a4l]

The Three Lions will see you next summer.

[a4l]

Jol backs England to top Dutch
By Richard Bright
(Filed: 14/10/2005)

In pics: World Cup qualifiers
YourView: Premiership clubs
Who's going to Germany 2006

Martin Jol, Tottenham's Dutch coach, insists England will be contenders to win the World Cup and are better than Holland on their day.

The Dutch made England's final group game against Poland less significant following their victory over the Czech Republic. It meant England had already qualified for the finals in Germany next summer, although Sven-Goran Eriksson's men made certain by beating the Poles 2-1 at Old Trafford on Wednesday to finish top of their group.

Now Jol believes England will be major contenders for success in Germany and says they are better than the Dutch, who have won 10 of their last 12 internationals.

Jol said: "They are moaning in Holland because we had two draws against Macedonia. If you want to create top players you have to be very critical and honest, and that is a good mentality. You can only judge how good you are against the likes of Brazil, Argentina and England.

"If England play at the top of their game, they are a better side than Holland. Even in Holland they say that we don't have the best players but they play as a team."

[Madferret]

For once I'd like to see England back up their 'we can beat anyones' with a solid game of football against a top club. What top 10 teams did England have to play during their sloppy qualifying tournament? How did England do against stronger countries in friendlys? I can look in my crystal ball right now, and see what England does in WC 2006..

1) Bitch about their Group draw
2) Play a 6-3-1 formation and wonder why Rooney can't win them games
3) Play God awfull boring soccer
4) Play God awfull boring soccer
5) Play God awfull boring soccer
6) Get to the quarters where the will undoubteably self destruct by either Beckham or Rooney doing something utterly stupid and get shown a red card...then SGE will make the decision to go even more defenive and so afraid to show effort and lose that he switches to a 8-1-0 formation.

There are no lions in England.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39045000/jpg/_39045939_rooney_off298.jpg http://www.expertfootball.com/history/wc/1998_2b.jpg

[a4l]

Ermmm... well we did win in 1966, that must count for something.
We don't exactly play boring football, we're just a little laid back.

Just wait. Mind you I have been saying that for the last 35 years. ;)

[Madferret]

Ermmm... well we did win in 1966, that must count for something.
We don't exactly play boring football, we're just a little laid back.

Just wait. Mind you I have been saying that for the last 35 years. ;)

So you agree with me on the other points I made then?
:D
I have nothing against England Sue, but they've played some terrible soccer lately, lost to some lower echelon countries, just barely qualified for the WC in one of the weakest groups, and now start yapping about being the 'real deal' and 'a threat to the big countries'?
England, like Italy, have so much pressure on them to win that they play abosolutely terrifed to lose, and nervous/tight soccer bores the sh!t out of me.