What if I told you that just four months after the
conclusion of the World Cup, the reigning world champions, despite fielding a
team full of players that helped them win the title, would be easily defeated
by a team which did not even qualify for the tournament?
To most, such a scenario would seem unthinkable; however,
that is exactly what happened in a recent Nations League match.
This match saw the Netherlands, who failed to qualify for
the World Cup in dramatic circumstances, beat France 2-0 with Georginio
Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay getting onto the scoresheet for the Oranje.
It has been a remarkable turnaround for the Dutch team
ever since their ill-fated World Cup qualifying campaign. They have recently
been on a tear, as this victory over France came not long after a resounding
3-0 win over Germany in another Nations League game.
After missing out on Russia 2018 despite being the
top-seeded team in their qualifying group, the Netherlands chose to embark on a
major rebuilding period. This decision to rebuild appears to be bearing fruit.
Out of the players who started the Netherlands’ last
World Cup qualifying game against Sweden, only five did so against France:
Jasper Cillessen, Virgil van Dijk, Daley Blind, Ryan Babel, and Wijnaldum. New
faces such as Marten de Roon and Frenkie de Jong have been added to the team to
great effect.
Former coach Dick Advocaat was also replaced, with Ronald
Koeman one of the Netherlands’ all-time greats, taking over. Although Koeman
had coached nine different clubs over 17 years, he had only ever won one major
trophy: the 2008 Copa del Rey with Valencia. Hence, the appointment of Koeman
was certainly a risky move.
As it turned out, however, this full-scale revamp could
not have been timed better.
Although the Netherlands have won just four of their nine
games played in 2018, three of them came against Germany, Portugal, and France.
This is a team that has consistently played against high-level opponents, with
games against Slovakia and Peru being the only exceptions.
The newcomers’ entry to the squad has certainly been of
great benefit to the team.
Probably the most striking difference between the Dutch
team of a year ago and now can be seen in its backline.
Vibrant, young defenders such as Matthijs de Ligt, Denzel
Dumfries, and Kenny Tete have emerged as rising stars who will likely be
mainstays of the Netherlands team for the foreseeable future.
But even more crucially, the team has also seen van Dijk
emerge as the cornerstone of their defence and a true leader on the pitch.
Despite having played just 24 games for the Netherlands, van Dijk has already
become the team captain, and rightly so. His rock-solid defensive play sets the
tone for the team’s overall mentality, whether for club or country. At club
level, his arrival at Liverpool from Southampton turned the Reds’ shaky defence
into one of the most solid in the Premier League. There is every chance that
van Dijk will go on to become the next great Dutch defender.
The Netherlands are no slouches up front, either.
Led by the underrated Memphis Depay, this Dutch squad’s
attack also packs quite a punch. The likes of Steven Bergwijn, Quincy Promes,
and Babel, who has been in the midst of an impressive individual comeback of
his own, have also contributed to the Netherlands’ Nations League success thus
far, scoring several key goals along the way.
Koeman’s coaching also must not be overlooked.
Under Advocaat, the Netherlands clearly fell far below
the heights they once reached and were evidently a step behind all of the top
international teams. They often appeared limited and devoid of ideas on the
pitch. However, Koeman has rejuvenated this team, infusing it with much more
verve and vigour than it previously had.
The Netherlands is a proud footballing nation, having
produced legendary names such as Johan Neeskens, Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit,
Edwin van der Sar, Arjen Robben, and of course, Johan Cruyff. After a fallow
period in which the Oranje missed both Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup, it
appeared that this generation would never reach such levels.
However, after the events of the last few months, some
fresh faces could perhaps be starting to write their own stories in that famous
orange jersey.
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