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Rensenbrinkhit the post in the final minutes of the 1978 final. Allsport UK/Allsport |
Johan Cruyff may be the most celebrated member of the great Dutch side of the 1970s, but it was Rensenbrink who came closest to winning the World Cup for the Netherlands.
"Total football" suited a player of Rensenbrink's imagination and ability, and he was a key member of the 1974 side that reached the final in West Germany, providing a left-sided balance and a creative alternative to Cruyff.
Rensenbrink scored against East Germany in the second stage, but by the final he was being troubled by injury. He failed to make an impression and was substituted at halftime as the Netherlands came unstuck against the better organized and more determined host nation.
In Cruyff's absence, Rensenbrink became the Netherlands' main offensive focus for the 1978 finals. He scored a hat trick in the first match against Iran, with two of the goals coming from the penalty spot. Another followed against Scotland, and in a 5-1 win over Austria in the second round he netted another penalty for his fifth goal of the competition.
But in the dying minutes of the 1978 World Cup final in Buenos Aires, Rensenbrink fired a shot against the post that would have sealed a 2-1 win and shattered Argentine dreams. Instead Mario Kempes stole the show in extra time and Rensenbrink had to settle for the second runner-up medal of his career.
