World Cup Team Profiles: Group E: Netherlands

Teams / Ari Last / 04 March 2010 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

They blitzed their way through qualifying and as usual, the Dutch go into a World Cup with lofty expectations...

Ask any fan which international side they'd most like to watch and 'The Netherlands' would be a reoccurring response. Though for all of their quality over the years, underachievement has been the word most associated with the nation's World Cup campaigns. Unsurprisingly, the feeling in the low-lands is that this time things will be different, though at [17] to win it, many seem to believe that in 2010 glory will elude them once more.

Nation: Netherlands

Also known as...
'Oranje'

Road to South Africa...
Utterly comprehensive. Eight wins from eight, 17 goals scored and only two conceded. Bert van Marwijk's men swept Norway, Macedonia, Scotland and Iceland aside with consummate ease.

World Cup Pedigree...
Plenty of appearances but not many of them fruitful. Netherlands reached consecutive finals in 1974 and 1978 but lost both. In more recent times, their Semi Final defeat to Brazil in extra time of the '98 tournament is the closest they've come. 2010 will be their ninth showing at a World Cup and they'll definitely be looking to go further than they did last time out, when Portugal knocked them out in the second round.

They'll be relying on...
Robin Van Persie recovering from an ankle injury in time. The Arsenal forward damaged his ligaments while playing for his country in a friendly against Italy in November, at a time when he was playing some of the best football of his career. There are others who can step in should he fail to make it, yet few if any, have the stunning unpredictability of Van Persie.

Something you may not have known is...
The Dutch go into the tournament buoyed by the fact that the last team to qualify for a World Cup with maximum points - West Germany in 1982 - went all the way to the final. Having won eight out of eight in qualifying, conceding the fewest goals too, the Dutch will be hoping to at least replicate the feat of their great rivals.

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