2 Friendlies coming up vs Japan (Nov. 16) and Colombia (Nov. 19). Team selection (NOTE: Siem de Jong replaces injured Kuijt) Eredivisie Daley Blind (Ajax) Jasper Cillessen (Ajax) Joël Veltman (Ajax) Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord) Daryl Janmaat (Feyenoord) Bruno Martins Indi (Feyenoord) Stefan de Vrij (Feyenoord) Memphis Depay (PSV) Luciano Narsingh (PSV) Stijn Schaars (PSV) Jetro Willems (PSV) Buitenland Jonathan de Guzman (Swansea City) Nigel de Jong (AC Milan) Tim Krul (Newcastle United) Dirk Kuijt (Fenerbahçe) Jeremain Lens (Dinamo Kiev) Robin van Persie (Manchester United) Arjen Robben (Bayern München) Maarten Stekelenburg (Fulham) Kevin Strootman (AS Roma) Rafael van der Vaart (Hamburger SV) Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa) Gregory van der Wiel (Paris Saint-Germain)
Krul was great this weekend ... made a few world class saves ... maybe LVG rewards him with the No. 1 jersey?
Its a 3-way battle between Krul, Cillessen and Stek. I think Vorm has rightfully dropped out of contention for now. Its a tough choice though, Krul might be in form right now but Stek has all the experience. I hope all 3 keepers see equal playing time next 2 friendlies
Besides PSV I don't pay a lot of attention to other Dutch clubs ... for the rest of the Eredivisie I just watch VI (for laughs) and 'Studio Voetbal' (the internets is my main source for news anyway) ... hard to compare Cillessen to GKs I've come to know better (because I pay more attention to the EPL). So far Krul and Steek had a decent start to the season (considering what their defenses face in every match). I feel that Krul has deserved to be tried out in at least 1 match. Edit: assuming they have a consistent season ... IMO Krul and Steek will be the main competitors for the No. 1 spot.
Vorm is out of the squad as he played with injections recently. He is not left out for quality reasons, but fitness. The Swansea game in the weekend was also played with another keeper than Vorm. That guy conceded 3 goals, 1 of the 3 looked at least stoppable to me. No wonder they want him to play, with or without injections.
van Persie is out.. Davy Propper is the replacement. EDit: Jordy Clasie is also out. Leroy Fer is the replacement.
With all the injuries, FIFA really need to reassess the need for friendlies right after WC qualifications are concluded (other than the playoffs that are needed for UEFA and a couple of other regions). The squads always end up being make shift and I doubt van Gaal will really learn anything.
Hey guys. I will be in Amsterdam next week to see my national team and I wanted to ask you if you know in which hotel the Colombian NT is supposed to be. Also, there's a place in the Amsterdam Arena where the fans can wait for the players to come out for photos & signature?? Thanks.
Does anybody know if Japan and Colombia will be in full strength (esp. in their attacking third)? It may not be all too pointless if Oranje defense can be tested around decent opponents. We know Van Persie and co. can score goals -- the defense is what's really worrying, especially as it's operating like a revolving door nowadays.
We will come with our full squad minus our starting GK David Ospina & our starting RB, Juan Camilo Zuñiga. Other then them, we will play with Falcao, James, Jackson etc. Should be a great match.
Because Krul will start against Columbia and van Gaal is not going to use the same keeper in both matches. Pretty simple to me.
Even if Vorm had been healthy I still dont think he warrants a callup to Oranje. vGaal can only bring 3 keepers and right now I have more confidence in Krul, Stek and maybe even Cillessen ahead of Vorm
I'm not convinced Krul should be the first choice keeper. He is the best shot stopper of the potential candidates, but he is also the worst in possession.
I thought Colombia was impressive vs Belgium. Showed silk and steal at the same time. Technique and physical presence. Good at turnovers looking for the through pass, but also able to hold possession. Finally, they finished their chances (not even all of them) and their kit is looking awesome. Netherlands has been good at dismantling mediocre sides, but this is a team that will turn the heat on us and than we get to see how bad defense really is. Very happy we get them before going into the WC.
We also had quite a few chances and I'm pretty sure the likes of Robben will put away at least some of those (unlike our front line). So you might concede a few, but you will also score against them.
Also BMI might miss Japan match: http://www.telegraaf.nl/telesport/voetbal/oranje/22060690/__Martins_Indi_staakt_training__.html
I think we should attack Colombia by peppering Arias. I know him from PSV and he is a major defensive liability. He's better going forward and actually has a nice cross as well. Mertens had a good game and was marked by Arias. In general, Colombia's forte is more towards the front than the back. If we can control the match, we can play to their weakness. If we can't and there will be episodes in the game where we won't ..... we get see how shaky our defense is. I am especially curious to see how we deal with their turnovers and general surprises. It will learn us how fast we can reorganize, how disciplined and alert we are. Vertonghen said that Colombia was able to surprise them all the time and that is exactly what I want to see the Dutch defenders deal with properly.
Ahhh, our achiles heel... the RB. If we had Zuñiga (who is our starter) would be even worse, since our RB and LB suck at defending. good luck in the game!
True. Belgium missed a lot of chances. But that was the first time that back line and Keeper ever played together. Not to mention Colombia could have scored a lot more goals too, so the luck of the bounce goes both ways. Let's see how things play out in Amsterdam.