Top Oranje Goals…

I have to agree with Ferenc that best game ever was Holland-Argentina 1974. Total domination from the 1st to the 90th, 4 goals and it could have been 15 seriously!
As for the best Dutch goals, Bergkamp’s goal is the best. It had everything drama (last minute of a 1/4 final match), incredible skills, composure, and a fabulous finish. It also gave us hope that we would finally win the WC.
The second is V Basten in 1988 final. But I would also include the V Basten goal in the dying minute against Germany in 1988 semi-final. I am surprised nobody has mentioned that one. It was as dramatic as the Bergkamp goal and we finally beat the hated Germans. I remember watching that goal many times. I think in my mind beating Germany on home soil was more meaningful than winning against Russia. Of course I was much younger then. Now in retrospect I appreciate and relish the fact we won in 1988. But then all that mattered was the revenge against Germany.

A young talent from Ajax has gone to Barcelona, Bobby Adekanye is his name.

I used to like football more when everything was even. Now it’s just about the money…a good player in Ajax youth and Barca, Arsenal, Chelsea buys him. :S

http://arunfoot.blogspot.com/2011/07/video-most-bizarre-handball-ever-in.html

Check out the site of my mate and the most bizarre handball in football ever. And the ref missed it!

Bunch of girls, these players!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c-5ebHnlsE

Here it is now. Watch it before they remove it

THe comments on YouTube are too good

Jan: the referee was hungarian

Posted from  Hungary

Sigthorsson has officially signed for Ajax.. Does anyone know the fee as they say it’s undisclosed… I would hope they didn’t pay more than sporting payed for Van Wolfswinkel I would have much rather seen a young Dutch talent up front for Ajax.

Posted from  Australia

Bobby Adekanye is 12 WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted from  Netherlands

Hmm only a little related to oranje but, a united Dutch people= Flanders and Netherlands is a little step closer with a new economic deal, to join forces internationally, especially with the ports Antwerp/Rotterdam. The goal is to present themselves more as one economic area abroad. This deal excludes the southern French speaking part of Belgium.
Means a bigger talent pool for oranje is a step closer too.
I know, people might think im a little dangerous in promoting this.. but im not a wannabe conqueror lol. I support democracy and freedom.. just to be clear, lol

Posted from  Netherlands

Dennis Bergkamp’s ‘top goal’ – former Arsenal and Netherlands star remembers stunning World Cup 98 strike
Thirteen years to the day, the former Gunners star relives THAT strike against Argentina and reveals the telepathy between him and Frank de Boer that made it happen

This is an extract from David Winner’s interview with former Arsenal and Netherlands star Dennis Bergkamp in issue one of The Blizzard…

Holland v Argentina,
World Cup quarter final,
Marseille,
July 5, 1998,
The 90th minute

“That’s my top goal, I think. Also because of everything around it. It’s a goal that gets you to the semi-final of the World Cup, a massive stadium, lots of people watching and cheering… My reaction afterwards was very emotional.”

You covered your face as if to say: “I can’t believe I’ve just done that!”

“I didn’t know what else to do! It’s funny. Every boy has a dream: ‘I want to score in the World Cup. Score the winning goal in the final, of course. But in this way… to score a goal like that, in the style of me, you know? The way I score goals, on that stage, in a game that really means something, because that’s important to me too.

“I love good football, nice football but it has to mean something. It has to bring me somewhere. And that’s what happened with this goal. At that moment I thought about when I was seven or eight years old, playing football in the house, you know? This is the moment! It’s a good feeling.”

You’re a long way off the ground when the ball comes. For a wide receiver to catch that with his hands would be difficult. You do it with your foot! What were you thinking? How much was planned? How much improvised?

“Again, it’s a question of creating that little space, eh? So you get to that ball first. You’ve had the eye contact… Frank [de Boer] knows exactly what he’s going to do.”

You asked for the pass?

“Yeah, yeah. There’s contact. You’re watching him. He’s looking at you. You know his body language. He’s going to give the ball. So then: full sprint away. I’ve got my five, six yards away from the defender.

“The ball is coming over my shoulder. I know where it’s going. But you know as well that you are running in a straight line, and that’s the line you want to take to go to the goal, the line where you have a chance of scoring. If you go a little bit wider it’s gone.

“The ball is coming here, and you have two options. One: let it bounce and control it on the floor. That will be easier, but by then you are at the corner flag. So you have to jump up to meet the ball and at the same time control the ball. Control it dead. And again, like the Leicester one, you have to take it inside because the defender is storming that way. He’s running with you and as soon as the ball changes direction, and you change direction as well, then he’s gone, which gives you an open chance. Well, it’s a little bit on the side but it gives you a chance to shoot.”

It’s an astonishing piece of control. How did you manage it?

