Attacking defense. That’s the term. That’s how team manager Bert van Marwijk wants to see Oranje play football. Tight organisation, forward pressure, taking possession and full on attack. Sounds simple.
According to the team manager, you can create space for your offensive game. Again, it sounds good. He was very surprised, he said in an interview, [...]

The problems our players, coaches and clubs face year in year out are felt by yours truly as well:
The calender is sooo full!
Players start the competition (after having played EC’s and Olympics) with qualification games for the European competition and their own league games, cup games, what have you. Not to mention the international games…
Babel [...]

He was quick. He was mentally and physically strong. And a nice bloke.
He liked to dribble to the inside with the ball and go for the near post. Almost his signature thing.
But he didn’t score many “great” goals. To me, they never looked spectacular. And then this one came. Against Belarus. I believe he had [...]

Van Marwijk is happy that his son in law is not involved, this time around…
Amidst all the European cup news, this particular news item almost slipped my attention, but I am really euphoric about the latest shenanigans surrounding Oranje.
Just when I thought the Dutch team would become a boring team, with great talent and focus [...]

Der Bomber. He came from Veendam. He wasn’t a team player. Didn’t defend or trail back. Didn’t take on opponents. Didn’t have a lot of assists. Didn’t even look like an athlete.
But he scored. And he hit them hard. Volleys, half-volleys, whatever. Hard, high. Spectacular.
Except for this one…

Evander Sno came through the Ajax youth system but left for Feyenoord at 18 years old. The defensive midfielder was never used in the Feyenoord 1 squad and was hired out to NAC Breda.
He made his move to Celtic and was praised as one of the world’s new talents. He made a promising debut for [...]

Wonder goals are really wonder goals when they’re scored in important matches! Peter Houtman – currently stadium speaker at Feyenoord – was a typical Wim Kieft like striker. Tall, static, strong in the air. The guy started his career at the Feyenoord youth, then was told to leave (not good enough). He played for FC [...]

Peter Hoekstra… He was one hell of a left winger! Came from nowhere into PSV, a much coveted youth player. His length, his speed, his technique…a joy to watch… He was part of Hiddink’s EC1996 squad and was supposed to become one of Holland’s most exciting players. But fate happened. Hoekstra’s tall and lean [...]

Ronald de Boer was one of those players of whom coaches never knew exactly what his best position was. They said it about numerous players: “he is great, but they need to invent a new position for him…”.
Kirsten Nygaard, Andrej Jeliazkov, Clarence Seedorf, Tarek Oulida, Igor Korneev, Kenneth Perez and many others come to mind.
Ronald [...]

He wasn’t an actually goalie, of course. But one day he had to replace the keeper and Ruud Gullit knew how to stop the opponents from scoring!
Look at this!!