Holland could yet reach Euro finals
THE statistics do not make pleasant reading for the Netherlands, who must beat Portugal by two goals today and hope Germany overcome Denmark if they are to reach the Euro 2012 quarterfinals.
No team has ever reached the knockout phase at a Euro after losing their first two matches, and statistical website Infostrada Sports estimates that Bert van Marwijk’s side stand only a 9.5% chance of going through.
The omens are similarly ominous. The last time the Oranje were eliminated in the group phase of the European Championship was in 1980, two years after they finished runners-up at the 1978 World Cup – just as they did in 2010.
As if the weight of history was not enough of a burden, Van Marwijk also appears to face problems with several of his important players.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Rafael van der Vaart have both expressed anger at being left out of his starting line-up, while Arjen Robben reacted to his substitution in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Germany by jumping over an advertising hoarding and stalking angrily back to the dugout.
The top scorers in qualifying, with 37 goals, it took Holland 45 shots to find the net at the Euro but Robin van Persie’s 73rd-minute effort against Germany was ultimately in vain.
The Dutch press have deplored van Marwijk’s continued faith in Van Persie at the expense of Huntelaar, who could start in place of Ibrahim Afellay in Kharkov today with Holland obliged to attack Portugal from the off.
“I drew a lot of conclusions from our defeat against Germany,” Van Marwijk was quoted as saying in the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.
“We defended carelessly and the service of both Ibrahim Afellay and Arjen Robben from the flanks was not good enough,” he said.
Van Marwijk has a fully fit squad to choose from, with all 23 players able to participate in a closed training session in Krakow on Friday evening.
Portugal are also at full strength, as reserve defender Miguel Lopes returned to training on Friday after recovering from a cold. – Sapa-AFP