On air: Holland - "winning matches, not friends"

today it doesn't really matter how you play coz the essential thing is to win.You play attractive football & loose you'll be critise,you dont play well but win you get praises from your fans. that's just it. go on Hillan

From all of the comments I am reading this morning hardly any about the level of refereeing. The most awful world cup with very poor standards. Why isn't the world cup giving the games the best referees ? Instead it seems they are choosing them based on a 'positive' choice and not their skillset.

rmandrad isn't quite right. There have been some good decisions and some shockers and the multi angle shots of incidents show how hard it is for rewferees. It is therefore even more perplexing that FIFA doesn't want to embrace technology to give the officials a better chance of getting more right decisions than wrong.

Goal line technology- obvious
offside - video ref if a "goal" has been scored
handball in the 6 yd box - goal not a penalty
yellow or red card or penalty- video ref review before awarded
play acting - post match review.

Yes the object is to win even if it is ugly but win it fair not by cheating and not to win or loose by incompetence or avoidable human error.

Look at the bigger picture!
If there is one nation that fed the dark money-driven leagues of England, Spain and Italy with superb world class players, its got to be Holland.

We earned respect for losing a final in 1974 with total football. As losers of that final we're more referred to than the winners. At Arsenal, Wenger is stating that he is still working to make his team play like Ajax 1995. There are not 5 clubs that won as many European Cups and World Cups as Ajax Amsterdam. Alltogether, we've built up a name for good intelligent football with liquid passing and fierce attacking skills.

Our flaw: we never won a WC, while we easily could have, 1974 should have been ours, 1998 we lost the semifinal to Brazil after an equal match.

Right now, we don't play as attractive as usual, it's true. But criticism on this subject coming from any other countries but ourselves is kinda harsh in my opinion.
What memorabily good matches did England play in history? Where are you an example for good football? What leagues did you feed with superb talent?
Could you rise 5 times more worldclass players than Holland, as you should according to population numbers? No, its more likely to be us who deliver 5 times more worldclass players.

I'd say, focus on yourselves the upcoming years, try to see how you raise some players with skill, finesse and detailed motorics and not the usual brawlers like Rooney and Terry. Build up a name for quality football and then have your say on what's good football, what's not and who has earned to play a certain way.

As you can see by my name, I am an Ex-pat Scot living in The Netherlands. Now as Scotland have not qualified (again *sigh*) my alliegance has been switched to Oranje. To understand the Dutch fans at an Oranje match, or in every town square in the country, you have to be there, tv can't capture anywhere near the atmosphere.
Oranje have progressed just as expected. The manager has chosen,quite rightly IMO, to abandon "total football" in favour of choosing the side according to the opposition.
This is why Oranje are in the final and I think honestly they will win it !
If it's Spain, they are better than them, simple as that.
Now Germany, if you think we don't like them...get over here and see how much the Dutch hate them.
That's why they will beat Germany in the final !!

It may not be total football but you won't hear this Dutchman complain: we've won all games, made the final and did it without relying on penalties, the referee or defensive football. This team has got it exactly right with all players working as a team and well-disciplined by the coach they all respect. They've learned how to put the interests of the team above their own egos and adapt to the opponent, throttling back when needed, attacking aggressively when needed, but without overreaching it. The Dutch team is harnessing its full potential for the first time in 32 years and for once isn't plagued by bad refereeing and general bad luck and we see that they are then able to reach the final. I'm loving every minute of it!

It maybe hard to imagine for those outside the Netherlands but there has been a feeling of confidence in this team throughout the population since the group phase (where the Dutch team ruled supreme while the other major powers of football seemed to struggle because of arrogance and prima donnas) and especially after the victory over Brazil it's like everyone just knows the team stands a pretty good chance of bringing the cup home.
36 years of intense football rivalry with Germany may result in a world cup final against them and that has gotten every Dutchman to eat, dream and breathe football these days.

This thing goes in cycles, with teams going from entertaining to winning to entertaining again - as Brazil (Netherlands' predecessors) will demonstrate once the new coach comes in.

