Netherlands 2010 World Cup Preview: Converting Oranje Brilliance To Cup Success

The Dutch made their mark on world football in the 1970s with the introduction of Totaalvoetbal, or total football. This system is characterized by a fluid style of play, with the formation having more importance than position. In other words, players are not constrained in their positional roles, but are able to play throughout the field. More than three decades later, their style of play remains one of the most beautiful and influential, with Arsenal and Barcelona two of the best-known clubs emulating Holland today.

Although the 2010 Netherlands national team is considered to be among the top five squads in the world, supporting the Oranje doesn’t guarantee immunity to heartache. Holland has a bit of a reputation for falling apart at critical junctures. For instance, in Euro 2000, they ran wild over Yugoslavia, winning 6-1, but went on to the semi-finals against Italy, where they couldn’t find the goal. The Dutch were given two penalties within the game but couldn’t score in either occasion, and when the match went to a penalty shootout, managed to score just one out of four.