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History of the Netherlands national football team

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Netherlands
Nickname(s)Oranje
Holland
Clockwork Orange[1]
The Flying Dutchmen[2]
La Naranja Mecanica[3]
AssociationKoninklijke Nederlandse Voetbalbond (KNVB)
ConfederationUEFA (Europe)
Most capsWesley Sneijder (133)
Top scorerRobin van Persie (50)
Previous top scorers
Home stadiumDe Kuip (51,117)[f]
Amsterdam Arena (53,052)[g]
Philips Stadion (36,000)[h]
Previous home stadiums
FIFA ranking
Highest1[4] (August 2011 – September 2011)
Lowest25 (May 1998)
First international
 Belgium 1–4 Netherlands Netherlands
(Antwerp, Belgium; 30 April 1905)
World Cup
Appearances11 (first in 1934)
Best resultRunners-up (1974, 1978 and 2010)
European Championship
Appearances11 (first in 1976)
Best resultWinners (1988)

The history of the Netherlands national football team began when the Netherlands played their first international match on 30 April 1905 in Antwerp against Belgium. The game went into extra time, in which the Dutch scored three times, making the score 4–1 for the Dutch side, winning the Coupe Vanden Abeele.[5]

The Netherlands national football team made its first appearance at the FIFA World Cup in 1934, Italy. The Dutch hold the record for playing the most World Cup finals without ever winning the tournament. They finished second in the 1974, 1978 and 2010 World Cups, losing to West Germany, Argentina and Spain respectively. Oranje reached third place in 2014. They won the UEFA European Championship in 1988.

History

[edit]

Early history

[edit]
Dutch squad for their first international match

The Netherlands national football team played their first international match in Antwerp against Belgium on 30 April 1905. The players were selected by a five-member commission from the Dutch football association. After 90 minutes, the score was 1–1, but because the match was for a trophy (the "Coupe van den Abeele"), the game went into extra time, in which Eddy de Neve scored three times, making the score 4–1 for the Dutch side.[5]

The Netherlands made their first appearance at the World Cup final tournament in 1934. After a second appearance in 1938 they did not appear in another World Cup until 1974.

1934 FIFA World Cup

[edit]
Main article: 1934 FIFA World Cup qualification § Group 7
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Netherlands 2 2 0 0 9 4 2.25 4
2  Belgium 2 0 1 1 6 8 0.75 1
3  Irish Free State 2 0 1 1 6 9 0.67 1
—  Finland Withdrew
8 April 1934 Netherlands  5 – 2  Irish Free State Amsterdam, Netherlands
Smit 41', 85'
Bakhuys 67', 78'
Vente 83'		 (Report) Squires 44'
Moore 57'		 Stadium: Olympischstadion
Attendance: 38,000
Referee: Otto Ohlsson (Sweden)
29 April 1934 Belgium  2 – 4  Netherlands Antwerp, Belgium
Grimmonprez 51'
Voorhoof 71'		 (Report) Smit 60'
Bakhuys 62', 84'
Vente 64'		 Stadium: Bosuil Stadion
Attendance: 42,000
Referee: Stanley Rous (England)
Main article: 1934 FIFA World Cup § Results
First Round
Switzerland 3–2 Netherlands
Kielholz 7', 43'[6]
Abegglen 69'		 Report Smit 19'
Vente 84'
Attendance: 33,000
Referee: Ivan Eklind (Sweden)

1938 FIFA World Cup

[edit]
Main article: 1938 FIFA World Cup qualification § Group 9
Pos. Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Netherlands 2 1 1 0 5 1 5.00 3
2  Belgium 2 1 1 0 4 3 1.33 3
3  Luxembourg 2 0 0 2 2 7 0.29 0
—  Denmark Withdrew
28 November 1937 Netherlands  4 – 0  Luxembourg Rotterdam, Netherlands
Smit 29'
de Boer 68', 78', 82'		 Report Stadium: Stadion Feyenoord
Attendance: 40,000
Referee: Karl Weingarter (Austria)
3 April 1938 Belgium  1 – 1  Netherlands Antwerp, Belgium
Isemborghs 53' Report van Spaandonck 37' Stadium: Bosuil Stadion
Attendance: 47,660
Referee: Arthur Jewell (England)
Main article: 1938 FIFA World Cup § Results
First Round
Czechoslovakia 3–0 (a.e.t.) Netherlands
Košťálek 93'
Nejedlý 111'[7]
Zeman 118'[8]		 Report
Attendance: 11,000
Referee: Lucien Leclerq (France)

