After the Netherlands finished third in the World Cup, everyone thought that their qualification run through the Euros was going to be a cakewalk. Of course it was, right? They were a dominant force with balance and quality, and while their group wasn’t the easiest, they should have been able to qualify easily.
Netherlands vs. Czech Republic live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch Euro 2016 qualifying online
The Netherlands’ European Championship hopes are on the ropes. Can they overcome the odds and wind up with a place in France next summer?
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One year later, it turns out that wasn’t so much the case.
Louis van Gaal left to manage Manchester United, which everyone knew going into the World Cup. His replacement, Guus Hiddink, looked ready to take the torch and run with it -- except he face-planted instead. Hard. Under Hiddink, the Dutch lost two of their first three Euro 2016 qualifiers, and thanks to those losses and a few embarrassing defeats in friendlies, he was replaced this past June. The next man up, Danny Blind, hasn’t been much better -- he lost his first two Euro qualifiers as well, before pulling out a win over lowly Kazakhstan last weekend.
Now it’s do-or-die time for the Netherlands as they face a tough Czech Republic side that have already secured qualification for next summer’s Euros in France. And even if they win, their struggles earlier in the group stage mean that the Netherlands still might not make it in -- if Turkey can beat group-leading Iceland at home, they’ll secure third place and a spot in the playoff round. The Netherlands have to win and hope that Turkey can’t manage better than a draw -- any win for the Dutch and a draw for Turkey would give the Netherlands a goal differential advantage for the tiebreaker.
This scenario -- having to win and rely on other results just to have a shot at the playoff -- is not what anyone imagined for the Netherlands a year ago. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
Key player -- Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands)
Sneijder has had a decent season for Galatasaray so far in this campaign, but when he’s suited up for the Netherlands in recent months, he’s tended to look a little out of sorts. In order for the Oranje to have a change to make the Euros, they desperately need Sneijder to play to his best, because his playmaking ability can single-handedly drive them to victory.
Key Matchup -- Robin van Persie (Netherlands) vs. Michal Kadlec (Czech Republic)
Van Persie and Kadlec may be teammates at Fenerbahce in Turkey, but their goals are divided today. Neither player has enjoyed quite as strong a season as they might have wanted, but they will be going head to head Tuesday -- not just as leaders of their respective national teams, but directly on the field, as Kadlec is the man most likely to be tasked with keeping the crafty van Persie in check. These two have gotten to know each other fairly well with their club -- whoever has learned the most lessons will have a massive advantage in this individual battle.
Match Date/Time: Tuesday, 2:45 p.m. ET, 8:45 p.m. local
Venue: Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands
TV: ESPN2 (U.S. - English), ESPN Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), CT Sport (Czech Republic), NPO 3 (Netherlands), Sky Sports 5/HD (U.K.)
Online: WatchESPN (U.S.), Sky Go (U.K.)
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