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Neeskens converted the penalty that gave the Dutch the lead in the 1974 final. Allsport Hulton/Archive |
Neeskens' career was played in the shadow of Johan Cruyff for the Netherlands, Ajax and later Barcelona.
He may have been less skillful, but Neeskens was as crucial a component to Rinus' Michels' "total football" revolution as his celebrated teammate.
A hard-working midfielder, Neeskens could usually be found directing play somewhere in the middle, but he was also happy to rotate with forwards and wide players as the system dictated, as well as providing some vital cover and ball-winning aggression in front of the Dutch defense.
Neeskens was the decisive player in the decisive game of the Netherlands' run to the 1974 final in West Germany. The Dutch needed to beat defending champion Brazil in its final game of the second group stage. After being knocked unconscious by a crude early challenge and flattened again, later in the game Neeskens produced a wonderful chip to score the opening goal of the Netherlands' 2-0 win.
In the final, Neeskens' converted a first-minute penalty, but tight marking limited his contribution. Nonetheless only Sepp Maier's heroic stop prevented Neeskens from cancelling out West Germany's 2-1 lead with a stinging volley.
The 1978 finals in Argentina were less of a personal triumph for Neeskens but he was still a vital creative presence in the Dutch midfield, particularly with Cruyff's refusal to play. But the Dutch came up short once again in the final against the host, losing 3-1 in extra time.
