Will LVG sign off by bringing the Dutch one step further than 2010?
Top Man
It has to be Robin van Persie. He may not have had a vintage year at Old Trafford but he averages a goal every two games in Orange and based on this cracker he scored in a friendly last week against Ecuador, he’s in the mood ahead of the trip to Brazil.
His strike partner will most likely be Jeremain Lens from Dynamo Kiev so the onus will be on the much more experienced RVP to provide the goals. We know he is capable of it but Holland have never relied on him as much as they do this time, with so many of the squad around him being so young.
Rising Star
Memphis Depay. If the Dutch get into trouble by losing their opener with Spain, then Louis van Gaal may need to try a few fresh faces and the PSV striker is the best bet. Only 20, he was a member of the side that won the European U-17 title in 2011 and he is not stained by the Euro 2012 disaster either.
Extremely pacy, with a tremendous shot (see below) the kid could be a break out star, if he can oust the more familiar names like Rafael van der Vaart (who’ll miss the tournament through injury) and Wesley Sniejder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNoPMrerri8
Did you know?
Young midfielder Jordie Clasie has a misspelled tattoo on his arm that reads ‘You mean everting to me’ in honour of his father.
Reasons for Irish fans to support them
Irish fans of United persuasion may want to see their new gaffer do well. The rest of us might look back to the end of the last van Gaal campaign, at the boot of Jason McAteer in 2001, and bask in the glory of that day one more time.
If they were a TV series
The Sopranos. Rife with vicious internecine wars, a well-planned and professional outfit always gets ripped apart. The ability to fade to black and leave an unsatisfying conclusion is also a huge frustration to many, but a quirk of charm to others’ eyes. Also, Martin Jol looked a lot like Tony Soprano, and he is Dutch.
Prediction
We have a bad feeling about Holland, especially in such a hard group. We think Chile will be really good and that could mean the third and final group game between them and Holland in Sao Paulo could be a knockout game. If Van Gaal’s blend of youngsters and a few older heads doesn’t work, they could be home quicker than the postcards. Even second place in the group means playing Brazil, and we don’t see a repeat of 2010 on the cards in 2014.
Tournament odds with Ladbrokes: 25/1
