FROM THE DISAPPOINTMENT of their World Cup semi-final loss to Brazil two years before, the Dutch regrouped and put together another terrific display at a major tournament only to fall short again – in true Oranje style.
It says much about the great teams when you can reel off so many of their starting lineup with such ease.
This was a collection of relentless and top-class talent, all at the peak of their careers.
There was Edwin van der Sar in goal, a defence anchored by Frank de Boer and Jaap Stam, the perfect contrast of Phillip Cocu and Edgar Davids in midfield, the stylish Marc Overmars on the left and an excellent attacking pairing of Patrick Kluivert and Dennis Bergkamp up top.
What more could you ask for?
The story
Co-hosting the tournament with near-neighbours Belgium, the Dutch didn’t have to come through a qualification campaign so new boss Frank Rijkaard had plenty of time fine-tuning his selection and system.
Having served as an assistant to Guus Hiddink at the 1998 World Cup, he was still an immensely-surprising choice for the job.
He had no experience and was seen as a calm and composed figure – too soft, too quiet to ever make it as a manager. The Dutch camp, as history shows, is a volcanic environment with many opinions and arguments. The feeling was that Rijkaard would get swallowed up.
And for quite a while, he struggled. The Dutch went 16 months without winning a game prior to Euro 2000 and there were plenty of calls for Rijkaard to go.
To make matters worse, they were without one of the most highly-fancied strikers in Europe too.
Ruud van Nistelrooy had just netted 29 goals in the Eredivisie as PSV ran away with the domestic title but, just days before an expected move to Manchester United was due to be confirmed, the club pulled out of the deal, dissatisfied with the medial ligament injury he was carrying at the time.
Van Nistelrooy and PSV refused to bow to United’s request of exploratory surgery but when he broke down in training shortly after – desperately trying to get back to full fitness – he ruptured his cruciate ligament ; something United had been deeply concerned about happening.
Still, the Dutch won their first match in Group D – captain Frank de Boer slotting home an 89th-minute penalty against the Czech Republic.
It was unconvincing, unimpressive but vital.
Rijkaard responded to the tame performance by dropping Clarence Seedorf, as Hiddink did in 1998, but little seemed to change for much of their second game against Denmark.
But finally, a defining moment.
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Nick Potts
Nick Potts
A counter-attack from deep began with Davids’ tenacity. Then there was Bergkamp’s cameo, turning on halfway before feeding Kluivert. When the return pass fell to the Arsenal attacker, he conjured a moment of magic and slipped the ball through two challenges before racing through on goal. Schmeichel blocked his effort but the rebound fell to Kluivert who found the net.
It took 57 minutes but the Dutch had found a flow. They found the right balance between defence and attack and their transitions were explosive.
Nine minutes later, Zenden – a bundle of energy on the left side – beat his man and whipped in a dangerous low cross that Ronald de Boer tapped home.
They saved the best until last though.
With 13 minutes left, the Danes had a throw-in about 30 yards from goal. They needed a late rally to find an unlikely way back into the game. But once the initial ball was cleared, there was an expectant swell of noise inside the Rotterdam stadium.
Giovani van Bronckhurst flicked on to Kluivert who turned, halfway inside his own half, and sprayed a superb through ball for the rampaging Michael Reiziger.
He ran clear to the penalty area before squaring for Zenden, who tucked away their third.
THOMAS KIENZLE
THOMAS KIENZLE
Next up, there was a 5-goal thriller against France with the Dutch twice coming from behind to take the 3-2 victory.
Despite stand-in Sander Westerveld gifting Christophe Dugarry the opener after getting nowhere near a corner, there was another swift, brilliant Dutch equaliser when Bergkamp exquisitely found Kluivert who blasted to the far corner.
After David Trezeguet turned home from close-range, Frank de Boer levelled again after the break with a magnificent free-kick while Zenden popped up with an instinctive winner on the hour mark.
The Dutch produced a superb performance in their quarter-final against Yugoslavia, racking up six goals with Kluivert getting three of them. Overmars added a brace while Dejan Govedarica, under severe pressure from Kluivert, put through his own net.
But everything fell apart in the semis against Italy, a truly bizarre capitulation.
Bergkamp had already hit the far post after engineering space on the edge of the box when Gianluca Zambrotta was sent-off for a ridiculous foul (his second booking) after just half an hour.
Later in the half, Nesta was adjudged to have brought down Kluivert in the area (both were tugging each others’ shirts) but Frank de Boer’s penalty was superbly tipped away by Francesco Toldo.
In the second-half, Davids made an intelligent diagonal run into the left channel of the area, neatly controlling a pass with his chest. Too quick for Mark Iuliano, the Juventus defender could only send his club-mate sprawling and the Dutch were awarded another penalty.