Failure: 1958–74

[edit]

1958 FIFA World Cup

[edit]
Main article: 1958 FIFA World Cup qualification § UEFA Group 5
Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GAv
1  Austria 7 4 3 1 0 14 3 4.67
2  Netherlands 5 4 2 1 1 12 7 1.71
3  Luxembourg 0 4 0 0 4 3 19 0.16

1962 FIFA World Cup

[edit]
Main article: 1962 FIFA World Cup qualification § UEFA Group 4
Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Hungary 7 4 3 1 0 11 5 6
2  Netherlands 2 3 0 2 1 4 7 −3
3  East Germany 1 3 0 1 2 3 6 −3

1964 European Nations' Cup

[edit]
Main article: 1964 European Nations' Cup qualifying
Preliminary round
Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Netherlands  4–2   Switzerland 3–1 1–1
First round
Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Netherlands  2-3  Luxembourg 1–1 1-2

1966 FIFA World Cup

[edit]
Main article: 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) § Group 5
Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1   Switzerland 9 6 4 1 1 7 3 4
2  Northern Ireland 8 6 3 2 1 9 5 4
3  Netherlands 6 6 2 2 2 6 4 2
4  Albania 1 6 0 1 5 2 12 −10

UEFA Euro 1968

[edit]
Main article: UEFA Euro 1968 qualifying § Group 5
Rank Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Hungary 6 4 1 1 15 5 10 9
2  East Germany 6 3 1 2 10 10 0 7
3  Netherlands 6 2 1 3 11 11 0 5
4  Denmark 6 1 1 4 6 16 −10 3

1970 FIFA World Cup

[edit]
Main article: 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) § Group 8
Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Bulgaria 9 6 4 1 1 12 7 5
2  Poland 8 6 4 0 2 19 8 11
3  Netherlands 7 6 3 1 2 9 5 4
4  Luxembourg 0 6 0 0 6 4 24 −20

UEFA Euro 1972

[edit]
Main article: UEFA Euro 1972 qualifying § Group 7
Rank Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Yugoslavia 6 3 3 0 7 2 5 9
2  Netherlands 6 3 1 2 18 6 12 7
3  East Germany 6 3 1 2 11 6 5 7
4  Luxembourg 6 0 1 5 1 23 −22 1

Total Football in the 1970s

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Main article: Total Football (Totaalvoetbal)
Three of the most notable figures of the Totaalvoetbal school: Johan Neeskens, Rinus Michels and Johan Cruyff

The 1970s saw the invention of Total Football (Dutch: Totaalvoetbal), pioneered by Feyenoord and Ajax and led by playmaker Johan Cruyff and national team coach Rinus Michels. The Dutch made huge strides, qualifying for two World Cup finals in the decade. The captain of the Brazilian team that won the 1970 FIFA World Cup, Carlos Alberto, went on to say "The only team I’ve seen that did things differently was Holland at the 1974 World Cup in Germany. Since then everything looks more or less the same to me…. Their ‘carousel’ style of play was amazing to watch and marvellous for the game."[9]

In 1974, the Netherlands beat both Brazil and Argentina in the second group stage, reaching the final for the first time in their history. However, the team lost to West Germany in the final in Munich, despite having gone 1–0 up through Johan Neeskens' early penalty kick before any German had even touched the ball. However, supported by the crowd, a converted penalty by Paul Breitner and the winner from Gerd Müller led to a victory for the Germans.

The Dutch team before their 1–2 loss against West Germany in the final of the 1974 World Cup

By comparison, Euro '76 was a disappointment. The Netherlands lost in the semi-finals to Czechoslovakia, as much because of fighting within the squad and the coach George Knobel, as well as the skill of the eventual winners.

