The Olympics were a disappointment for the Dutch team. They survived a the groupstage with some difficulty and were defeated in the quarter finals by Argentina. Ryan Babel is still annoyed by that result. “Our group wasn’t tough. We had a clear way to the finals, but we ended up playing Argentina and didn’t make [...]

That particular evening, Foppe de Haan asked Evander Sno to come by in his room. The Olympic’s coach had made an overview on video of all Sno’s ball contacts and decisions of the last match. The current Ajax player was supposed to soak it all up and learn from his actions. De Haan allowed Sno [...]

The Olympians training in the rain…
The Dutch Olympic football team may have played a shocker of a game against the USA, the return to the hotel suggests they just won gold. Dozens of smiling school girls cheered the team when they got out of the bus after another training.
The rain is pouring down and for [...]

Back from the Big Smoke. Sydney was busy, smoggy, cold-ish and like any city :-).
Been there, done that.
Back to the pitch :-).
Lots of wonderful news indeed. And not so wonderful… Ruud retiring as international is a bit of a shock. He definitely was the beesknees during the EC, but Van Gol must feel his body [...]

The Dutch striker who just saw his starting position slip away looked a bit puzzled after the Oranje game against Cameroon. He’d seen who scored and knew enough. “That’s how it is in football.”
Sub Ryan Babel and Roy Makaay had just scored two goals to win over Cameroon. Babel assisted Makaay when he scored, and [...]

Jonathan de Guzman made a new step in his Dutchman-ness… He walked along the bay of Kowloon in awe. This looked nothing like Scarborough, the Canadian town where he grew up.
“I made a lot of photos already. I know we’re here to play football, but I think it’s pretty remarkable to be here. When I [...]

Gerald Sibon is the most remarkable player of the Olympic team. Sibon agrees with this. Last year, he was registred as unemployed and this summer he’ll wear the orange jersey.
“Yeah, it’s a remarkable story, I guess”, says Sibon now. “I can see that too, but when you are the subject of the story, you don’t [...]

The Dutch Olympic team has entered a new wonderous world. Surrounded by smiling and bowing strangers, the Dutch athletes are being guided to their new, temporary home.
A lady at the airport sums up the players names for their official documents: Loyston Dlenthe, Elik Pietels and Loy Makaay are all invited to come forward. And good [...]

Summers normally mean football for Hedwiges Maduro. In 2005 he played the WC under 20, in 2006 he was with Oranje at the big WC in Germany and in 2007 he played the EC under 21. This summer, again Maduro defends the Dutch flag, this time at the Olympics. But he could take a little [...]

Last Tuesday, Foppe de Haan published his definitive selection for the Olympics. Roy Makaay, Kew Jaliens and Gerald Sibon are the “dispensation” players (sorry, don’t know the right English term). De Haan selected his 18 players, and has four on stand-by in case one or more players get injured.
The four stand-by players are goalie Tim [...]