Makaay, Ruud, Reina and Cruyff on Holland-Spain…

July 10th, 2010 | by: Jan | Comments(62)

Roy Makaay made his debut in pro-football at Vitesse and chose to go to Spain instead of Ajax. He became a big name at Deportivo La Coruna and. Coming Sunday the two nations in which he spent most of his career are up against eachother.

“I do expect an open game. Both teams like to have the ball,” Makaay said. He watched his old buddy Schweinsteiger lose against Spain in the semis. “It’s obvious that you can’t give away any space at the back. It’s very hard to play against Spain but you do have to pressure them up the park and you have to convert your chances. A bit like Inter against Barca in the Champions League. You will have a chance against them, and Spain is very aware of the class Holland brings to the pitch.”

The 35 year old striker confirms that Holland hasn’t set the world alight. “No, but they reached the finals and won every game. Holland is unbeaten for 25 games or so. That’s quite something. And really, Spain will be the first opponent in a long time that wants to play football. Which will allow space for us to play in. But, in all honesty, Holland has done brilliantly so far already!”

The Dutch Federation has invited five former team managers to come and watch the finals. Louis van Gaal is the only coach to have accepted the invite. Guus Hiddink, Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and Dick Advocaat have apologized. Guus wants to spend time with family and friends for the first time since 1998. Marco is still recovering from his ankle injury, Frank is at work with Galatasaray and Dick Advocaat wanted more cash to show up.

Hiddink: “I’m now merely a supporter and I’m enjoying the World Cup from the coach. I do get heaps of positive reactions from South America, Asia, Australia and Europe. Most people are really happy with Oranje’s performances and achievements. And although they miss our creativity, they admire the effectiveness.”

The former Holland coach admires Bert van Marwijk’s management. “He has moulded a lot of securities and steel in the team. The Brazil game demonstrated how tough it is for another team to play Holland. It may not be brilliant all the time, but at times it is and if they keep on striking at the right time, you’ll win the Cup.”

“I can see this team supported by a strong foundation. Like the Germans in the past. We normally couldn’t stand it because we lacked it. Now we have it.” He feels it’s too easy to criticize. “Of course we all want to see sensational games, more pressing, more forechecking but that’s easy talking from me and millions of others sitting on the sofa with a beer. But Bert is doing it and he’s in the finals. I never made it so far, so what should I be talking?”

Ruud Gullit, former Under 21 coach and current director of the Holland-Belgium bid will be there too. Prins “Orange Teeth” Willem and Prinses Maxima will stay in South Africa after watching the semis. It’s not sure whether Maxima will wear her Dutch cow outfit again!

Johan Cruyff was interviewed by De Telegraaf last Saturday and he praised team manager Bert van Marwijk. “What Bert has achieved is really unbelievable. They may not have played superb but they’ve really performed beyond expectations. Only one Dutch coach – Rinus Michels – has done this before, so Bert can be really proud. And to do this with an unbalanced team, is really tough. It’s clear that our forward 5 are truly world class, while our back 5 are not. To get this team to this level is simply awesome. Bert and his staff deserve all the compliments for that. They radiate that they’re a team, staff and players, and that’s really shows.”

Cruyff watches the World Cup from home. He’s not longer in South Africa. “In particular Maarten Stekelenburg and Dirk Kuyt have reached a phenomenal level. Most of the players were good or really good, but Stekel and Kuyt were exceptional. They performed to the extreme!”

JC got criticism for his support of Spain in recent comments. “Listen, I stand for the football Spain plays. But if Holland wins it and if Holland’s football beats Spain’s football, then I’ll be happy for Oranje and proud, without a doubt. But I do hope football will win.”

Ruud van Nistelrooy thinks Spain is the top favorite to win it. “Spain was the favorite at the start of the World Cup already, Holland was an outsider. I think their style is awesome. No team can play the ball like they can. They will have most of the possession without a doubt, although that won’t say a lot. Sneijder and Robben both need two touches to turn the game around and decide the game. Spain knows this.”

Pepe Reina has already exchanged jubilant text messages with Dirk Kuyt in anticipation of Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final

Kuyt was first to make contact following the Netherlands’ victory over Uruguay in Cape Town.

Twenty-four hours later it was Reina’s turn to respond after Spain had booked its first appearance on the game’s greatest stage by overcoming German resistance.

The chat will continue to be jovial for the next couple of days.

But Reina knows by the final whistle, only one man will be celebrating. And he is confident it will be him.
“I have been in touch with Dirk and I heard from him before and after the game,” said Reina.
“He wished us luck yesterday and now it is 100% certain that Liverpool will have a World Cup winner.
“That is something to be proud of at least but hopefully on Sunday Dirk won’t be that happy.”

Almost certainly, Reina will be restricted to a watching brief, as he has been all the way through the tournament.

The lot of a number two keeper may be dripping with opportunity if you are behind Robert Green in the pecking order, as David James was before the West Ham keeper’s woeful error in England’s opening game against the United States, but not if the number one is also the team’s captain.

If Reina was English, he would be an automatic choice. With Spain he must act as chief support to Iker Casillas, whilst also holding off the challenge of Barcelona’s UEFA Champions League-winning keeper Victor Valdes.

It means Reina will be watching Monday’s game from the bench rather than starring in it. And he expects to see a typically industrious display from Kuyt.
“We all know Dirk’s game,” said Reina.
“He does an awful lot of work and we know how important he is for the team.

“He is a top-class player. It is going to be really tough for us to stop him on Sunday because, as everyone knows, he never stops running.”

If Kuyt’s boundless energy was the limit of Netherlands’ talents, Spain would be cruising towards its first World Cup this weekend.

But they have other attributes as well.

Robin van Persie is proving to be an excellent battering ram, allowing Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder to exploit the space behind in a manner England couldn’t do.

“Holland have a lot of strengths,” said Reina.
“I don’t have enough fingers to count them all.
“If they are in the final by beating good teams like Brazil it is because they fully deserve to be there.
“Sunday is going to be really difficult.”

Nevertheless, Spain still start as overwhelming favourite to exert a superiority that has been evident since that scorching run to Euro 2008 glory in Vienna.

There was one wobble against the United States at last northern summer’s Confederations Cup, and the poor form of Fernando Torres has deprived Spain of the cutting edge its brilliant passing game requires for it to be truly effective.

But it has not stopped them moving to the brink of history; its first World Cup triumph and the first team since West Germany in 1972 and 1974 to follow a European Championship triumph by lifting the biggest prize two years later.

“We have made history because we have reached our first final, but we want more than that,” said Reina.
“Finals mean nothing unless you win them. We have to do that. That is our target.
“Yesterday was a complete performance but there is a lot of work to do between now and Sunday.
“There is a lot of pressure on us because we won Euro 2008. We have always been one of the favourites. Now we are favourites once again.

“But the main thing is to remain loyal in the way we play and be confident it will bring us the right result.

“We have to keep the same philosophy that brought us here in the first place.
“It is hard to win a World Cup final and we are just one step away.”