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Orange crushed Tournament may be end of era for Dutch team
Posted: Wednesday June 28, 2000 09:02 PM
HOENDERLOO, Netherlands (AP) -- At 27, Marc Overmars is aware Euro 2000 could represent the last chace at a major international title for a generation of Dutch players. With nine of the players on the current national team at least 30 years old, this tournament could be the swan song for an entire wave of Dutch internationals. Arsenal teammate Dennis Bergkamp, 30, has already said Euro 2000 would be his last international football tournament, though Dutch coach Frank Rijkaard is trying to convince the striker to reconsider. Twins Frank and Ronald de Boer, Paul Bosvelt and Pierre Van Hooijdonk are all 30, while Aron Winter, Arthur Numan and Peter Van Vossen are older. Utility-man Phillip Cocu wll be 30 in October, while goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, defender Jaap Stam and Bert Konterman are all in their late 20's. "In a few years it will be a different group with different players," Overmars predicted. "The younger players in Holland look like very good prospects for the future. I expect in a couple of years there will be some major changes on the national team. "There is a huge number of youngsters waiting for their chance. They didn't come this time but it won't be long before they begin to replace many of the guys on the team." Unsure what the future holds for his international career, Overmars is willing to do whatever it takes to make the most of this chance. Even if it means swallowing his pride. Once an automatic choice for the position of left wing, Overmars has had to make way for 23-year-old Boudewijn Zenden. Zenden had stepped in for Overmars at times at the 1998 World Cup and even outshone himby scoring during the Netherlands' third-place playoff match with Croatia. The explosive left winger is philosophical about being usurped by Zenden from his favored poition on the left and his move to the right. "At this stage the team is more important than my own interests," Overmars said. "If it is better for the team that I lay on the right, than it's better for me. I want to continue till the very last moment of the tournament. "I've played the last few years on the left and so it is a bit of a change for me,' he acknowledged. 'I need to readjust to the way I walk, pass and possess. It takes a few weeks to get used to it." But Overmars has shown he is still very much a key presence on the team. The winger scored a pair of brilliant goals in the second half of the Netherlands' 6-1 demolition of Yugoslavia on Sunday evening, breaking a streak of 11 straight goals by Barcelona players. "We joked about it a little on the team," Overmars said. "Hopefully I'll keep on scoring for the rest of the tournament." Bergkamp lives up to shadow-striker labelHOENDERLOO, Netherlands -- Dennis Bergkamp has lived up to his title of shadow-striker at the Euro 2000 championships. In fact, the Dutch veteran has been almost completely eclipsed by his dazzling forward partner Patrick Kluivert. But if Kluivert has attracted all the limelight, it is largely thanks to Bergkamp. The two strikers have fused together brilliantly as the tournament has progressed, with Bergkamp creating the chances and Kluivert only too happy to convert them. In the early stages of the tournament, many had written off the 31-year-old striker -- who had scored a Dutch record 37 goals in 78 caps -- saying he had aged, lost his form and lacked the necessary killer instinct. With three lackluster performances in the opening round, and not a single goal, Bergkamp had earned heavy criticism from fans, media and former soccer greats alike. "I found [Dennis] Bergkamp very weak," Dutch soccer legend Johan Cruyff had said following the Netherlands' 3-2 victory over France in their final group match. But on Sunday, the Arsenal striker proved naysayers wrong. Moving back slightly, Bergkamp played a part in most of the goals against Yugoslavia, content to create scoring chances for Kluivert, who hungrily took advantage of them. Yugoslav coach Vujadin Boskov admitted he had taken Bergkamp too lightly and had made a fatal mistake by not marking the forward. Even Cruyff was forced to concede that Bergkamp had been 'fantastic.' "Dennis has always made a huge contribution to the team," said Dutch coach Frank Rijkaard. "He has scored a lot of goals and against the Yugoslavs he made another huge contribution. "He has accepted his role in the team. He played in that difficult position between the midfield and the forwards and did it superbly." The team's semifinal against Italy on Thursday will likely prove a much tougher challenge for Bergkamp, however. The Azzurri, who have the tightest defense at the tournament, surrendering just two goals in four games, will likely constrain Netherlands' expansive, fluid style of game, inhibiting Bergkamp and Kluivert in particular. Choking any movement within its defensive zone, the Italian side is also particularly cagey in the counterattack, striking back with often lethal results. "The Italians will be very strong and we've been working on avoiding counter-attacks during training," said Bergkamp. "I don't really like playing that kind of team because of the way I play. I'm always looking for space so I can play my game. "It's tough to beat them because they play as a very tight unit," Bergkamp added. "And it's tough because we can target one or two individuals. We have to target the team as a whole. But I know we'll come up with the right way." It is because of Bergkamp's creativeness, his willingness to work for the team and lack of ego that Rijkaard has been trying to convince the player to reconsider his retirement from the national team. After 78 appearances, Bergkamp has already indicated that Euro 2000 could very well be his last major international tournament. Many believe that Bergkamp - the only non-flying Dutchman -- would skip the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea because of a paralyzing fear of flying. But Bergkamp has dismissed the thought as ridiculous. "If don't go to Japan and Korea it won't be because I don't want to fly," stated Bergkamp, who has said he could see himself closing out his career with Arsenal. "It would be for other reasons. "I know many people think that. At any rate, I haven't completely decided yet. First I want to get us through these championships." Dutch: After revelry comes realityHOENDERLOO, Netherlands -- After the revelry comes reality. Now that the flush of triumph of their 6-1 quarterfinal eradication of Yugoslavia has started to fade, reality slowly began sinking in Tuesday on the Dutch camp: Italy's defense will be a steel wall compared to that of Yugoslavia. While the Netherlands delivered what might be the most flowing performance of the entire championships to demolish the Yugoslavs, the team realizes it was given plenty of space to maneuver and create its own opportunities. The Italians, however, won't be so generous. The Azzurri, who have the tightest defense in the championships, allowing only two goals in four matches, reached the semifinals with four effective -- though flavorless -- group match victories. The Italian side, which shuts down its defense, choking any movement within its own zone, is also particularly cagey in the counter-attack, knowing exactly when to strike. "Italy is very dangerous," warned Rijkaard. "The Yugoslavs had the same type of style of football we have, but the Italians are very different from us. They've conceded fewer goals than Yugoslavia. "The Italians have a strong defense and like to wait for their opponent, to wait for the counter attack," he said. "We'll need to be lucky to score and provoke them to come out and play." While the Dutch players respect the Italians as opponents, not all of them particularly admire the Azzurri's style of football. "We'll have to be careful," said Dutch striker Dennis Bergkamp. "They play compact football but only defensively. "But they don't want to play. They stick to defense and do nothing else except wait. They only play for the result." The Italians believe the Netherlands' expansive game will play right into the hands. "Playing the way they do, they leave a few holes behind their midfield," said Italian striker Francesco Totti. "We've created five or six good chances per game so far. "It will be totally different from their Yugoslavia match. They'll be facing a team who can cause them some trouble." History seems to tilt in favor of the Italians defensive style against the Netherlands' attacking game. In 13 international matches, the Italians won six, while the Netherlands have won only two, while the sides drew five times. While both sides have each won the European Championships once, Italy has won three World Cups while the Dutch have still not won yet.
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