Mike Egerton
Mike Egerton
This time Kluivert took it. But he missed too, smacking the inside of the upright with the low drive, having sent Toldo the wrong way.
The Dutch heads were gone and the Italians avoided committing any more silly errors. Forcing the game into a shootout, the psychologically-fragile Netherlands fell to pieces.
De Boer missed another, Stam blazed wildly over the bar and Paul Bosvelt’s deciding kick was saved by Toldo to win it for the Azzurri.
Six penalties in one game and the Dutch missed five of them.
Stand-out player
Tony Marshall
Tony Marshall
Edgar Davids played every minute of the Netherlands’ Euro 2000 adventure and was included in the Uefa Team of the Tournament.
Tenacious and energetic, he set the tone for the transitional play Rijkaard loved to deploy – the quick change from defensive platform to attacking impetus.
Alongside the more calm and composed Phillip Cocu in the centre of the park, Davids was at his peak during the tournament.
While it’s easy to select Kluivert as the key ingredient, he was silenced in the semi-final against the Italians – when the Dutch needed him the most.
Berkgkamp played in fits and starts. There was some lovely link-up play with Kluivert and the occasional, inspired, individual magic moment but not enough.
Zenden was an unsung hero while the rearguard was solid but Davids was the consistent, relentless bright spark.
Stand-out moment
Fittingly, Davids pops up here too – showing that he wasn’t only about ball-winning, terrier-like scrapping but could be deft and astute too.
The last-eight battle with Yugoslavia was the perfect performance from the Dutch – thrilling, vibrant and unrelenting.
The goals were magnificent. The first two from Kluivert displayed (a) his ability to hang on the shoulder of defenders, (b) his finishing and (c) the alertness and vision of both Bergkamp and Davids. His third? Well, how about the technique? The way he opens up his body to control the finish after Zenden’s cross came at him quickly and from close-range.
Oh, and there’s Overmars’ delicious volley too.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xysskn_2000-june-25-holland-6-yugoslavia-1-european-championship_sport
The team
Starting lineup (v Yugoslavia, 25/6/2000)
Edwin van der Sar, Jaap Stam, Frank de Boer (c), Boudewijn Zenden, Phillip Cocu, Edgar Davids, Patrick Kluivert, Dennis Bergkamp, Marc Overmars, Paul Bosvelt, Arthur Numan.
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The retro Euro teams we loved: Netherlands, 2000
Why we loved them
FROM THE DISAPPOINTMENT of their World Cup semi-final loss to Brazil two years before, the Dutch regrouped and put together another terrific display at a major tournament only to fall short again – in true Oranje style.
It says much about the great teams when you can reel off so many of their starting lineup with such ease.
This was a collection of relentless and top-class talent, all at the peak of their careers.
There was Edwin van der Sar in goal, a defence anchored by Frank de Boer and Jaap Stam, the perfect contrast of Phillip Cocu and Edgar Davids in midfield, the stylish Marc Overmars on the left and an excellent attacking pairing of Patrick Kluivert and Dennis Bergkamp up top.
What more could you ask for?
The story
Co-hosting the tournament with near-neighbours Belgium, the Dutch didn’t have to come through a qualification campaign so new boss Frank Rijkaard had plenty of time fine-tuning his selection and system.
Having served as an assistant to Guus Hiddink at the 1998 World Cup, he was still an immensely-surprising choice for the job.
He had no experience and was seen as a calm and composed figure – too soft, too quiet to ever make it as a manager. The Dutch camp, as history shows, is a volcanic environment with many opinions and arguments. The feeling was that Rijkaard would get swallowed up.
And for quite a while, he struggled. The Dutch went 16 months without winning a game prior to Euro 2000 and there were plenty of calls for Rijkaard to go.
To make matters worse, they were without one of the most highly-fancied strikers in Europe too.
Ruud van Nistelrooy had just netted 29 goals in the Eredivisie as PSV ran away with the domestic title but, just days before an expected move to Manchester United was due to be confirmed, the club pulled out of the deal, dissatisfied with the medial ligament injury he was carrying at the time.
Van Nistelrooy and PSV refused to bow to United’s request of exploratory surgery but when he broke down in training shortly after – desperately trying to get back to full fitness – he ruptured his cruciate ligament ; something United had been deeply concerned about happening.
Still, the Dutch won their first match in Group D – captain Frank de Boer slotting home an 89th-minute penalty against the Czech Republic.
It was unconvincing, unimpressive but vital.
Rijkaard responded to the tame performance by dropping Clarence Seedorf, as Hiddink did in 1998, but little seemed to change for much of their second game against Denmark.
But finally, a defining moment.
