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Mario Been: You can’t leave me home…
Comments(93)
Mario Been
The Dutch Under 17 team is in Mexico now to go for gold.
28 Years ago, it seemed our Dutch youth team would do the same but they simply forgot to win it. The 85 year old Kees Rijvers (former Twente, PSV, St Etienne and Oranje coach) looks back.
The Dutch youth team under Rijvers impressed enormously in 1983, on a tournament which presented players like Marco van Basten, John van ‘t Schip, Gerald Vanenburg, Ruben Sosa, Dunga, Bebeto, Jorginho, Protasov, Toni Polster and Brian McClair for the first time. Rijvers: “This tournament was most likely one of the highlights of my career but it ended on a minor note.”
Rijvers was most impressed with Feyenoord talent Mario Been. “Mario was one of the leaders of the team. He really was a leader. We were in Zeeland before the tournament and he told me – with all the players around him – “coach, if you don’t select me, you’re making a huge mistake”, haha. I never heard a player say something like that. I did tell him later that he’d be part of the group but he’d miss the first game against Brazil. That is how I operated.”
Rijvers coaching, Silooy listening…
The Oranje youth players were all street smart. The talents didn’t know what to expect though. “They thought they were going on a school trip. I really had to work them hard and made sure they were disciplined.” In the heat against Brazil, in the first game, Mario Been would make his mark. Ajax striker Edwin Bakker got injured and 45.000 people watched with open mouths how Mario Been dribbled past three of four Brazilians and chipped the ball over goalie Hugo. This goal became world famous instantly. Geovani did score the equaliser later in the game though. Rijvers: “Been was a talent alright. He had everything. Vision, technicque, scoring skills, passing skills. I still can’t believe why he never made it big in his career. He should have had a big career like Van Basten and Rijkaard. I believe Feyenoord expected too much of him and he never got a real chance to develop there.”
Been was better than Van Basten in those days. Rijvers: “Listen, Van Basten could do anything. But somehow, not at that tournament. Other players were more impressive there. Been, of course, but also Van ‘t Schip and Vanenburg. But also Henk Duut and Tjapko Teuben. Teuben never made it big after this tournament.”
Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 93 comments.
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@Jad
Agree with you. Next match against the host Mexico will be a tough one either. Even if the opponent change the line-up of their former starting 11.
Posted from 
Australia
A article on the financial state of PSV to follow up on Jan’s post a few weeks ago…
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story/_/id/929274/psv’s-financial-fight-reaches-crisis-point?cc=3436
Posted from Australia
Maarten Stekelenburg has signed for South African Team – This is not a Joke !!
Posted from 
Singapore
@Carlos – You are sure you are not winding me up?
Wow his career just went down the drain
Vincent, haha that’s very true.. but we’re so good at letting our opinions know. 
Holland has 17 million trainers. 
haha
And lmao. Stekelenburg was head of development at Capetown while also being a goalie? :p Now that’s talented.
Posted from 
Canada
Man I don’t know what to say !…thank god we have Tim Krul who imo is as good as Stek…
Calm down people. Sometimes goal.com can be useful. They are 2 different people, Stekelenburg is still Ajax’s goalie
Hi, folks. Been a fan of the blog since the world cup (great blog, Jan & Co!), and ready to join the fray of discussion. My proudest voetbal moment was tying Ajax 0:0 at a tournament at AFC Amsterdam when I was 12 (we were slaughtered 5:0 by Feyenoord — they all seemed like teutonic gods with voetbalkopjes). Now I’m playing over 30’s 7 v 7 in Northern Virginia. Life is funny. Re. the Dutch facility with English, growing up in Groningen in the 70s/80s there weren’t that many folks who spoke English fluently. We didn’t study it in elementary school at all, if I recall right, it started 7th-8th grade — de brugklas. Now, they start early in elementary school.
