FIFA World Cup 2006: Holland's Chances

Have you ever wondered if there's anything special about Orange? Well, I've never wondered, because it's a firm conviction. There's a definite magic with the colour orange, and the football team that sports the orange colour. I'm an ardent fan of Dutch football.

Right from the time of Cruyff, Holland has always been a special team. They had always had the most complete players, and they have consistently produced a team that failed big-time. Simply put, I do not feel the case could be any different in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Holland could breeze through every game, and still run into a weak team to lose on penalties (which seems to happen with startling regularity over the past few years).

Joking apart, Holland has some big stars and some big problems. Holland has experienced players, as well as the need to experiment new players. In Edwin van der Sar, Holland has probably the most experienced goalkeeper who has failed to win a major tournament. (His great predecessor, Hans van Breukelen, was instrumental in the famous Dutch revival in the late '80s). The forward line is enviable, with Robben and van Nistelrooj leading from the front, and lots of stars to choose from (Makaay, van Persie, Vennegoor of Hesselink), but they lack match experience.

Problems will be faced by the Dutch midfield in case Marco van Basten decides to leave out both Davids and van Bommel. Philip Cocu is a powerhouse in the midfield, an asset to any team, but whether Sneijder and van der Waart will be able to bridge the defence and the forward line has to be seen. It must be recalled that van Bommel, in spite of his wasting precious chances in the UEFA semifinal matches against AC Milan, is a flambuoyant attacking midfielder, and his towering reach can spell a difference. Davids might be fighting a losing battle with age, but he isn't too skilled and hardworking a player to simply leave out?

In the defence, Holland faces real problems. The familiar names are those of Heitinga, van Brockhorst, Bouma and Melchiot. Among them, only Bouma continues to impress on a regular basis; he is the lone dependable full back. One certainly misses the services of someone like Jaap Stam in the Dutch ranks. One can only hope for the best when it comes to the Dutch defence. The much-overrated Giovanni van Bronckhorst, it must be said, occasionally proves to be the wek link in the Dutch defence with his overambitious runs to the forward line leaving holes in the back line. Heitinga is brilliant in patches, and about Melchiot the less said the better. I had a Dutch friend who shared the love of football, and he told me Holland is successfully experimenting with new defnders, especially from homegrown clubs (such as Feyenoord and Alkmaar), and I hope he's right. Holland will really need some good defending if it is to hold on to its offensive advantage.

And, speaking of goalkeeping (van der Sar), I can only say I hope he'll keep his wits about him this time, and prove a worthy successor to van Breukelen, who always produced his best on big occasions.

All Dutch football fans out there, you know there isn't much of a chance this time around, but maybe, just maybe, Holland will enter the semifinals with some luck.