Holland squad at Euro 2004

Holland

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Holland needed to beat Scotland in the play-offs to make it throught to the finals, and the two play-off games nicely summed up why the Dutch have become known as the Jekyll and Hyde of International football. The first leg they struggled to overturn Scotland and were out of sorts, then in the second leg they were sublime and destroyed the Scots. Their squad includes some of the biggest stars in the world game (Van Nistelrooy, Kluivert, Stam, Davids etc.) and some huge young talents that could set the tournament of fire in the new Chelsea signing Robben and Ajax star Rafael Van der Vaart. They could go all the way but how they do all depends on which Holland turns up, I wouldn't be suprised if they beat the Germans then lost to Latvia.

Squad

Coach: Dick Advocaat

Goalkeepers:
Edwin van der Sar (Fulham),
Ronald Waterreus (PSV Eindhoven),
Sander Westerveld (Real Sociedad)
Defenders:
Michael Reiziger (Barcelona),
Johnny Heitinga (Ajax),
Jaap Stam (Lazio),
Frank de Boer (Rangers),
Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Barcelona),
Wilfred Bouma (PSV Eindhoven)
Midfielders:
Rafael van der Vaart (Ajax),
Wesley Sneijder (Ajax),
Edgar Davids (Barcelona),
Clarence Seedorf (Milan),
Philip Cocu (Barcelona),
Boudewijn Zenden (Middlesbrough),
Paul Bosvelt (Manchester City)
Forwards:
Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United),
Patrick Kluivert (Barcelona),
Pierre van Hooijdonk (Fenerbahce),
Roy Makaay (Bayern Munich),
Andy van der Meyde (Inter),
Marc Overmars (Barcelona),
Arjen Robben (PSV Eindhoven).

Star Player

Ruud Van Nistelrooy has been linked with a multi-million pound move to Real Madrid this summer after another successful season with Manchester United. If he performs well in Portugal and comes through the tournament unscathed, the Spanish giants could be tempted to make the kind of offer that would be hard to refuse.

Holland have an embarrassment of riches in the attacking department, but have struggled to find the right formula. Van Nistelrooy seems to have edged his way ahead of Kluivert and Makaay in the pecking order on the back of a good performance in the second play-off game against Scotland. He'll need to be at his very best if he's to break down the German and Czech defences, but he's well capable of doing so. This is Van Nistelrooy's first appearance in a major tournament so he should be raring to go. The second semi final falls on the day of his 28th birthday. Don't bet against him being involved.

Key Man

Jaap Stam has just clinched a move from Lazio to Italian champions AC Milan. Having already achieved success in Holland, England and Italy, he has nothing to prove at club level, but like so many of his Dutch team-mates, he would like to finally make his mark in international football.

A tall, strong centre-half, with good ariel ability and a good reading of the game, Stam will be an important cog in the Dutch machine this summer. In the past, people have questioned his speed on the turn but he now has the experience to compensate for this and know when to drop off. If he is on form, Holland will have a great chance.

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