The Netherlands will have the support of many South African locals — Afrikaners with Dutch roots — when it plays Spain in Sunday’s World Cup final in Johannesburg. Dutch immigrantsknown as Boers settled in the Western Cape in the 1600s and created settlements throughout much of South Africa. The kept their Dutch dialect and thrived […]
netherlands
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Spanish and Dutch battle for slice of history
[SPAIN-NETHERLANDS] For the eighth time, the World Cup final is an all-Euro showdown, and the 2010 edition will not only crown a first-time champion, it willalso produce either the first team to win the title after losing its first group game (Spain), or a nation winning a final after losing twice (Netherlands). On the dubious […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Webb to officiate Netherlands-Spain final
[REFEREES] Englishman Howard Webb will referee Sunday’s World Cup 2010 final between Spain and the Netherlands inJohannesburg. Webb, 38, will work with assistants Darren Cann and Michael Mullarkey. He willbe the first Englishman since Jack Taylor in 1974 to work the final.
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Beautiful ending to Gio's long journey
[REACTION] Giovanni van Bronckhorst is one of only four Dutch players who were born when the Netherlands last played inthe World Cup final. Now, at the age of 35, the Oranje captain will play the last game of his career in Sunday’s final against the winner of the Wednesday’s Germany-Spain game. “Therewere no tears, just […]
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Netherlands-Uruguay Player Ratings
[REPORT CARD] Soccer America’s Paul Kennedy grades the players after the Netherlands’ 3-2 win over Uruguay in the WorldCup semifinals on Wednesday. The Dutch front four of Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie, Dirk Kuyt and Wesley Sneijder was just too much for Uruguay in the last 20 minutes. Giovannivan Bronckhorst, the Oranje’s oldest player at […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Oranje outlasts gallant Celeste
[NETHERLANDS-URUGUAY] The Netherlands, losers of the 1974 and 1978 World Cups to the host nations, secured a return to the final by outlasting an undermannedyet very game Uruguay, 3-2, in Cape Town Tuesday. What we liked … — Goals by Giovanni van Bronckhorst,Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben were all exquisite finishes. Van Brockhorst nailed an […]
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Wesley Sneijder: Dutch midfield catalyst
[UNDER THE MICROSCOPE] According to some observers, Dutch mifielder Wesley Sneijder hasn’t been very prominent, a stance that is hard tojustify when he leads the team in shots (20), goals (4) and fouls committed (12) for a team that has won all five of its games at the 2010 World Cup and faces Uruguay Tuesday […]
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Oranje favored to reach third final
[NETHERLANDS-URUGUAY] The Netherlands and Uruguay have both played for the World Cup title twice. The Dutch lost in 1974 and 1978, while the Celeste won in 1930and 1950. Both teams will be without key players, but the Netherlands is given the edge to return to the final. For more on Tuesday’s game and the predictions […]
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
My World Cup: The Best Ever? Or the Worst Ever?
By Paul Gardner It is to be expected that each World Cup will, from now until eternity — or until television and the marketers and the sponsors and the hype-merchantsbury the whole thing under the relentless flow of their infantile antics — will be the best ever. We shall be told that, over and over […]
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
My World Cup: The final four
So all that fuss about how the Latin American countries were dominating this World Cup has gone up in a puff of smoke. The notion was, of course, generated by statistics, and given life byour dear friends at ESPN, who seem to enjoy that sort of thing more than they enjoy the actual soccer. It […]