Australia At Holland Friendly - Highlights
Filed under: Australia, Highlights, Holland, Videos
Beans already brought the Steve McClaren Dutch accent just about a week ago, and now he’s bringing it again.
Wonder if he realizes that pretty much every person in Holland understands / speaks Dutch and that he doesn’t have to pause in between every other word?
Anyone else wondering when he’s going to start rocking the super-sized umbrella again?
I’m a big fan of trying to embed yourself in a culture when you move to a new country. But trying to rock a fake ass accent after a month on the job? Come on son…that just ain’t right.
Ik denk you’re a douchebag…
Steve McLaren’s Dutch inspiration after the jump?
As with many sports stars and rap artists these days, Marc Overmars has decided to come out of retirement and return to football four years after retiring due to a knee injury. The speedy Dutch winger has decided to play again for the club where it all started at for him Go Ahead Eagles Deventer of the Dutch Second Division. Overmars reently played in a testimonial for Dutch defender Jaap Stam which apparently helped him in his decision to un-retire.
“That was also surprising for me, that is was so easy and that I still have my pace,” said the winger, was has 86 caps and who scored 17 goals for the Netherlands.
“I retired four years ago and since then I train only once a week. But willpower helps a lot.”
Ya don’t say…Anyway, check out Overmars in his prime in the video after the jump.
Dutch Olympic Team coach Foppe de Haan has named his 18 man Beijing roster, including his three over-23 players.
Holland squad:
Piet Velthuizen (Vitesse Arnhem), Kenneth Vermeer (Ajax); Kew Jaliens (29 years old - AZ Alkmaar), Calvin Jong-A-Pin (Heerenveen), Luijckx (AZ Alkmaar), Dirk Marcellis (PSV Eindhoven), Erik Pieters (PSV Eindhoven), Gianni Zuiverloon (West Bromwich Albion); Otman Bakkal (PSV Eindhoven), Urby Emanuelson (Ajax), Jonathan De Guzman (Feyenoord), Hedwiges Maduro (Valencia), Evander Sno (Celtic); Roy Beerens (Heerenveen), Ryan Babel (Liverpool), Royston Drenthe (Real Madrid), Roy Makaay (33 years old - Feyenoord), Gerald Sibon (34 years old - Heerenveen)
Surprisingly no Ibrahim Affellay (PSV), no Maceo Ritgers (the top scorer of the 2007 European U-21 Championships with 4 goals that Holland won to Qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics) who’s still having hamstring troubles and no Ismail Aissati (PSV).
Still not impressed with Foppe’s over-age decisions. Too much talent in that country to bring a 33 and 34 year old to lead your attack.
I would have loved to have seen Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, but until FIFA decides to make the Olympics a mandated tournament, then we’re all wasting our time since coaches can’t have the choices they truly want because of big club’s hesitations to let players leave during Champions League and UEFA Cup Qualifications.
image via 1000goals
Ryan Babel is one of my personal favorites and to this day I think is still highly underrated.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on Euro 2008, Babel hopefully will come back healthier and fresher (if that’s even a word) for the 2008/09 Liverpool campaign.
I love hearing stories about where players came in their own words.
Props to Nike.
He’s played 128 times for the Oranje but will play no more after retiring from the International stage following Hollands dramatic 3-1 loss to Russia in overtime.
37 year old Edwin van der Sar, who’s career has seen him win every club trophy possible at Ajax, Juventus and Manchester United, was honest and open as always when speaking about the loss to fellow Dutchman Guus Hiddink’s Russia.
“We created too few chances ourselves and gave too much away. Russia played very well, we did not - and that hurts. You have one bad game in the knockout stages and you are out. That’s the way it is.
“Russia did very well against us. They are a very good side and they have a great chance now.
“They’re in the semi-finals, one of four potential champions, so they have a great chance.”
UPDATE - Boulahrouz has been named in van Basten’s starting despite the tragedy that saw his daughter pass away prematurely just three days ago.
Russia: Igor Akinfeev, Denis Kolodin, Sergei Ignashevitch, Aleksandr Anyukov, Konstantin Zyryanov, Yuri Zhirkov, Igor Semshov, Sergei Semak, Ivan Saenko, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Andrei Arshavin.
Netherlands: Edwin van der Sar, Andre Ooijer, Joris Mathijsen, Khalid Boulahrouz, Nigel de Jong, Rafael Van der Vaart, Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, Wesley Sneijder, Orlando Engelaar, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Dirk Kuyt
Khalid Boulahrouz has vowed to continue for the Oranje despite the passing of his prematurely born daughter in Lausanne, Switzerland.
His wife Sabi was also taken to the hospital due to complications.
This is when you realize that even at the Euro 2008 tournament, it’s still just a game.
image via Uefa