In 1978, the Netherlands again reached the final of a World Cup, only to be beaten by the host, this time Argentina. This side played without Johan Cruijff, Willem van Hanegem, and Jan van Beveren, who refused to participate in the World Cup. It still contained Johan Neeskens, Johnny Rep, Arie Haan, Ruud Krol, Wim Jansen, Jan Jongbloed, Wim Suurbier and Rob Rensenbrink from the 1974 selection. The Netherlands were less impressive in the group stages. They qualified as runners-up, after a draw with Peru and a loss to Scotland. In the second group phase, however, the Netherlands topped a group including Italy and West Germany, setting up a final with Argentina. However, the Dutch finished as runners up for the second World Cup in a row as they ultimately lost 3–1 after two extra time goals from Argentina. Unfortunately for the Dutch, Rensenbrink hit the Argentinian post in the last minute of normal time, with the score 1–1.

1974 FIFA World Cup

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Qualification

Main article: 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) § Group 3
Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Netherlands 10 6 4 2 0 24 2 22
2  Belgium 10 6 4 2 0 12 0 12
3  Norway 4 6 2 0 4 9 16 −7
4  Iceland 0 6 0 0 6 2 29 −27

Finals

Group Stage
Main article: 1974 FIFA World Cup § Group 3
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Netherlands 3 2 1 0 6 1 5 5
 Sweden 3 1 2 0 3 0 3 4
 Bulgaria 3 0 2 1 2 5 −3 2
 Uruguay 3 0 1 2 1 6 −5 1
Uruguay 0–2 Netherlands
Report Rep 7', 86'
Attendance: 55,100
Netherlands 0–0 Sweden
Report
Attendance: 53,700
Bulgaria 1–4 Netherlands
Krol 78' (o.g.) Report Neeskens 5' (pen.), 44' (pen.)
Rep 71'
de Jong 88'
Attendance: 53,300
Second round
Main article: 1974 FIFA World Cup § Group A
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Netherlands 3 3 0 0 8 0 8 6
 Brazil 3 2 0 1 3 3 0 4
 East Germany 3 0 1 2 1 4 −3 1
 Argentina 3 0 1 2 2 7 −5 1
Netherlands 4–0 Argentina
Cruyff 11', 90'
Krol 25'
Rep 73'		 Report
Attendance: 56,548
East Germany 0–2 Netherlands
Report Neeskens 7'
Rensenbrink 59'
Attendance: 68,348
Netherlands 2–0 Brazil
Neeskens 50'
Cruyff 65'		 Report
Attendance: 53,700
Final
Main article: 1974 FIFA World Cup Final
Netherlands 1–2 West Germany
Neeskens 2' (pen.) Report Breitner 25' (pen.)
Müller 43'
Attendance: 78,200
Referee: Jack Taylor (England)

1978 FIFA World Cup

[edit]

Qualification

Main article: 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) § Group 4
Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Netherlands 11 6 5 1 0 11 3 8
2  Belgium 6 6 3 0 3 7 6 1
3  Northern Ireland 5 6 2 1 3 7 6 1
4  Iceland 2 6 1 0 5 2 12 −10

Finals

Group Stage
Main article: 1978 FIFA World Cup Group 4
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Peru 3 2 1 0 7 2 5 5
 Netherlands 3 1 1 1 5 3 2 3
 Scotland 3 1 1 1 5 6 −1 3
 Iran 3 0 1 2 2 8 −6 1
Netherlands 3–0 Iran
Rensenbrink 40' (pen.), 62', 78' (pen.) Report
Attendance: 33,431
Netherlands 0–0 Peru
Report
Attendance: 28,125
Scotland 3–2 Netherlands
Dalglish 44'
Gemmill 46' (pen.), 68'		 Report Rensenbrink 34' (pen.)
Rep 71'
Attendance: 35,130
Second round
Main article: 1978 FIFA World Cup Group A
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Netherlands 3 2 1 0 9 4 5 5
 Italy 3 1 1 1 2 2 0 3
 West Germany 3 0 2 1 4 5 −1 2
 Austria 3 1 0 2 4 8 −4 2
Austria 1–5 Netherlands
Obermayer 80' Report Brandts 6'
Rensenbrink 35' (pen.)
Rep 36', 53'
W. van de Kerkhof 82'
Attendance: 25,050
Netherlands 2–2 West Germany
Haan 27'
R. van de Kerkhof 82'		 Report Abramczik 3'
D. Müller 70'
Attendance: 40,750
Italy 1–2 Netherlands
Brandts 19' (o.g.) Report Brandts 49'
Haan 76'
Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires
Attendance: 67,433
Final
Main article: 1978 FIFA World Cup Final
Netherlands 1–3 (a.e.t.) Argentina
Nanninga 82' Report Kempes 37', 104'
Bertoni 115'
Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires
Attendance: 71,483

