Marco van Basten: superstar again!
June 15, 2008
Gunter Netzer. Former star player. Head strong. Incredibly talented. Un-German in his football vision. Grumpy like his Dutch alter-ego Willem van Hanegem. He is not a real fan (”Most of the time I am not impressed with how the game is played”). He is not a fan. He is a critic.
In front of the German ARD cameras, he said: “What Holland showed is brilliance. Utter brilliance. You hardly see this type of play in international football. You are under pressure against France and the coach plays two extra strikers. That is just out of this world.”
Former German team manager Rudi Voller once had a huge row with Netzer, live on telly. He had just said that Voller should start to teach his players how to play football. Netzer will never budge.
Netzer: “Van Basten took an incredible risks, but he is capable of forcing his luck. It paid dividends and Marco won the match for the Dutch.”
The German icon sees the Dutch confidence (Dutch courage anyone?) as Oranje’s strongest asset. “It starts with Van Basten, who was uncompromising in his four years stint. He never backed down for criticism, went his own way. He battled Van Bommel, Van Nistelrooy, Seedorf, Cruyff even and many reporters but went on to do his thing, with his team. They have the guts to play their own game, with their incredible talents.”
The whole world looks with admiration towards the peformance of the Dutch. First they serve off Italy, then France. Two behemoths in World football.
The Guardian: “This match reminds us why we love football. I want to see every match played like this. And let’s be happy England isn’t here. Our boys would be cut to mince meat by the Dutch.”
It’s the turn around in particular that catches the imagination. “I am high at the moment. They only need 25 seconds or less to move from their own goal line to the net of the opponent. I don’t know what to say, it is football from another planet.”
“Now it’s clear why they call this the Group of Death. It’s because Holland plays in this group and they kill off every opponent.”
And: “Oranje re-invented football. Again! Five players running at the opponent in unison, creating space, combining, dummies and converting their chances. It’s attack, attack, attack… Fantastic play. We want more more more…”
Team manager Van Basten gets the praise he deserves, at last. “What a star! Among all those big name and lesser big name players, he is the main man. Which manager would actually play Van Persie and Robben to defend a lead?”
“This team brings a huge smile to my face. Football nowaday is cynical, negative. Van Basten should come to England to do master classes with our English managers. Many many thanks, Mr Van Basten.”
The Guardian also recognizes the luck Oranje had. “And when needed, Van Basten is even allowed to play a second goal keeper, this case Andre Ooijer. Why not?”
Still, the title is maybe not for the taking for Oranje. “Holland plays great, fantastic. But they won’t win the title. Their success will go to their heads. Like the Heineken beers on a Saturday night. It’s their biggest weakness and they still don’t realize that.”
“If justice exists in football, and it doesn’t, Oranje should win this.”
