Netherlands national football team

‘The Oranje’ as the Dutch national football team is popularly known as, is governed by the Royal Netherlands Football Association of Netherlands. The Dutch team> played its first international match in the year 1905, against Belgium in Antwerp. Their first world cup appearance was in 1934. After playing in the 1938 Football World Cup, the National Team was in wilderness for a very long period of time. The team came out in the field again in the 1970s because of the invention of ‘Total Football’. In the same decade, the team had a terrific run as they beat both Brazil and Argentina in the second leg of 1974 World Cup, reaching the finals for the first time. They repeated this feat in the 1978 World Cup again by reaching into the finals and this time they lost to Argentina who were playing the host of the tournament. The Dutch national football team plays their home games in Amsterdam Arena.

At present, the team sailed through the qualifying matches of the World Cup to enter the South Africa with high confidence. The Dutch team will be fighting hard to lift the cup to complete their dream of 1974 and 1978 World Cup. Headed by the brilliant coach, Bert van Marwijk the team is high on confidence. The squad comprises of some of the finest attacking players from Europe. With the likes of Arjen Robben, who displayed his class to help Bayern Munich reach in the UEFA’s Champions League final, the squad would definitely reach the finals.

Wesley Sneijder, the Inter Milan’s star along with Robben and Real Madrid’s Rafael van der Vaart makes one of the deadliest combos of attacking midfielders in Europe. Though Robin van Persie of Arsenal had been inconsistent due to his injuries, but the class of his game is known to all. Not to forget the pack of top strikers of the ball, Dirk Kuyt of Liverpool and Klaas Jan Huntelaar of AC Milan. They are the reason of Netherlands free scoring in the past. With right to the qualifiers, the side had conceded only two goals which mean that the Dutch have a strong defense as well. The team would be hoping to maintain the same tally in the World Cup tournament too.

Major Achievements

Reaching the football final’s in two consecutive World Cup tournaments. The side’s biggest win came in as a 9-0 win against both Finland and Norway, while losing to England by 12-2 was by far their worst defeat.