FIFA 75th Anniversary Cup

[edit]
 Argentina0–0Netherlands 
Report
Penalties
Trossero soccer ball with check mark
Passarella soccer ball with check mark
Houseman soccer ball with check mark
Barbas soccer ball with check mark
Olguín soccer ball with red X
Maradona soccer ball with check mark
Ardiles soccer ball with red X
Gallego soccer ball with check mark
Villaverde soccer ball with check mark
Tarantini soccer ball with check mark		 8–7 soccer ball with check mark Metgod
soccer ball with red X R. van de Kerkhof
soccer ball with check mark Rep
soccer ball with check mark Hovenkamp
soccer ball with check mark Neeskens
soccer ball with check mark Stevens
soccer ball with red X Peters
soccer ball with check mark Krol
soccer ball with check mark Poortvliet
soccer ball with red X Peters
Attendance: 40,000[10]

Failure: 1982–86

[edit]

Euro '80 was the last tournament for which the Total Football team qualified, but they did not advance past the group stage, despite the tournament format being expanded that year. Veterans such as Krol and Rensenbrink retired soon afterwards and the Netherlands missed the 1982 World Cup, Euro '84, and the 1986 World Cup in succession. Qualification for Euro 1984 was within reach, but the Dutch ended the campaign on the same number of points as rivals Spain, and the same goal difference ( 16). Spain advanced having scored two more goals. The failure to reach the 1986 World Cup was also very close. In a play off with neighbours Belgium, the Netherlands lost 1–0 in Brussels, but were leading 2–0 in the home leg in Rotterdam with a few minutes remaining. Belgium scored to end the tie 2–1, and overall play off 2–2. Belgium advanced on the away goal rule.

European champions

[edit]
The 1988 trophy on display in Amsterdam
Rinus Michels

Rinus Michels returned to coach the team for the Euro '88 tournament. After losing the first group match against the Soviet Union (1–0), the Netherlands went on to qualify for the semi-final by defeating England 3–1 (with a hat-trick by the tournament's top scorer Marco van Basten), and Republic of Ireland (1–0). For many Dutch football supporters, the most important match in the tournament was the semi-final against West Germany, the host country, considered a revenge for the lost 1974 World Cup final (also in West Germany). Marco van Basten, who would later become national team coach, scored in the 89th minute of the game to sink the German side. The game is also remembered for its post-match shenanigans, including Ronald Koeman, who, in front of the German supporters, provocatively pretended to wipe his backside with the shirt of Olaf Thon as if it were toilet paper, an action Koeman later stated he regretted.[11] The Netherlands won the final with a convincing victory over the USSR, a rematch on the round robin game, through a header by Ruud Gullit and a volley by van Basten. This was the national team's first major tournament win and it restored them to the forefront of international football for the next three years after almost a decade in the wilderness.

Despite high expectations as the team entered the 1990 World Cup, the tournament was not a success. Van Basten failed to score, as he was frequently marked by opposing defenders, while Gullit was ineffective having not fully recovered from injury. The Dutch managed to advance despite drawing all three group games, meeting their arch-rivals West Germany in the round of 16. The match is most remembered for the spitting-incident involving Frank Rijkaard and Rudi Völler as the Netherlands lost 2–1.

