Category Archives: FRIENDLY

In a 33 man squad, RVP & Huntelaar return for France clash

February 20, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Oranje coach Louis van Gaal has named a huge 33-man provisional squad for the Netherlands’ friendly match with France on March 5th in Paris. The friendly with France is the first of four warm-up games for the Dutch ahead of this summer’s World Cup in Brazil.

Dutch captain Robin van Persie returns after having missed his country’s last two friendlies through injury.

Also recalled is Schalke striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who has only recently made his comeback after a knee injury. The 30-year-old striker had spent five months on the sidelines but has scored two goals in four league appearances for the Bundesliga side since returning to action after the winter break.

Van Gaal has also announced six players to his squad who could win their first cap including dangerous winger Jean-Paul Boëtius, who has been in great form over the past few months for Feyenoord and could receive his first cap in Paris. Other possible debutants in the squad include PSV pair Karim Rekik and goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet, FC Twente’s Quincy Promes, Vitesse’s Davy Pröpper and Ajax’s Davy Klaassen.

SQUAD

GOALKEEPERS: Jasper CILLESSEN (Ajax), Tim KRUL (Newcastle United), Maarten STEKELENBURG (Fulham), Kenneth VERMEER (Ajax), Michel VORM (Swansea City), Jeroen ZOET (PSV).

DEFENDERS: Daley BLIND (Ajax), Jeffrey BRUMA (PSV), Stefan DE VRIJ (Feyenoord), Bruno MARTINS INDI (Feyenoord), Daryl JANMAAT (Feyenoord), Karim REKIK (PSV), Gregory VAN DER WIEL (Paris Saint-Germain), Joel VELTMAN (Ajax), Paul VERHAEGH (FC Augsburg), Ron VLAAR (Aston Villa).

MIDFIELDERS: Jordy CLASIE (Feyenoord), Nigel DE JONG (AC Milan), Siem DE JONG (Ajax), Leroy FER (Norwich City), Davy KLAASSEN (Ajax), Davy PROPPER (Vitesse), Stijn SCHAARS (PSV), Wesley SNEIJDER (Galatasaray), Kevin STROOTMAN (AS Roma).

FORWARDS: Jean-Paul BOETIUS (Feyenoord), Memphis DEPAY (PSV), Klaas-Jan HUNTELAAR (Schalke), Dirk KUYT (Fenerbahçe), Luciano NARSINGH (PSV), Quincy PROMES (FC Twente), Arjen ROBBEN (Bayern Munich), Robin VAN PERSIE (Manchester United).

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FRIENDLY, NETHERLANDS, ORANJE

FRIENDLY: Oranje easily crack ten-men China

June 11, 2013 Will Burns Leave a comment

CHINA 0

NETHERLANDS 2 (Van Persie 11, Snejder 66)

The Oranje strolled to a 2-0 win at ease against ten-man China in their second leg of the Far East tour.

Manchester United striker Robin van Persie’s early penalty and a delightful goal by Wesley Sneijder were enough for Louis van Gaal’s men to proceed their win over Indonesia on Friday.

Robin van Persie and teammates celebrate the opening goal

China played some good football in parts and particularly as they played almost 80 minutes a man down following Qin Sheng’s 12th minute dismissal. The Dutch were a constant threat and after Zheng Zhi missing a glorious headed chance for China, the visitors took the lead in just 11 minutes.

PSV attacker Jeremain Lens cut the ball back to Arjen Robben, who was taken down in the penalty area by Zhang Lin Peng and RVP slammed the spot-kick home, with goalkeeper Zeng Cheng diving the wrong way.

The sending off came soon after as Qin’s eighth international appearance ended in the 13th minute, the midfielder dismissed for a studs-up lunge at Swansea City midfielder Jonathan De Guzman. The referee made no hesitations and showed the Chinese talisman the red card.

The Dutch missed some chances of their own, Robben firing into the side-netting before Van Persie glanced Lens’ superb cross wide when he should have scored. China’s last opportunity before half-time was wasted by Zheng’s woeful free-kick and the whistle went for the break with no addition to the score.

Van Gaal sent on Sneijder among the triple substitutions and his team started the second half on the attack, Robben almost immediately hitting the bar. Sneijder and Lens shot wide and Van Persie saw one effort saved by Zeng before sending another over the top from close range.

Half of the stadium thought China had grabbed a shock equaliser when Yu Hanchao’s low shot, following neat build-up play, went through Erik Pieters’ legs and wriggled under goalkeeper Michel Vorm’s hand but the Swansea City number one recovered to scrape it away.

Sneijder made it 2-0, though, with a skilful backheel after combining with Van Persie and Robben to create the chance. Dirk Kuyt came on and threatened instantly but his weak shot was saved comfortably by Zeng.

There was no more goals but Feng Xiaoting escaped conceding a penalty after losing possession and tangling with Kuyt, who appeared to unbalance himself by unintentionally kicking the defender’s leg.

Another win for the Dutch which wraps up the tour of Asia and now the players can finally hit the beaches for a well deserved break before they travel to Estonia on 6th September in a World Cup qualifier.

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FRIENDLY, NETHERLANDS, ORANJE

FRIENDLY: Dutch struggle to defeat Indonesia

June 7, 2013 Will Burns Leave a comment

INDONESIA 0

NETHERLANDS 3 (de Jong 57, 67, Robben 90)

The Oranje began their tour of Asia with a 3-0 win over Indonesia in a packed stadium in Jakarta.

It was a lethargic start for Louis van Gaal’s side whom picked their game up in the second half to earn a 3-0 victory with Siem de Jong bagging two of the goals.

The Dutch almost got off to a perfect start in their first attack but Wesley Sneijder was deemed offside after finding the net.

Having survived that initial scare, the hard-working Indonesia settled in nicely. They kept the dangerous Dutch attack out from creating opportunities. The hosts’ goalkeeper Kurnia Meiga, kept Holland at bay with every first-half chance that was generated got handled with relative ease.

Jeremain Lens suffered an early injury and was replaced

The Dutch were hampered with the injury of PSV’s Jeremain Lens. The wide striker picked up a knock and was replaced by Arjen Robben after just 14 minutes. He is a doubt for the next friendly against China.

Van Gaal modified the team at half-time which included the exit of Van Persie, which seemed to spark the favourites and in turn, his team finally grabbed the lead just before the hour.

In the 57th minute a De Jong header from the goal after some excellent work from Feyenoord’s Ruben Schaken. The winger did well to track down a loose ball and delivered a pinpoint cross, which de Jong directed back across goal and Meiga was unable to stop it. This was the Ajax man’s first international goal for Oranje.

De Jong grabbed his second goal ten minutes later finishing a lovely move by the Dutch. The impressive Robben sent it a curling cross and Schaken flicked onto De Jong to head home again.

Robben added a third in the final minute before injury time to make the scoreline look a lot like the display that was except from the Netherlands. That being said, apart from the Lens injury, the Oranje will be happy to take their victory onto China for the next leg of the Asian tour.

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