If I can't watch the USA play, then I will differently support the Oranje. It was hard not jumping up and down at work yesterday as I listened to the game. It's my second favorite country. The people are wonderful and they have a great sports ethic.

As for their style of play. To me it more of a play to win style. Nothing very pretty but then again this isn't a ballet! Some teams were more stylish and fluid , but it didn't get them anywhere. Others were totally hideous with their vicious, physical style and were are they. Back home right now.

I love to see the ball go in the net. I don't care how many heads it can bounce off of before it hits the ground.

"Put it in the net, Robben!"

The aim and the name of the game is 'WINNING', no matter how spectaculer a team plays loosing simply mean 'OUT' of the World Cup. One thing is for sure the Dutch train very hard for each game, they have the style to win a game, Germany too has the same, it may well be Germany win the World Cup, so far they have the best record. Spain however may play their recently acquired way of posession football which is boreing to watch, but may prove effective in winning. Wether cynical and pragmatic wins a game is better than playing beautiful and loosing the game. Think of it, Brazil, Italy, Argentina hot favourites to win the World Cup have lost and are out, the old saying "Every dog has his day". Which ever team win The World Cup, lets say 'Well Done and Good Luck to Them'.

YEEEEEESSSSS !!! Oranje for the world cup !!!!

Holland do not belong in the World Cup Final. They have scraped by in matches with a mixture of luck, appallingly inconsistent and cowardly refereeing, and some dreadful defending from the opposition. Had Uruguay not been missing key players they would have taken care of Holland.
Today saw the real class in this sub-standard tournament: Spain and Germany. It was an intriguing game but it was Spain who got it all right on the day. Your report suggested Spain created few clear cut chances. Rubbish! They should have scored 3. And elsewhere you include Holland in the teams that illustrate a "European renaissance". Naive in the extreme. As you will see on Sunday.

We will see markOB.

You seem to have convieniently forgotten that Oranje have won 14 games in a row, was that all "luck, appallingly inconsistent and cowardly refereeing, and some dreadful defending from the opposition" I think not ! The Dutch national side is one of the best so far in the WK and that is why they are in the final. The glorious German machine could not cope with a bit of flair from Spain, too disciplined and regimented. What happened to all the wonderful South American sides....back home licking their wounds.

It will be a great day on Sunday and I still say Holland will win. Who will win the British GP? Good day to be a sports fan in The Netherlands

@ pieterG

England 4 - Netherlands 1

Euro 96

That was quite a good England performance.

When Greece won the Euro in 2004, they did not give a figs for how people perceived their tactics. When Mourinho's teams won their titles, it was all about winning not about entertainment. Great if you're one of the supporters, but if you're a neutral spectator you'd much rather watch Arsenal play and lose.
Each team in the world cup is playing for their own supporters, not for the neutrals.

@13 Yes, that occasion is the one example I could come up with too.

@markOB Holland is by far the best football nation that never won a WC.

For the rest you should read my earlier comment, for several arguments on why Holland should win this WC.

First to: Mobile iPlayer Dev Team. Two completely different teams, managers, players, tactics,14 years ago for goodness sake!!!! Cannot possibly compare them and a bit of a wuss to try.

Second to: pieterg. Maakt helemaal niet, Jonge!! Oranje wil echt de werldbeker winnen op Zondag. Ik wil je terug zien hier rond 22:00 Zondag Klopt ?

Translation: Doesn't matter, mate. Holland will win the World Cup on Sunday. See you back here around 22:00 Sunday OK ?

At the start of the match I was backing holland. After about 25 minutes I had completly changed sides! why? van bommel should have been booked twice by that time. and went on to deserve two more. And was only booked at the last minute. So come on Spain even if you have to leave on your crutches.

I bite my tongue and hang my head in shame. If Holland had won that final it would have been a disgrace.Up until then Oranje were a good side (24 wins in a row according to BBC pundits) Last night, they were a disgrace to The Netherlands fans who have supported them so well, throughout this tournament. De Jong, in particular, should be strung up for that tackle on Xabi Alonso.

Well at least Hamilton and Button did well in the British GP !