The team reached the semi-finals in the Euro '92, which was noted for the emergence of Dennis Bergkamp, but they were eliminated by eventual champions Denmark, with Van Basten's kick in the penalty shootout being saved by Peter Schmeichel. This was to be van Basten's last major tournament as he suffered a serious ankle injury shortly after, eventually conceding defeat and retiring at the age of 30 in 1995.

In the 1994 World Cup, in the absence of the injured van Basten and the striking Gullit, Dennis Bergkamp led the team with three goals and the Netherlands advanced to the quarter-finals, where they lost 3–2 to eventual champions Brazil.

1996–2004

[edit]

At Euro 96, after drawing 0–0 with Scotland and beating Switzerland 2–0, they faced the hosts England in the pool A decider, with both teams on 4 points. After 62 minutes, with Scotland beating Switzerland 1–0, the Netherlands were 4–0 down and looked like finishing third behind Scotland on goal difference and going out of the tournament, but Patrick Kluivert converted a Dennis Bergkamp assist and scored in the 78th minute to see the Dutch finish second on goals scored. They then played France in the quarter-finals, drawing 0–0 and being eliminated 5–4 on penalties.

The Netherlands at Euro 96 in a match against Scotland.

In the 1998 World Cup, Netherlands, whose team included Marc Overmars, Phillip Cocu, Edgar Davids, Frank de Boer, Ronald de Boer, and Patrick Kluivert, met Argentina in the quarter-final, a rematch of the 1978 final. Near the end of regular time, after an unsuccessful dive to draw a penalty, Argentinian Ariel Ortega head-butted Edwin van der Sar.[12] Ortega was sent off and the Netherlands won 2–1 after a Bergkamp goal in the 89th minute. Bergkamp's goal was famous because of its quality — he touched down a 60-yard (55 m) pass from Frank de Boer then reverse-flicked it inside Roberto Ayala and finally volleyed it past the Argentine goalkeeper. In the semi-final, the Netherlands took Brazil to a penalty shootout after a late Kluivert goal tied the match 1–1, but Brazil won the shootout 4–2 and advanced to the final. Netherlands lost the third place match 2–1 to upstart Croatia. Soon after the World Cup exit manager Guus Hiddink resigned after two tournaments in charge and was replaced by legendary ex-midfielder Frank Rijkaard.

Netherlands co-hosted Euro 2000 with Belgium and were one of the favourites coming into the tournament. Getting all three wins in the group stage, including a win over reigning world champions France, they then crushed Yugoslavia 6–1 in the quarter-finals, with Kluivert getting a hat-trick. In the semi-finals, their opponents, Italy, went down to ten men in the first half and the Netherlands were awarded two penalty kicks but failed to convert either chance. Italian goalkeeper Francesco Toldo made two saves in the shootout (in addition to his penalty save in regulation time) to eliminate the Netherlands. Dennis Bergkamp, who failed to score during the tournament, retired from the national team after Euro 2000 (partly due to his fear of flying effectively ruling him out from the 2002 World Cup which was to be held in East Asia.) Coach Frank Rijkaard was widely criticized by the press after the defeat to the Italians as the Dutch had squandered several chances to kill the game. Rijkaard resigned, with Louis van Gaal taking over. Van Gaal is credited with initially bringing through the backbone of this Dutch side whilst manager of Ajax during the mid nineties, including Edwin van der Sar, Edgar Davids, Michael Reiziger, Clarence Seedorf, Marc Overmars, Patrick Kluivert and the De Boer twins.

Netherlands at the 2006 World Cup

Surprisingly the Netherlands failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, with crucial losses to Portugal and the Republic of Ireland, the latter of which eliminated them from the Finals tournament. Van Gaal resigned at the conclusion of the Netherlands' unsuccessful campaign.

Dick Advocaat returned to coach the Netherlands for a second time and led the team to the semifinals of Euro 2004 but lost to Portugal and, after receiving criticism for his tactics and player changes, stepped down. This was to be the end for many of the team's World Cup veterans (mostly made up of the Ajax generation of 1995.) Frank and Ronald de Boer, Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, Marc Overmars, Jaap Stam, and Patrick Kluivert had either retired or were not selected for the upcoming World Cup by new coach Marco van Basten.