A counter-attack from deep began with Davids’ tenacity. Then there was Bergkamp’s cameo, turning on halfway before feeding Kluivert. When the return pass fell to the Arsenal attacker, he conjured a moment of magic and slipped the ball through two challenges before racing through on goal. Schmeichel blocked his effort but the rebound fell to Kluivert who found the net.
It took 57 minutes but the Dutch had found a flow. They found the right balance between defence and attack and their transitions were explosive.
Nine minutes later, Zenden – a bundle of energy on the left side – beat his man and whipped in a dangerous low cross that Ronald de Boer tapped home.
They saved the best until last though.
With 13 minutes left, the Danes had a throw-in about 30 yards from goal. They needed a late rally to find an unlikely way back into the game. But once the initial ball was cleared, there was an expectant swell of noise inside the Rotterdam stadium.
Giovani van Bronckhurst flicked on to Kluivert who turned, halfway inside his own half, and sprayed a superb through ball for the rampaging Michael Reiziger.
He ran clear to the penalty area before squaring for Zenden, who tucked away their third.
Next up, there was a 5-goal thriller against France with the Dutch twice coming from behind to take the 3-2 victory.
Despite stand-in Sander Westerveld gifting Christophe Dugarry the opener after getting nowhere near a corner, there was another swift, brilliant Dutch equaliser when Bergkamp exquisitely found Kluivert who blasted to the far corner.
After David Trezeguet turned home from close-range, Frank de Boer levelled again after the break with a magnificent free-kick while Zenden popped up with an instinctive winner on the hour mark.
The Dutch produced a superb performance in their quarter-final against Yugoslavia, racking up six goals with Kluivert getting three of them. Overmars added a brace while Dejan Govedarica, under severe pressure from Kluivert, put through his own net.
But everything fell apart in the semis against Italy, a truly bizarre capitulation.
Bergkamp had already hit the far post after engineering space on the edge of the box when Gianluca Zambrotta was sent-off for a ridiculous foul (his second booking) after just half an hour.
Later in the half, Nesta was adjudged to have brought down Kluivert in the area (both were tugging each others’ shirts) but Frank de Boer’s penalty was superbly tipped away by Francesco Toldo.
In the second-half, Davids made an intelligent diagonal run into the left channel of the area, neatly controlling a pass with his chest. Too quick for Mark Iuliano, the Juventus defender could only send his club-mate sprawling and the Dutch were awarded another penalty.
This time Kluivert took it. But he missed too, smacking the inside of the upright with the low drive, having sent Toldo the wrong way.
The Dutch heads were gone and the Italians avoided committing any more silly errors. Forcing the game into a shootout, the psychologically-fragile Netherlands fell to pieces.
De Boer missed another, Stam blazed wildly over the bar and Paul Bosvelt’s deciding kick was saved by Toldo to win it for the Azzurri.
Six penalties in one game and the Dutch missed five of them.
Stand-out player
Edgar Davids played every minute of the Netherlands’ Euro 2000 adventure and was included in the Uefa Team of the Tournament.
Tenacious and energetic, he set the tone for the transitional play Rijkaard loved to deploy – the quick change from defensive platform to attacking impetus.
Alongside the more calm and composed Phillip Cocu in the centre of the park, Davids was at his peak during the tournament.
While it’s easy to select Kluivert as the key ingredient, he was silenced in the semi-final against the Italians – when the Dutch needed him the most.
Berkgkamp played in fits and starts. There was some lovely link-up play with Kluivert and the occasional, inspired, individual magic moment but not enough.
Zenden was an unsung hero while the rearguard was solid but Davids was the consistent, relentless bright spark.
Stand-out moment
Fittingly, Davids pops up here too – showing that he wasn’t only about ball-winning, terrier-like scrapping but could be deft and astute too.
The last-eight battle with Yugoslavia was the perfect performance from the Dutch – thrilling, vibrant and unrelenting.
The goals were magnificent. The first two from Kluivert displayed (a) his ability to hang on the shoulder of defenders, (b) his finishing and (c) the alertness and vision of both Bergkamp and Davids. His third? Well, how about the technique? The way he opens up his body to control the finish after Zenden’s cross came at him quickly and from close-range.
Oh, and there’s Overmars’ delicious volley too.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xysskn_2000-june-25-holland-6-yugoslavia-1-european-championship_sport
The team
Starting lineup (v Yugoslavia, 25/6/2000)
Edwin van der Sar, Jaap Stam, Frank de Boer (c), Boudewijn Zenden, Phillip Cocu, Edgar Davids, Patrick Kluivert, Dennis Bergkamp, Marc Overmars, Paul Bosvelt, Arthur Numan.
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Cult Heroes Dennis Bergkamp Euro 2016 Frank Rijkaard Patrick Kluivert retro football Netherlands