By Gary Ralston
HOLLAND v SPAIN
Tomorrow, 7.30pm, live on BBC and ITV
HOLLAND are desperate to rewrite World Cup history knowing Spain already have their script off by heart and stand poised to steal their happy ending.
Dutch manager Bert van Marwijk pointedly refused to discuss the legacy his side will leave after tomorrow night’s World Cup Final at Soccer City in Johannesburg.
He insisted it was out of respect for the next 48 hours when even the most hardened Oranje fan fears it is events of more than 30 years ago occupying his thoughts ahead of the game’s greatest showpiece.
But the problem is not an overwhelming worry of repeating their loss in the Final of 1974, when West Germany won 2-1 in Munich, or Buenos Aires four years later when Mario Kempes inspired Argentina to a 3-1 win after extra time.
After all, van Marwijk swore the legends of the 70s had been nothing but an inspiration to the class of 2010, most of whom were not born when Dutch football was such a force at international and domestic level as Feyenoord and Ajax ruled Europe.
However, the greatest obstacle to Dutch success at the third time of asking may be the Dutch themselves, those willing travellers, teachers and traders, as evident in this part of the world since the 1650s as anywhere else.
One of the most significant influences on events tomorrow in Soweto will be the pioneering work undertaken by Dutch coaches in Spain since 1971, when Rinus Michels brought his concept of total football to Barcelona and introduced a style of play to whichhomage is still paid at the Nou Camp and the national team today.
Barca have been standard bearers for the Spanish game these past five years, winning La Liga three times, the Champions League twice, as well as the European Super Cup and World Club Championship.
Greatest
Seven of their players started against Germany in the semi-final the other night, so it’s little surprise Vicente del Bosque chooses not to vary enormously from the style of Barcelona, born of Dutch influence, especially as it also helped land Spain theEuropean Championship in 2008 under Luis Aragones. The tactical DNA of Michels, who died in 2005, was passed on to protege Johan Cruyff, who won 11 trophies in eight years as boss at Barcelona and remains the club’s most successful and celebrated coach,not to mention one of their favourite former players.
Cruyff who signed current Barca boss Pep Guardiola, cites Michels as the greatest influence on his career, completing a circle of Dutch and Catalan interest that also included Louis van Gaal and Frank Rijkaard as coaches and players such as RonaldKoeman, the de Boer twins, Phillip Cocu, Patrick Kluivert, Edgar Davids and Holland skipper Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Van Marwijk said: “Maybe this Spanish team have been influenced by Barcelona and Barcelona by John Cruyff and Rinus Michels. That’s a big compliment for Dutch football. It’s a bit ironic for some as we go into this Final but we prefer to focus on what wecan do now not what others may have influenced in the past and the present.”
Michels’ total football beliefs, refined from the philosophies of Englishman Jack Reynolds, his coach when he played at Ajax, and the great Hungary team of the 50s, were devastatingly simple but decidedly difficult to implement with players who lackedsufficient technical ability.
In effect, a team is considered only as strong as its weakest link and players must be flexible enough to slot into any position required at any particular time relative to the action taking place around them.
Arguably, the greatest challenge facing Holland tomorrow when they meet Spain for the first time in a tournament finals is the superior technical ability of their opponents, who have made possession play into an art form.
That is born out by FIFA stats that show midfield schemer Xavi as the tournament’s pass master, with 487 passes completed from 605 attempted in only six matches.
They have lost just twice in 33 matches these past two years.
Pressure
Even Cruyff said: “When you look at Spain, you see Barcelona, you see Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Pedro in midfield, players who want the ball but then will put pressure on high up the pitch to win it back.
“Deservedly, Spain are in the Final, which is only about winning. Spain have a great footballing generation, who may never get another chance like this. If you play attacking football like Spain you have more chances of winning.
“If you try to out-play Spain, they will kill you and Holland know they face the best team in the world.”
Still, if the Dutch are looking for inspiration they may find it in the slender nature of Spain’s recent victories, with 1-0 wins over Germany, Portugal and Paraguay since the end of the group stage, even if they were the best side by far each time.
The Dutch have scored 12, the highest number of goals next to Germany, and could find the skills and goal threat of players such as Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Robin van Persie might just be enough to cause chaos among the Spanish collective.
More than that, they have the wily van Marwijk, who has been coming under pressure to start Real Madrid playmaker Rafael van der Vaart in place of Nigel de Jong.
The former Feyenoord and Borussia Dortmund boss has resisted, knowing Man City star de Jong and Bayern Munich ace Mark van Bommel, his son-in-law, provide a more stable defensive midfield platform.
Of course, the Spanish haven’t played at this level of the tournament in the past, never mind won it. Their recent record at the World Cup has been woeful for a nation of their talent, with only thee quarter-final places to show since they finishedfourth in 1950 under a group stage system.
If they win tomorrow and become the first Europeans to lift the trophy south of the equator they will owe a huge debt to Holland.
Football purists will rejoice. Just don’t expect van Marwijk and 18 million Dutch to revel in the success.
TALE OF THE TAPE
VENUE
Soccer City, Jo’burg
Tomorrow, 7.30pm
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Holland 4, Spain 4, Draw 1
WORLD CUP RECORD
Spain – W23 D12 L15
Holland – W22 D10 L10
MEN TO WATCH
Spain – David Villa
Holland – Wesley Sneijder
COLOURS
Spain – Blue
Holland – Orange
REFEREE
Howard Webb (England)
(c) 2010 Daily Record; Glasgow (UK). Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.
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<a href="http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/yb/147246508tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/yb/147246508Sat, 10 Jul 2010 10:56:00 GMT 00:00″>TOTAL FUTBOL ; Holland boss Bert fears Final backfire as Spanish play to Dutchmaster plan