2006–2010

[edit]
Training in Germany

The Netherlands qualified for the 2006 World Cup in Germany and finished second in Group C after beating Serbia & Montenegro (1–0) and Ivory Coast (2–1) and drawing Argentina (0–0). Both Argentina and the Netherlands finished the group stage with seven points, but the Argentinians had a superior goal difference and finished first as a result. The Dutch were eliminated in the second round after losing 1–0 to Portugal, in a match that produced 16 yellow cards (which matched the World Cup record for most cautions in one game set in 2002) and set a new World Cup record of four red cards (two for either side) and was nicknamed "the Battle of Nuremberg" by the press.[13] Despite criticism surrounding his selection policy and the lack of attacking football from his team, Marco van Basten was offered a two-year extension to his contract by the Dutch FA, which would allow him to serve as national coach during Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup. The move was widely regarded as a vote of confidence in van Basten and his assistants by the KNVB officials.[14]

Netherlands – France at Euro 2008

The Netherlands began their Euro 2008 campaign with a win in Luxembourg on 2 September 2006. On 8 September 2007, the Oranje beat Bulgaria at the Amsterdam Arena on goals by Wesley Sneijder and Ruud van Nistelrooy. On 12 September 2007, the Netherlands won a hard-fought victory against Albania, with van Nistelrooy scoring the winning goal in stoppage time. This win took the Dutch squad into second place in Group G, on par with Romania for points, but behind on goal differential. The Oranje were beaten 1–0 in Romania on 13 October 2007, but four days later, the Netherlands' 2–0 victory over Slovenia, while rivals Bulgaria could only draw in Albania, left the Dutch needing one win from their last two games, at home to Luxembourg and away to Belarus, to qualify for Euro 2008.

The Netherlands played their first game in 2008 against Croatia in Split. The team, without Ruud van Nistelrooy, Robin van Persie, Clarence Seedorf, Orlando Engelaar and Arjen Robben, won the match 3–0. The first goal was scored by John Heitinga on a header, while Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored the second goal on an assist from Tim de Cler. The final goal came from Celtic striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink. The team used a new formation under Marco van Basten, scrapping the previously used 4–3–3 formation for a 4–2–3–1.

The Dutch team was a participant in the "Group of Death," together with France, Italy, and Romania. They began Euro 2008 with a 3–0 win over World Cup Champion Italy in Bern on 9 June 2008. This was the Netherlands' first victory over Italy since 1978. In their second group match against France on 13 June 2008, the Netherlands won convincingly with a 4–1 score. The Dutch closed out an incredible group stage campaign with a 2–0 win over Romania. However, they lost in the quarter-final to former coach Guus Hiddink's Russia by 3–1, despite a late 86th-minute equalizer by Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Netherlands – Denmark at the 2010 World Cup

Under new coach Bert van Marwijk, the Dutch team went on to secure a 100 percent record in their World Cup 2010 qualification campaign, winning all eight games and becoming the first European team to qualify for the World Cup. The World Cup Draw in Cape Town on the 4 December 2009 saw the Dutch being placed alongside Denmark, Cameroon and Japan in Group E. On June 14 the Dutch won 2–0 against Denmark in their opener at the World Cup. On June 19 they then beat Japan 1–0 with a goal from Wesley Sneijder. They were the first team to qualify for the Round of 16 after a 2–1 victory from Denmark over Cameroon. In the first knockout round they faced Slovakia. At the end it was 2–1 victory after goals from Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder. The conceded goal came in injury time from a penalty taken by Róbert Vittek. They advanced to the semifinals with a 2–1 victory over the favoured Brazilians on July 2, 2010. Brazil, who had held a 1–0 lead at the half, was the favourite to win the cup, had never lost in 37 World Cup matches (35–0–2) in which they had held a halftime lead. The first Dutch goal was originally ruled an own goal by Felipe Melo, but was later officially changed to a goal by Wesley Sneijder. The second came from a corner kick headed into the net by Wesley Sneijder despite being the shortest player on the field. In the semi-final the Dutch beat Uruguay 3–2 to advance to their first World Cup final since 1978. The Dutch hoped to cap off an undefeated run through the World Cup, but lost to Spain 1–0 after midfielder Andrés Iniesta scored in extra time. This final also became Giovanni van Bronckhorst's last match in professional football.

