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Olympic Team takes shape!
Comments(16)
Some weeks back, the Dutch Olympics played a friendly tournament in Sweden. De Haan’s squad won the last game against Portugal with 2-0, after losing against France and a draw against the hosts.
A good win against the strong Portuguese team, who we won’t see at the Olympics by the way.
Jeremain Lens, played for NEC last season on loan from AZ Alkmaar, was the man of the match. He scored the first, on a Makaay pass.
“We made good use of the space they allowed us. Portugal played good football, but our organization was tremendous. Lens’ speed is a real weapon for us,” said Foppe de Haan.
Goalie Ken Vermeer (ex-Ajax) had to save the Dutch in the first minutes and Pele hit the bar.
In the second half, the Olympics attacked more. Ten minutes before the end, new PSV signing scored the second goal.
“We start to get in shape,” De Haan continued. “We finished better than we started and we still have players like Drenthe, Aissati and Emanuelson to come in. More options.”
The players will take a holiday now and return for the warm up tournament in Hong Kong end of July.
The Olympics against Portugal:
Vermeer
Zuiverloon Marcellis Jong-A-Pin Pieters
Luijckx Beerens (Amrabat) Sno (De Guzman)
Lens (Emnes) Makaay Sibon
Coach Foppe de Haan selected 30 players for the first training after the holidays. These sessions will focus on the physical.
The squad:
Piet Velthuizen (Vitesse), Kenneth Vermeer (Willem II), Ryan Donk (AZ), Henrico Drost (sc Heerenveen), Tom Hiariej (FC Groningen), Kew Jaliens (AZ), Calvin Jong-A-Pin (sc Heerenveen), Christian Kum (ADO Den Haag), Erik Pieters (FC Utrecht), Frank van der Struijk (Willem II), Ron Vlaar (Feyenoord), Gianni Zuiverloon (sc Heerenveen), Wout Brama (FC Twente), Lorenzo Davids (NEC), Urby Emanuelson (Ajax), Siem de Jong (Ajax), Kees Luijckx (AZ), Evander Sno (Celtic), Istvan Bakx (KV Kortrijk), Roy Beerens (sc Heerenveen), Marvin Emnes (Sparta Rotterdam), Jeremain Lens (NEC).
Dirk Marcellis (PSV), Ismaïl Aissati (PSV), Otman Bakkal (PSV), Luigi Bruins (Feyenoord), Jonathan de Guzman (Feyenoord), Hedwiges Maduro (Valencia), Nordin Amrabat (PSV), Roy Makaay (Feyenoord).
It seems Barry Opdam, the veteran AZ defender and former Oranje international has thanked for the Olympic team. He has moved to Co Adriaanse’s Red Bull Salzburg and won’t be available to go to the Games. Kew Jaliens (AZ) is his replacement.
Foppe de Haan is counting on Ryan Babel to be fit for the Olympics. The Liverpool striker got injured in the preparation for the EC2008 for Oranje.
i have the same feeling…
Posted from 
Hungary
Make that 3…
Posted from 
United States
What is more disturbing from my very personal perspective is that from a 30 member selection of a Dutch Under 23-squad, you have only 2 Ajax players?
WTF has happened here? Someone closer to Amsterdam please enlighten me on the Ajax talent development program. I am shocked…
Posted from United States
That’s basically JC’s criticism for years now. Van der Wiel, Emanuelson, Siem de Jong and Babel… Those are the names for now. Huntelaar is with the seniors, as you know. The rest?
You should count Kenneth Vermeer as Ajax as well, actually. And Maduro.
By the way, completely off topic, but since we need some lightening up:
What do you call Mike Tyson in a short skirt?
Serena Williams
Posted from United States
van Nistelrooij said that he wanted to be apart of that squad too. I really hope he isn’t picked, or else Makaay will be playing behind him probably, and Makaay deserves to shine internationally.
@Jan, you said the PSV signing scored, but who?
Posted from 
Canada
Oops… That’s Nordin Amrabat. Every big team in Holland wanted to sign him.
Finn:-)
Thanks Jan, just what I wanted to hear 
Posted from United States
Well can anybody tell me why the Netherland Squad which took part in EC, is not a part of Olympics squad?
Want to see Persie, Sneijder, Robben, Nistelrooey,Kuyt again in there Oranje dress.
@Manmeet:
It is because the Olympics is strictly an U-23 tournament, with each team having two exceptions (I believe).
With the crowded schedules in European club (money grabbing) football and the fact that the Olympics goes well into the end of August which is when the season has already started in the English Premiership etc., most regulars for big teams are “strongly encouraged” to take the time off and certainly not go to Beijing after a tough (and tired) Oranje EC campaign.
Hence you will not see any (or at most a couple) of faces you saw in EC08. Simple as that. Wouldn’t mind seeing some myself, but it just won’t happen.
Posted from United States
Looks like a strong club. What kind of squads are other teams sending?
Messi for Argentina. Ronaldinho for Brazil. Strong enough for ya 
?
manmeet – I don’t think Kuyt would look very good in an orange dress.. 
dirk – Ruud won’t be playing with them. He only said he wanted to go to the olympics before when he was having a problem with Marco and wasn’t playing in the senior team. Now that’s all done and forgotten.
Posted from Canada
Barcelona’s trying to keep Messi from playing, and now FIFA and Barca seem to have some kind of problem. We should win this title, bring some dignity back to our side. At least there’s no Spain,Russia,Germany there, so no one can out-do us twice.
Posted from Canada
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im not in the mood for another Oranje yet…think i need a few weeks before i can get excited about Foppe and his crew
Posted from
Netherlands