Management
Manager/Coach: Marco van Basten
Age: 44
Nationality: Dutch
Playing experience: AFC Ajax, AC Milan
Coaching experience/background: AFC Ajax, Netherlands National Team
Coaching behaviours during the game: Calm, composed Appearance: Suit
Location? Dug-out or stand? Usually in the dug-out
How did they interact with players during the game? Stands in the technical area to issue instructions and then sits back down.
Background
One of the great strikers of his age, Netherlands coach Marco van Basten seems the ideal choice to bring an exciting new generation of Dutch attacking talent to their peak at UEFA EURO 2008, after which he will step down to take charge at former club AFC Ajax. "We have a lot of players with good attacking qualities, but most of them are young boys who need to mature," Van Basten said. "With more experience, we will have a chance to clinch a major title."
Van Basten, who is bidding to become the first person to taste EURO success as a coach and player, was a wild-card choice when he replaced Dick Advocaat as Netherlands coach after UEFA EURO 2004. His only previous coaching role had been working with Ajax's youth team but with the Dutch going unbeaten for 15 games after he took charge – before losing 3-1 against Italy in a November 2005 friendly – Van Basten proved he had plenty of potential.
His side breezed through 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification but bowed out in the first knockout round after a disappointing 1-0 defeat by Portugal. UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying proved largely straightforward, the Netherlands progressing as Group G runners-up behind Romania, and Van Basten was able to continue his policy of bringing through players who had won the 2006 and 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championships.
Van Basten's successful playing career has been well-documented. His talents as a striker were there for all to see as early as the 1983 FIFA U-20 World Cup, and he had scored 128 goals for Ajax - including the winner in the 1986/87 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final - by the time he made a €2.5m move to AC Milan in 1987. His memorable volley against the Soviet Union helped the Netherlands win the 1988 UEFA European Championship final and he then took the ultimate club honours as he lifted the European Champion Clubs' Cup with Milan in 1989 and 1990.
Match Preparation
What do we know about the team’s tournament preparation?
• The Netherlands rarely looked in trouble in Group G and qualified with a game to spare.
• Romania proved to be the Netherlands' most serious rivals, holding them to a 0-0 draw in Rotterdam and then progressing to the finals with a 1-0 win against Marco van Basten's side in challenging conditions in Constanta.
• Qualification was assured with a 1-0 home win against Luxembourg. The minnows withstood a Dutch onslaught but went down to a solitary Danny Koevermans goal.
• They finished second in the section after an unexpected 2-1 defeat in Belarus in their final qualifier.
• Besides qualification for Austria and Switzerland, another major positive from the Dutch campaign was the opportunity given the stars of their 2006 and 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship winning squads to impress at senior level.
Pre-match warm up - n/a
Starting Line-up and basic team shape:
7 Van Persie replaced Kuyt, 11 Robben replaced 8 Engelaar and 23 van der Vaart dropped more central.
Attacking Strategy
What type of attack is favoured? (e.g. counter-attacks: central: from wide areas: long and direct?, etc…)
The Dutch play a world-renowned brand of football, patience possession football
but in this tournament they also counter attacked effectively and looked dangerous
from set plays.
How do they build attacks from the defensive third?
They build very patiently from the back and play through midfield. All the
Back players and GK were technically very good and were always available.
How do they build attacks from the middle third?
They tried to play into Sneijder (10) who played off the front, their movement
was excellent with the wide players coming in off the line. Use of CF dropping into
pockets of space to hit his feet, then midfield supported released pressure and
provided a sound platform to attack.
Is there a distinct strategy for breaking down the opposition’s
defence in the final third?
Holland scored a range of goals, 10 goals in 4 games is a healthy return at International
Level. They always probe with their passing in and around the box with great
patient. The Dutch moved the ball quickly feed wide players and leave them 1v1.
Movement and support is always intelligent and they have players who can
produce moments of Individual brilliance.
What tempo do they play at?
Their tempo varied, extremely quick and positive when trying to counter to
patient when building a attack through the defensive and midfield thirds.
Have they identified an area of weakness, and are they exposing it?
They just play the Dutch way, pass and move at pace and look to create
opportunities.
Attacking set plays: Corner For
Van der Vaart whipped it in left footed. 18 Kuyt scored level with the near post with a firm header.
Attacking Set Plays - Wide Free Kicks
Van der Vaart left foot in swingers with pace. Scored against Russia at the far post from a right-footed in swinger from their left.
How goals are made and scored…
When a goal is scored, where did the turnover take place? Was it a mistake by the opposition, or a steal?
They scored a range of goals, they quickly changed mentality from defensive to offensive.
2 goals were the first contact after a corner or free kick had been struck and another was after from a 2nd phase attack after a corner.
3 goals were the result of effective wide play.
2 goals were from counter attacks.
1 goal was after a long diagonal pass.
1 goal was scored through some individual brilliance with a turn and shot centrally from 23 yards
On the turnover, how long did it take to score?
Within 15 to 25 seconds on regaining possession.
How many passes from the turnover to the goal being scored?
All their goals were scored within 6 passes of regaining the ball, apart from the 2 set plays.
Where was the final pass played from?
The final pass was played from the final third either from a wide position in and around the side of the box, or a pass into zone 14 central on the edge of the box. One goal was a scored from a long diagonal pass.
Defensive Strategy
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Defensive Strengths
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What is the favoured defensive strategy? (e.g. press, retreat, combination?)
Defensively they dropped and pulled their players in a little. The 10 dropped back
on either side depending where the play was building up from.
Is there an obvious line of engagement?
They started to press about 10 from the half way line in the first 3 games.
In the Quarterfinal I thought they dropped a little deeper and didn’t press
until around the halfway line.
Is play forced down one side?
I think they tried to ‘guide’ the ball inside yet it wasn’t an obvious strategy.
In wide areas do they show inside or out? Does this change closer to goal?
They tried to show the line but at times this was ineffective.
Marking policy?
They were a zonal marking team in free play. For set plays they man marked with
2 on the posts and 1 player in the near post space.
How do they defend a turnover of the ball?
(Foul, drop deep immediately?)
They drop deep immediately very rarely did any one apply pressure to the
ball high up the pitch.
How do they defend any noticeable mis-matches?
They didn’t change much just keep their shape and keep playing.
Defending Set Plays
Player on each post, Van Histelrooy in the Near post space (who didn’t move) and man to man marking, player on the edge and Sneijder stays a little further forward as an outlet.
What else did you identify?
Use of subs? To change shape, style, or time wasting?
In their last group game, when they had already qualified, they played other members of their squad who hadn’t seen any action. Did this disturb their rhythm and did provide the necessary rest that their first XI needed??
When did the trailing side think about changes (subs/tactics)? What did they do?
They only went behind to one team in the tournament and even though they took the game into extra time, Russia always looked the better side.
They didn’t change their shape much, just pushed on the wide players and withdrew a sitting midfielder and put on a attack minded midfield player.
Other incidents to note?
Holland’s performances and their goals were one of the highlights of the Euro 2008 Tournament. But ultimately they couldn’t produce their early group form in the latter stages, I thought they deserved to go further and a Final between themselves and Spain would have been very interesting. But the margins between winning and losing at international level are very slim and I am sure they will go further in the next tournament.