From August to September 2011, the team was ranked number 1 in the FIFA World Rankings, thus becoming the second national football team, after Spain, to top the rankings without previously winning a World Cup. (Spain won the World Cup in 2010.)

Euro 2012

[edit]
The Netherlands in 2011.

The Dutch went on after the World Cup tournament and started with the full score of 24 points from eight matches in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying campaign.[15]

In between the qualification matches, the team went on a trip to South America for rematches of the World Cup quarter and semi-finals against Brazil and Uruguay. Although the matches ended in draws, coach Bert van Marwijk saw it as "a good test for his players, to prove they were fit to overcome hostile circumstances also."

The Netherlands reached the first place of the FIFA-World Ranking for the first time in August 2011, but in September they were on the second place again.

On 2 September 2011, the Netherlands defeated San Marino 11–0, their biggest victory in history.[16]

On 6 September 2011, the Dutch defeated Finland 2–0, ensuring a place at the Euro 2012, either as Group E winner or as the best runners-ups. They later secured the top spot in the group with a 1–0 win over Moldova.

Main article: UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group E
Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification Netherlands Sweden Hungary Finland Moldova San Marino
1  Netherlands 10 9 0 1 37 8 29 27 Qualify for final tournament — 4–1 5–3 2–1 1–0 11–0
2  Sweden 10 8 0 2 31 11 20 24 3–2 — 2–0 5–0 2–1 6–0
3  Hungary 10 6 1 3 22 14 8 19 0–4 2–1 — 0–0 2–1 8–0
4  Finland 10 3 1 6 16 16 0 10 0–2 1–2 1–2 — 4–1 8–0
5  Moldova 10 3 0 7 12 16 −4 9 0–1 1–4 0–2 2–0 — 4–0
6  San Marino 10 0 0 10 0 53 −53 0 0–5 0–5 0–3 0–1 0–2 —
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
Finals

The draw for the final tournament took place on 2 December 2011 at the Ukraine Palace of Arts in Kyiv, Ukraine.[17][18] Netherlands was placed in Group B along with Germany, Portugal, and Denmark, dubbed the tournament's "Group of Death."

On 17 June 2012, Netherlands lost to Portugal in a 2–1 defeat and exited the competition, having lost all three matches in the group. Johan Cruyff criticized the team's star players of poor build up play and sloppy execution of the easy passes.[19][20]

Group B

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Germany 3 3 0 0 5 2 3 9 Advance to knockout stage
2  Portugal 3 2 0 1 5 4 1 6
3  Denmark 3 1 0 2 4 5 −1 3
4  Netherlands 3 0 0 3 2 5 −3 0
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Netherlands 0–1 Denmark
Report Krohn-Dehli 24'
Attendance: 35,923
Netherlands 1–2 Germany
Van Persie 73' Report Gómez 24', 38'
Attendance: 37,750
Portugal 2–1 Netherlands
Ronaldo 28', 74' Report Van der Vaart 11'
Attendance: 37,445

2014 FIFA World Cup

[edit]

In the 2014 World Cup UEFA qualifying round, the Netherlands were placed in Group D along with Turkey, Hungary, Romania, Estonia and Andorra[21] The Netherlands won nine games and drew one, thereby topping the group and earning automatic qualification.

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Netherlands 10 9 1 0 34 5 29 28 Qualification to 2014 FIFA World Cup — 4–0 8–1 2–0 3–0 3–0
2  Romania 10 6 1 3 19 12 7 19 Advance to second round 1–4 — 3–0 0–2 2–0 4–0
3  Hungary 10 5 2 3 21 20 1 17 1–4 2–2 — 3–1 5–1 2–0
4  Turkey 10 5 1 4 16 9 7 16 0–2 0–1 1–1 — 3–0 5–0
5  Estonia 10 2 1 7 6 20 −14 7 2–2 0–2 0–1 0–2 — 2–0
6  Andorra 10 0 0 10 0 30 −30 0 0–2 0–4 0–5 0–2 0–1 —
Source: [22]

Kits

[edit]
Dutch fans wearing the traditional orange colours of the national team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup

The Netherlands national football team are known for their bright orange kits with the Dutch Lion badge, supplied by Nike since 1996. Orange was the symbol of William of Orange-Nassau, the Netherlands' father of the nation and is the national colour of the country. The current Dutch away kit is dark blue.

