Netherlands left without influential skipper

[Madferret]

Netherlands left without influential skipper
by AFP

The Netherlands are without injured captain Phillip Cocu for their FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Romania in Rotterdam on Saturday and in Finland on 8 June.

Netherlands coach Marco Van Basten gave Olaf Lindenbergh his first call-up in place of PSV Eindhoven's Cocu, who has a knee injury, and added two other AZ Alkmaar newcomers - Ron Vlaar and Barry Opdam.

He continued to overlook Patrick Kluivert, Edgar Davids and Clarence Seedorf.

The Dutch top European Group 1 with 16 points from six matches, one point more than the Czech Republic and three more than Romania who have played a game more.

Netherlands squad:

Goalkeepers:Edwin van der Sar (Fulham/ENG), Henk Timmer (AZ Alkmaar)

Defenders: Khalid Boulahrouz (Hamburg/GER), Mario Melchiot (Birmingham City/ENG), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Barcelona/ESP), Wilfred BoumaEindhoven), Johnny Heitinga (Ajax Amsterdam), Barry Opdam (AZ Alkmaar), Ron Vlaar (AZ Alkmaar), Theo Lucius (PSV Eindhoven), Andre Ooijer (PSV Eindhoven)

Midfielders: Nigel de Jong (Ajax Amsterdam), Mark van Bommel (Eindhoven,), Hedwiges Maduro (Ajax Amsterdam), Rafael van der Vaart (Hamburg), Denny Landzaat (AZ Alkmaar), Olaf Lindenbergh (AZ Alkmaar)

Strikers: Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United/ENG), Arjen Robben (Chelsea/ENG), Dirk Kuijt (Feyenoord), Ryan Babel (Ajax Amsterdam), Robin van Persie (Arsenal/ENG), Roy Makaay (Bayern Munich), Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (PSV Eindhoven)

I'd rather lose Cocu for this one as opposed to the Czech match in October, which is when Group 1's winner will be determined IMO. The depth of the Oranje is rarely tested, but as shown above their is more than a few capable Mids to fill Cocu's boots. I'd like to see van der Vaart take his spot today personally, but it will probably go to Kuijt.

Group 1 EUFA (http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/t/group/overview.html?grp=eur_1)

Brillaint Oranje, Duitsland hier komen wij..

[Madferret]

Netherlands coach Marco Van Basten gave Olaf Lindenbergh his first call-up in place of PSV Eindhoven's Cocu, who has a knee injury, and added two other AZ Alkmaar newcomers - Ron Vlaar and Barry Opdam.

Oops, there's my answer. Hopefully van der Vaart will get some sub time.

He continued to overlook Patrick Kluivert, Edgar Davids and Clarence Seedorf.


Good. Old, under-achieving Oranje should be overlooked, the youth movement seems to offer more in terms of Team play and desire to win. I wish Kluivert would retire from Internationals...

[Madferret]

Robben fires Dutch past Romania
4 June 2005
by AFP

The Netherlands underlined their credentials as Group 1 leaders in 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany? qualifying with a 2-0 win over Romania on Saturday.

Chelsea striker Arjen Robben and Dirk Kuyt of Feyenoord scored goals for Marco Van Basten's outfit, who go on to play Finland on Wednesday in another qualifier.

They now lie at the top of Group 1 with 19 points from seven matches while the Czech Republic are one point down in second place after their 8-1 demolition of Andorra.

The Dutch started the game on the offensive but it was home goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar who was called into action first, parrying a powerful shot by Claudiu Niculescu on four minutes.

Robben scored in the 26th minute, pouncing on a poor backpass by Cosmin Contra and scoring past keeper Bogdan Lobont from an acute angle.

The Dutch notched up their second in the first minute of the second-half, Kuyt heading home a Robben free-kick.

The win was the Dutch team's 10 successive game without defeat since van Basten took charge of the side last summer.

http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/fifa/gen/fifa/20050604/i/3902202164.jpg

[Canucklehead]

Oranje are cruisin' 8)

[J.R.]

Impressive that the Dutch now lead Europe's group one, ahead of World number two, the Czech Republic.

I don't know if they are, but heading into the World Cup, this oranje crush crew just may be a dark horse.

By the way, what do you guys prefer I call this team - The Dutch, The Netherlands or Holland. For example, The Dutch won two-zero today OR The Netherlands won two-zero today OR Holland won two-zero today. Just curious. :)

[Madferret]

The Mighty Dutch..

:thumb:

[Canucklehead]

In a little over a year, "The World Champions" would be nice :D

[Madferret]

Junes, you'll notice a patern with the Oranje. It's either a rare no Qualify miss, or Canucklehead and I will be moaning about how they got submarined by the refs in the Semi's...

2004 Euro - Lost in Semi's to Portugal
2002 WC - DNQ
2000 Euro - Lost in Semi's to Italy
1998 WC - Lost in Semi's to Brazil

[J.R.]

Junes, you'll notice a patern with the Oranje. It's either a rare no Qualify miss, or Canucklehead and I will be moaning about how they got submarined by the refs in the Semi's...Hey, at least you dudes can win a penalty shootout.

:curse:

I'm hoping for '06 to be like '66. A 40 year drought is long enough.

[Madferret]

Hey, at least you dudes can win a penalty shootout.


The Spot-kick Curse just finally ended for us Junes. We hadn't won a game that was forced to the 12 yard dot in over a decade. England at least had some marginal success from the spot (see Euro 96)...