“We talked about balance on the ground. This was balance as well, but you have to be in the air. You’ve got to be as still as possible, as if you are standing still… but in the air, and controlling the ball. If you’ve got a lot of movement, and try to control with the inside of the foot, then the ball could go towards the defender. So you want to keep it on the top of your foot.

DENNIS BERGKAMP

CLUB CAREER STATISTICS
CLUB

AJAX
INTER
ARSENAL

TOTAL
APPEARANCES

185
52
411

648
GOALS

103
11
120

234
INTERNATIONAL STATISTICS

NETHERLANDS
APPEARANCES

79
GOALS

37
“That gives you the best chance, and the best chance of controlling it. I’m not worrying about the angle of my foot because that’s something you do all the time I know I can control almost any ball that comes to me. But I want to be very stable. I didn’t realise how high in the air I was. But you know you want that ball in that position. Not there but here. So you have to jump up to meet the ball.”

How much looking back were you doing while the ball was on its way to you?

“You first look back when the ball comes, of course. But there wasn’t much wind, so I’m looking forward, to keep sprinting, to meet the ball. You know the line, and at the last moment you think: ‘OK now I have to jump’. And when I’m in the air it’s going to meet my foot. There’s a little bit of calculation at that moment. But it’s experience.”

And after you had landed it?

“You just think: that’s step one. You want to get the whole moment, the whole sequence. It’s three touches. Everything can still go wrong at that moment, so you are concentrating on doing it step by step. But you don’t know the steps. You can only do the second step if the first step is right. If the ball shoots on a little bit further, then you have to adjust again.”

So you’ve killed the dropping ball, you touch it inside to get rid of Ayala [the defender] and make a better angle, and you don’t take the shot with your left foot but with the outside of right.

“Yes because I feel more confident with that at that time. It’s in the middle of my feet and I have the confidence, and it’s not the right angle to take it as well with the left, because that’s a different kick. So I choose to take it with my right – ideally, the outside of the right – and aim it for the far post, then let it turn in…”

It even curves.

“That’s what I wanted. Take it away from the goalkeeper and let it come in.”

Did it cross your mind that he might save it?

“No. Because when you’re in that moment … You know, sometimes you have these moments where you think: ‘This cannot go wrong! No way!’”

God is flowing through it?

“Yeah. What can you compare it to? Different sports? Like running the hundred metres and you know this is going to be a good time? But you’re in that moment. That’s the feeling. After the first two touches… that moment! You give absolutely everything in that movement. It’s like your life has led up to this moment.”

Posted from  Bosnia And Herzegovina

I still cannot get over that moment. Bergkaammpppppppp GOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL… still reverberates. I don’t know who the commentator was but he had just jumped outta window in exhilaration… I still get goosebumps watching the magic and hearing the unending gol sequence.

I was in the fledgling stages of my professional career then at New Delhi. Matchtime was in the afternoon, I remember and a whole bunch of us had taken leave – all complaining of upset stomach

Beer flowed but prayers were more fervent. And then the moment came – beyond description, guys…

To me, this gol was the best I’ve seen. Cheers to that

Posted from  India

Transfer market updates:

Excellent weekend for PSV after completing the signing of the trio of Wijnaldum, Strootman, and Mertens. In my book, they have the finest midfield in the country and the top candidate to win the Eredivisie. (And Engelaar leaving the club is a sweet topping ) Like I said earlier, I still think they need a reinforcement on attacking, and I believe they are actively seeking. It’s been reported that PSV is inquiring El Hamdaoui. I am not a fan of this move. El Hamd has the super-star attitude and is lazy. PSV needs a hungrier talent, a guy who can come in and give 110%. IMHO, Bas Dost would be an ideal candidate. His playing style would suit better. He is not very good in dropping to midfield and searching after the ball. With a number of creative midfielders behind him, he doesn’t need to do this. He can just concentrate on finishing and raking the goals. It didn’t seem Dost was settled at H’veen, so I am sure he would welcome a change of scenery. He won’t come cheap though, so PSV may have to clear some dead woods first.

Ajax signed Sightorrson. I am yet to convinced this is the right move, but I have only watched Sig played one or two times with AZ last season, so I can’t speak with supreme confident. Going with Ajax notorious scouting, especially on the forward department, my early hunch is that this is another signing that will be best to be forgotten. I haven’t read any activity regarding Stekelenburg leaving other than that Roma’s interest reported couple weeks ago. Bummer. The good news for Ajax fan is that Aissati is back. I think he can be a useful player, at the very least as a back up for Eriksen.