Posted from 
United States
Ps I new that, didn’t want to spoil the joke
Noobs
Posted from Canada
OMG mihran r u f ing kidding me..lol u thought we were being serious..how naive can u get…luving ur innocence ..cheers..Vincent..Tim Krul speaks the best english by far! Bolz Zenden is a close second..both miles ahead of arjen! Our under 17 team massively overachieve at the euros and after watching closely for 180 minutes i declare them mediocre – untalented at very best with a heavy heart 
..only Memphis Dephay has shown glimpses and perhaps anas achbar…also stuivenberg is a poor coach..jordy bitter and nathan ake shud definitely be staring on the right wing and CAM positions respectively…anyone can see that…bitter is powerful and pacy..hopefully Fischer’s brilliance can inspire Denmark to something tomorow or else it will have been a disastrous summer…steve i get it..its common knowledge that goal .com luv headling rumours n pranks…please add something new to the conversation..i only post links i feel ppl might have missed or not seen yet! …wonder if steks will replace bert after euros and recall edwin from retirement as our first choice keeper!
Posted from 
Bosnia And Herzegovina
Wolves sign goalkeeper Dorus De Vries from Swansea
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13875692.stm
Posted from Bosnia And Herzegovina
Borussia Dortmund are set to make a formal bid for Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner. However, the German club are unwilling to meet Arsenal’s £12m valuation. (the Times)
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini will battle Manchester United for the signing of Inter Milan winger Wesley Sneijder after missing out on Udinese’s Alexis Sanchez.
West Ham have shortlisted Stoke’s Thomas Sorensen, Reading’s Adam Federici and Peterborough’s Joe Lewis as possible replacements for goalkeeper Robert Green. (the Times)
Schmeichel Jnr raps Leeds over move
Leeds manager Simon Grayson has told goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel that he has been sold to Leicester after United conceded too many goals last season. He said: “When Kasper goes, we have other alternatives that will make us better and keep us progressing.”
Grayson tells Schmeichel: You were sold because you weren’t good enough
Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Leeds-row-Simon-Grayson-tells-Leicester-Kasper-Schmeichel-he-was-sold-because-he-wasn-t-good-enough-article751137.html#ixzz1Q1Q123ae
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Posted from Bosnia And Herzegovina
Conflicting stories emerge over Nicklas Bendtner’s move to Borussia Dortmund
Royston Drenthe in the dark over Benfica move
Utrecht turn down PSV’s €10m offer for Dries Mertens & Kevin Strootman
Posted from Bosnia And Herzegovina
interesting to see mcity and manU both chasing snieder, manU will be best for him, but I hope to see sneider partners vpersie at arsenal, and see if it works. it will be good for orange, im sure they can be good pals..
Posted from Australia
Bergkamp will replace Danny Blind as de Boer’s assistant for Ajax.
Posted from Singapore
cud surely feature for oranje at some point if he gets going..brilliant shot stopper
Dorus De Vries eyes Welshman Wayne Hennessey’s place
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13882972.stm
Posted from Bosnia And Herzegovina
Chelsea, Manchester United & the clubs who could sign Wesley Sneijder
Posted from Bosnia And Herzegovina
speculations,speculations and he might stay at inter… why should he go to the epl? with a new coach inter will be competitive,they have world class players (at least him and samuel eto’o),and the climate is far agreable in italy (even in milano) than in manchester
Dutch chasing lifeline against Mexico
http://www.fifa.com/u17worldcup/matches/round=255973/match=300151836/preview.html
Danes and Ivorians chasing first points
http://www.fifa.com/u17worldcup/matches/round=255973/match=300151833/preview.html
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink ready to make move into management
Posted from Bosnia And Herzegovina
Tiju’s Randers going down after appeal Snub
http://www.foroyaa.gm/modules/news/article.php?storyid=7148
Posted from Bosnia And Herzegovina
wow tiju first marten at cape town now u with randers…what else do people do on this blog when the sun sets :O ?
Posted from Bosnia And Herzegovina
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probably our U-17 will leave the competition early, poor finishing…they didnt show the european champion personality….shame