The world is counting down until the kick-off of the Qatar World Cup 2022, which will begin in November. While some teams may see it as a chance to show off their prowess, others may be hoping that it could be a chance for redemption.
Among the latter you will probably find the Netherlands national team, which will surely be crossing its fingers in hopes of a World Cup win at last, having reached the final on no less than three occasions – but never walking away victorious.
Arguably, the Oranjes had their heyday during the 70’s, led by gifted players such as Johan Cruyff, who made significant contributions to their journey to the final. Although the Netherlands ended up taking second place that year, many viewers agreed that they had been the superior team.
Since that near miss, the Netherlands national team has faced its fair share of ups and downs, including the formation of a bitter rivalry with Brazil, which began when the South American team eliminated the Dutch in 1994. Arguably their lowest moment of all came when the team failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, bringing bitter disappointment for both players and fans alike.
Can the Dutch make a difference in 2022?
With their Qatar World Cup qualification, the Netherlands has been given a chance to bring about its very own ‘Lazarus’ moment, rising from the ashes to enter the tournament as a Group A team with the likes of Ecuador, Senegal, and none other than the host team, Qatar.
Going in its favour, the Dutch have several impressive players among their ranks to improve their chances of scoring those all-important goals.
Among them is Memphis Depay, renowned for his goal-scoring abilities, having notched up 12 goals during the 10 games played by the Dutch as part of their Qatar qualification process. When he is not playing for his country, Depay is a valuable part of the Barcelona squad, and is now only 8 goals short of reaching the national record in the Netherlands, which is currently held by Robin Van Persie with 50 goals.
Courting controversy
While the Dutch team has spent the past year preparing for the Qatar World Cup, their head coach, Louis van Gaal, has been making his own feelings about the tournament crystal clear – telling the media that the choice of Qatar as host was “ridiculous”. He also declared that the selection was “about money, commercial interests” which he described as being FIFA’s main motive.
Part of van Gaal’s disgust arises from his participation in the KNVB, a football association in the Netherlands which has been monitoring working conditions in Qatar. In 2021, after visiting Qatar, the KNVB issued a public statement in which it revealed that the association “doesn’t approve of the way in which migrant workers are treated there.”
It remains to be seen how vocal van Gaal will be once he touches down in Qatar and the tournament begins. However, whatever his personal feelings may be, it seems undeniable that both van Gaal and the Dutch team will do their best to put in a good performance and redeem themselves in their first World Cup in 8 years.
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