The chances of the Netherlands in the World Cup

The Dutch team, which is always a national team to keep in mind because of the good players and good coaches it usually has, arrives in Qatar in what seems to be a kind of generational transition. There is a mix of some players with a lot of experience at international level with some with little or no experience with the Dutch senior national team.

The Netherlands has a long history in the competition in which they have reached three finals, although they have never been able to win it. However, on the other hand, they come from not playing in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. That shows a bit of the history of the Netherlands in the competition.

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Manager

Aloysius Paulus Maria van Gaal is a well-known name in the world of football… well, not that much, but Louis van Gaal is.

For all his achievements at club level and even with his own Dutch national team that he managed to lead to a third place in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and for his style of play that has become a reference that has created many debates in the Netherlands. Van Gaal’s teams play in a way in which the system and the collective is a priority over any individual, so in building the squad for the World Cup, the Dutch coach prioritizes those who can play within his system over players who, individually-speaking, are important.

Main Players

Because of the system’s prioritisation and the mentioned generational shift, there are no big names in the Netherlands. However, one prominent name is the one of Virgil van Dijk, who has been one of the best centre-backs in the world in recent years while also captaining the national team.

In midfield they have Frenkie de Jong, who has earned a place in FC Barcelona’s starting eleven and who can provide tactical flexibility that van Gaal can take advantage of. As one of the surprises to take into account in the Dutch squad is Cody Gakpo, a PSV star who is having a very good season and who has already participated with the Netherlands senior team.

Absences

As for the absences, the Netherlands have two midfielders who have been left out of the World Cup; the first is Georginio Wijnaldum who misses the competition due to injury and the second is Ryan Gravenberch who was left out by van Gaal’s decision.

Prediction

The Netherlands are the heavy favourites to finish first in Group A, which would put them in a tie with the second-place team in Group B, which could be Wales, Iran, or the United States if England finishes first.

The quarterfinals could be a crossover with Argentina or France which would make for a much more challenging matchup for the Dutch. At that point in the competition, the performance that van Gaal has achieved in his team could be the difference between the Netherlands reaching the semi-finals or staying in the quarter-finals.