Kuijt Makes a Case to Replace Ruud

It is going to be very interesting to see what happens in the Dutch camp between now and the start of the World Cup. You have Ruud van Nistlerooy, an established goal scorer with tons of experience and you have Dirk Kuijt, a younger player who also knows how to find the back of the net. Which one will emerge as a starter?

Following his team’s 1-0 win over Ecuador, Dutch coach Marco van Basten talked about Kuijt, who scored the game’s loan goal.

“Kuijt did well and played with a lot of movement so the central striker position is getting busy, even though he should have handled his chances with more efficiency,” Van Basten told a news conference. “At his club he plays the same position and that is what he wants but so does Ruud (van Nistelrooy). He left a good impression today and we will take that into consideration.”

It has been a tough week for van Nistelrooy, who didn’t play in Manchester United’s Carling Cup win. With the emergence of Kuijt, he could see similar results in Germany.

Speaking of Kuijt, here’s a pretty good interview where he talks about the Netherlands’ chances and opponents.