From 1974 to 2006: A comparison

If you were to ask most of the correspondants on the site, “Could your country win the World Cup?” they would probably respond with, “Sure, if…” followed by a list of a few stellar performances by key players and a description of some necessary luck.

When I’m asked I usually respond in the same way. But here is an idea: I think the Dutch have a genuine shot at winning because they so closely resemble the team that went to the 1974 final and lost. I recognize that the 1974 team contained many of the best Dutch players of all time. I don’t mean to say that the current team is entirely comparable but I do think there are a lot of interesting similarities.

The Manager: Marco van Basten has strictly enforced his policy that if a player is not playing well for his club team then he has no business representing his country. In the past many players were called up because of reputation. This only fuels the infamous Dutch footballing ego.

With the current system players only play based on merit. This smells of Rinus Michels, the legendary manager for the Netherlands in 1974, who coached Marco van Basten in the European Championship winning side of 1988. Michels was known for a no-nonsense straightforward approach. It would seem that van Basten has learned his lesson well.

The Qualification: Both teams qualified first in their group unbeaten and only dropped points twice against one team. The 2006 squad drew twice against a stubborn Macedonia and the 1974 squad drew twice against second in the group Belgium. The 2006 team actually has a similar defensive record (despite playing twice as many matches) and likely qualified from a tougher group.

The Team: I remember a quote from the FIFA Fever DVD, “Exciting young striker Johnny Rep.” When I first started looking at Klaas Jan Huntelaar I noticed the similarities between the two. Both were/are 23 this year and are somewhat unproven but have undeniable skill. Strikers Piet Keizer and Rob Rensenbrink played similar roles as van Nistelrooy and Dirk Kuyt. As far as an analogy to Johan Cruyff goes the closest we come is Arjen Robben. He has pace, an attacking drive and is a clinical finisher.

In midfield for 2006 there will probably be Cocu who would be like Jansen, the holding midfielder who has experience at centre back. Then van Bommel helping in defense and providing some link up with the forwards, think Wim van Hanegem. Lastly there is van der Vaart who isn’t the star Neeskens was but has a similar attacking contribution.

Lastly there is the inexperienced defense. Many Dutch fans in 1974 were unsure of their shaky and make-shift defense but with the help of a commanding and confident keeper, Jongbloed, they were water tight. I don’t have to stretch to make the comparison to the present back line and the calming influence that is Edwin van der Sar.

It’s also interesting to note that in 1974 19 of the 22 players played in the Netherlands (I do recognize it was a different era of football). In 1998 it was only 10. Now in 2006 20 players of the 33 chosen in the provisional squad ply their trade for Dutch clubs.

This similarity is one of the main reasons I have hope for the Netherlands come June. Am I stretching it a little? Or am I on to something? I guess on July 9th I’ll either be a genius or a blind fan grasping at straws.