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Edson Braafheid: It doesn’t get any better…

February 10th, 2009 | By: Jan | 14 Comments »

Braafheid on the left. Debutant Van der Wiel on the right…

Edson Braafheid (25) reported for duty with Oranje, with a healthy dose of excitement in his body.

He entered the dressing room and introduced himself to the other players with a handshake.

Fast and tough, was Bert van Marwijk’s summary of FC Twente’s left back’s qualities. Braafheid could easily recognize himself in that description. “Yeah, when it’s needed, I engage. And I’m quick enough to repair anything that goes wrong.”

The former Utrecht defender is being followed and scouted by Van Marwijk for some time. Braafheid himself didn’t know, however. Until his name was frequently mentioned in the last couple of weeks. And then he found himself in Van Marwijk’s preliminary selection. “I never even think about Oranje. I don’t feel you have to either. Just concentrate on playing well for the club and anything can follow from there.”

With Gio van Bronckhorst and Tim De Cler injured, it seems Braafheid’s debut will be close. Van Marwijk already hinted at the potential starting position for the Suriname born player. Braafheid hadn’t read that. “I don’t know… I’ll just wait and see. I’m part of the group. That in itself is tremendous. I’m going to enjoy this.”

Still, on Sunday Braafheid came close to a nightmare. “I copped two serious knocks on my ankles against De Graafschap. Luckily, they’re only bruised. So, I’m actually lucky…”

Braafheid didn’t want to risk a thing. After the Sunday game, he left for Amsterdam to sleep in his parents’ house, close to the Ajax stadium. “I didn’t want to end up in traffic, and get at Oranje too late.”

Braafheid plays for Twente since 2007. He played for FC Utrecht before, with which he won the national cup in 2004. In 2006 he won the European Championship with Foppe de Haan’s Young Oranje. In 2008 he played for Oranje B, the international against Sweden that Oranje lost.

He can play at several positions. When he started at Twente he played center back. “Douglas now plays there. I returned to left back, which was also my position at Utrecht. It went well. I think I’m more a left back. It allows me to engage in build up and I can really use my energy there. I think that’s my spot now.”

He’ll be a busy body in the next weeks. With Twente, he is still engaged on three fronts: UEFA Cup, National Cup and the competition. And now, Oranje. “It doesn’t get better than this. It’s all going too well with Twente and my invite for Oranje is partly thanks to Twente, of course. I don’t think it will get too much, no. I think I want to keep on going like this. Success is addictive. The more, the better…”

Tags: Braafheid, Group C, McLaren, Oranje, Twente, Van Marwijk

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Comments

By Andrew | February 10th, 2009 at 11:35 am

Nice article, Jan, thanks. It would be good if he started.
@Finn, OT looks like the Norway-Germany match is on Gol TV tomorrow here in the US.

Posted from United States

By sonneveld | February 10th, 2009 at 11:49 am

Yeah nice article he seems like a great guy.

Is Elia of FC Twente gonna make it big. I read that arsenal scouted him.
I would love some opinion’s on him.

By finnster01 | February 10th, 2009 at 11:50 am

@Andrew: Cheers just spotted that as well. 2:30pm EST. I will take the afternoon off and be in my favorite NY pub early looking for krauts to annoy. There is usually only one sad boring German Bayern fan in there, but maybe he brings some mates I can wind up a bit.

In any event should be a long day for Norway, friendly or not. Game’s in Dusseldorf, new coach, no backs on either side, no Carew upfront, dodgy keeper. Only decent thing is the central defense which is excellent. Doubt that will be enough to get a result from the gerries though.

By Jan | February 10th, 2009 at 4:36 pm

Hey Sonneveld… I haven’t seen Elia play that often, but I’d say he’s the beesknees. Goose speaks highly about the chap and Goose is highly critical.

There is a little article on Elia coming up.

By Carlos | February 10th, 2009 at 6:28 pm

Here’s the line up

Steks
Heitinga Ooier Mathijsen Braafheid
Bommel de Jong
vPersie Snejder Robben
Kuyt

Looks fine to me

Posted from Singapore

By Mario | February 10th, 2009 at 6:49 pm

Looks fine Carlos but Kuyt is not the best striker to perform in tough games vs. Germany, Brazil, Italy or Spain. I´d rather have van Persie there or Huntelaar if he recovers his form.

By Michel-Olivier | February 10th, 2009 at 7:03 pm

i wish this was the st 11

————-Steks———-
v.d.Wiel-Heitinga-Mathijsen-Braafheid
——Schaars——deJong——–
Kuijt—– Sneijder———- Robben
———-v.Persie———-

that’s a team

Posted from United States

By Carlos | February 10th, 2009 at 7:55 pm

Guys, I am willing to bet that the instructions to Kuyt and vP is “please change positions at will” I am sure you will see them interchange incl Robben down the middle and on the right/left. A complete flexible and mobile front line. Only disappointment is they are not showing this game. Guess there is not too much contact between Tunisia and Singapore TV networks. Finn you should be here, they are showing the Germany game, the England Spain, Last night the Brazil 2 v Italy 0 game. Brazil played like Holland 3 and Italy like Italy 0.

Posted from Singapore

By sonneveld | February 10th, 2009 at 7:58 pm

kuyt shouldn’t be in there

van persie
sneijder vdv robben

By Miguel Rosado | February 10th, 2009 at 8:04 pm

————–Stekelenburg————–

–Nigel–Heitinga–Marcellis–Mathijsen–

———-Bommel——–Schaars———-

—-Robben——Sneijder——–Afellay–

—————-Persie—————–

*I haven’t watched Braafheid and Van der Wiel so I can’t say much about them. But it’s a good sign that you guys put them in your teams, they must be good.

By bobotoh | February 10th, 2009 at 10:36 pm

my favourite for the attacking force:

—back four—-
–2 holding midfielders–

—afellay—-sneijder—-robben
——robin van persie—

Posted from Indonesia

By Andrew | February 11th, 2009 at 12:09 am

I’m going to come down on the side that says Kuyt should be included—at least until RVN gets healthy and decides he wants back in –the way he runs and covers back, and, as Carlos points out, the mobility and interchangeability of a forward 4 of Robben, RVP, Robben and Kuyt should be lethal. Besides, Kuyt’s in form, superb goal he scored for Liverpool on Saturday…as we speak, I’m watching a rebroadcast of the Italy-Brazil game Carlos spoke of…Italy was ripped apart in the first half. Its a friendly, I know, but it might be time for Italy to turn the page on the group that won the world cup.

Posted from United States

By Jason | February 11th, 2009 at 2:11 am

Huntelaar should play a game like this. it perfect to breath some life into his confidence. i also think that his form is fine, every time he’s been in for Real madrid he has had some great chances and also has good quick instincts. The media is too quick to write him off, its pretty hard to impress when they put you into the closing stages of a game that your side is trying to kill off defensively.

Real Madrids striker situation is as much a weakness these days as is their constant coaching changes. Raul should take a back seat and the glory hound named Higuan should learn to pass.

Huntelaar made a mistake, he should have gone to Juventus where he would have played to his hearts content. There is not enough dutch representation in Serie A.

Posted from Canada

By Caleb | February 11th, 2009 at 10:24 am

@Jason – agree about Huntelaar, he’s looked good when he’s gotten the last few minutes of games. Also agree about Raul… he’s not his old self anymore, I don’t think he’s the best option for the striker position.

About there not being a lot of Dutch representation in Serie A, personally I think that’s a good thing since I don’t watch Serie A at all. I have heard that it’s gotten a little more exciting in recent times though…

Posted from Canada

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