Feyenoord-Leroy Fer saga is taking an interesting turn. Fer is starting an arbitrary case against the club in order to push his leave. It’s clearly underlining how weak Feyenoord’s bargaining power is at the moment. Even if they manage to keep Fer, I am not sure he will be motivated to play for the club anymore. I still believe the best thing for the club is to sell him now, rather than losing him on free. Speaking of losing, Bahia has left Feyenoord. Granted Bahia is border crap player, but it’s never good for the club when players are dropping left and right like flies.

Interestingly, ADO Den Haag has the most star players (Verhoek, Toornstra, Immers, Dericjk) with the potential of leaving the club, yet every single of them is still with the club, for the time being.

Posted from  United States

For us Ajax fans some great news here…

Vertonghen will not be leaving Ajax this summer. He told the club’s website: “I don’t have a reason to leave. For as it looks now I stay another year in Amsterdam. I want to play in the Champions League and that is possible at Ajax. I want to play Champions League and become champions again.”

Posted from  Australia

Little known fact:

johan cruyff also invented the piano key necktie.

Posted from  Canada

I hope Castillion can take the striking position in Ajax from Sightorsson,but thats highly unlikely…

@ eric:’Fer is starting an arbitrary case against the club in order to push his leave.’

i don’t think this is the case, because the source of this article is Twente actueel, a regional paper in Twente. Not very objective.. besides, Fer played for almost 9 for Feyenoord and he will never betray his club in this way. And if he does, i don’t think he will ever be able to show his face in Rotterdam again…

http://www.twenteactueel.nl/index.php?rubriek=sport&artikel_ID=4434

Posted from  Netherlands

@robbert- just like everything else, take what’s available online with a grain of salt. Twente is however famous for keeping their cards close to the chest. So, when little tidbits information showed up, I tend to believe them. To be honest, I am not all that surprised if what’s reported is true. Fer has been pushing the club for strengthening, instead he’s seen in despair some of his compatriots leaving for green pasture, Wijnaldum and Castaignos most notably. It’s hard to imagine that he wants another year of mediocre club performance, especially knowing that he has a realistic chance of making the Oranje squad to Euro next year. The whole club loyalty issue is very sensitive, I know that. But one can argue that he has every rights to thing about his future.

Posted from  United States

Btw, assuming that Feyenoord can’t convince Fer to sign contract extension, to me the most interesting question is how much Fer is really worth.

Feyenoord is asking in the range of 4.5 to 5 million. Twente’s initial bid is understood to be just below 1 million– clearly they were making a low ball bid offer, almost to the borderline of insulting (Not surprised because Twente’s chairman is quite masterful in negotiation). Wijnaldum went for 5 million to PSV. So I can tell right off bat that Fer’s value should be considerably lower because Wijnaldum is widely considered as a better talent and that Fer had a below-par season last year due to injuries.

Splitting the difference, I think 3 million sounds like a very good deal for Feyenoord. Twente should generally be happy with 3 million, too. They sold Theo Janssen to Ajax for the same amount. Practically they get a massive upgrade in midfield for free! BUT bear in mind, like I said earlier, Fer has only one year remaining in his contract, which means Twente can get him without even pulling out their checkbook from the pocket next year. So in greater scheme, I think Twente is pushing to get Fer around or slightly under 2 million. I’d say, 2.5 to 3 million is a fair value.

Posted from  United States

Wijnaldum would be worth more (and I think he indeed is worth much more) than 5 million,and Fer also more than 3,if we would be judging by the transfers from other leagues. If Wijnaldum was playing in Portugal till now,then his buy out clause would be around 15-20 million. That is pretty funny,but on the other hand also very sad…
Also I noticed that a good young talent from shit league like Croatian is beginning to be worth like a good young player from dutch league. And thats not right.

Judging by that fact,it looks like dutch clubs are underrating their own players. So Netherland players are not only underrated from other countries.:)

I believe the reason why Wijnaldum was sold for only 5m has more to do with the fact he’s got 1 yr left on his contract. Wijnaldum could easily sign for another club after next season and PSV recieves absolutely nothing. So with this risk, i think thats why he only cost 5m. but i do agree that given a player in the same scenario but was playing for a portugese team, he would probably be sold for slightly more…

Hot from the press:

Johan Cruyff threatens to leave Ajax already. JC is angry like hell because the membership disregarded his advice to sign Tscheu La Ling as the new general manager. “La Ling is inexperienced and untrustworthy” the members concluded.

Cruyff doesn’t want any nay-sayers and told the club he’s happy to drop it all again and have good day!

Pfffff….. Jopie Jopie…..

Posted from  Australia

Barca usally signs the kids before 10..so no wonder,if he is good he will develop there..so no worries

about the match againts germany in 1992, I remember Bergkamp’s goal. But, I cannot remember that actually Basten almost scored. The ball hit the cross bar. And Basten using his left foot. I really miss him in Oranje….

Posted from  Indonesia