Home

[edit]
1934
1934 World Cup
1974
1974 (alt.)
1978–80*
1978 (alt.)
1986
1988
1988 (alt.)
1990
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2002 (alt.)
2004
2004 (alt.)
2006
2006 (alt.)
2008
2008 (alt.)
2010
2010 (alt.)
2012
2014
2014 (alt.)
2018
2020
2022
2024

Away

[edit]
1978–80
1986
1990
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2010 (alt.)
2012
2013
2014
2018
2020
2022
2024
  • At UEFA Euro 1980, the kit had a piece of tape over the Adidas logos due to the prohibition of advertising on kits. This was also done by European clubs at UEFA competitions in the 1970s.

Previous squads

[edit]

Records

[edit]
Main article: Netherlands national football team records

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ April 30, 2003 – October 11, 2013
  2. ^ June 29, 1998 – June 7, 2003
  3. ^ November 4, 1959 – July 4, 1998
  4. ^ April 23, 1958 – November 4, 1959
  5. ^ May 12, 1935 – April 23, 1958
  6. ^ 1937–
    118 matches
  7. ^ 1996–
    54 matches
  8. ^ 1971–
    30 matches
  9. ^ 1928–1989
    77 matches
  10. ^ 1914–1928
    25 matches
  11. ^ 1905–1928
    8 matches
  12. ^ 1967–2004
    8 matches
  13. ^ 1975–1992
    5 matches
  14. ^ 1998–2001
    5 matches

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Holland Football Facts". Holland.com. 25 July 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  2. ^ "Holland's media-friendly football pros". Radio Netherlands Worldwide. 17 December 2011. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  3. ^ "Imparable: la Maquina Naranja". El Nuevo Herald. 19 June 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  4. ^ The Netherlands reached the top spot in the FIFA ranking on August 10, 2011. FIFA will publish the ranking on August 24.
  5. ^ a b "Netherlands: Full "A" internationals (1905–1910)". International Federation of Football History & Statistics. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
  6. ^ RSSSF credits this goal as occurring in the 29th minute.
  7. ^ RSSSF credits this goal as coming in the 118th minute.
  8. ^ RSSSF credits this goal as coming in the 111th minute.
  9. ^ "Tactics: Were Holland 1974 the last true innovators?". Football Further. 14 July 2010. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
  10. ^ "Opstellingen Nederland - Argentinië 0 - 0 (22/05/1979 - VRND)".
  11. ^ "Cheeseheads vs Krauts": 30 Years of Enmity, Ajax-USA.com, June 14, 2004
  12. ^ Phil Jones (4 July 1998). "The Netherlands pay back controversial loss to Argentina". sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2002. Retrieved 22 August 2007.
  13. ^ Stuart Watt (26 June 2006). "Portugal wins battle of Nuremberg". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 22 August 2007.
  14. ^ "Van Basten on right track". Football.co.uk. 27 June 2006. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  15. ^ Berend Scholten (29 March 2011). "Kuyt kills off brave Hungary for Netherlands". UEFA. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  16. ^ Berend Scholten (2 September 2011). "San Marino on the end of record Netherlands win". UEFA. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  17. ^ "December date for EURO finals draw in Kyiv". UEFA. 3 October 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  18. ^ "EURO draw throws up fascinating group tests". UEFA. 2 December 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  19. ^ Cruyff: Star players didn't deliver for Netherlands, 2012-06-19.
  20. ^ Johan Cruyff kritisiert Oranje-Team, der Standard, 2012-06-19
  21. ^ "The Preliminary Draw results in full". FIFA.com. 30 July 2011. Archived from the original on 13 October 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  22. ^ "FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) 2014, football - table and standings". soccer365.me. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
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