Opinion – Tayguara Ribeiro: Holland presents itself as the great unknown of the World Cup

The curious case of a soccer power without world titles. This is Holland. The only one, I dare say, with this status.

As a result, expectations are almost always high for the orange team. But it is not what has been presented so far, in the Qatar Cup.

A somewhat apathetic football and a team struggling to face their opponents. A cast with good players, but without the brand of yesteryear. This mixture raises doubts about the conditions of the Dutch to finally take the step beyond to stop being that mentioned power without titles.

It’s not at all difficult to explain how the country created a heavy shirt, without ever having won a World Cup. Few teams had such a robust and privileged list of high-level players, stars defending their colors.

Cruyff, Gullit, Robben, Bergkamp, ​​Van Basten, Davids, Kluivert, Seedorf. The list is big. I don’t even think of mentioning as many others as possible due to lack of space in these lines. Not infrequently, Dutch teams caused a stir at a World Cup. Often, the team is classified as the European one that comes closest to the football played by Brazilians.

Maybe that’s why it’s so strange to see a not so bright orange team, let’s say. Having as the best player of the team a defender, Virgil van Dijk. Which, by the way, is below what he can and knows in this World Cup, for now.

The Dutch team achieved good results. It ranked first in its group and is already in the round of 16. But the football presented did not convince.

The selection struggled against Senegal, although it won. Against Ecuador, the draw was cheap. The South Americans played better. Finally, the weak team of Qatar won without shining.

Now take the US. The question remains, given the football played so far, whether the Dutch will be able to advance. Not that the Americans are putting on a frighteningly good performance. But it’s a tight team, which in a single game can play against the still favorite Netherlands.

A good parameter to start imagining this match between the two teams is the game between the North Americans and the English, in the second round of the first phase.

England easily won the first and third games, Iran and Wales respectively. But they had extreme difficulty facing the USA and could not get out of a stale goalless draw.

It would be good for the Dutch to take a look at this game, they can learn some lessons and avoid the surprise in a Cup taken by several “zebras”.

Many believe that winning a World Cup title for the Netherlands will happen at some point, naturally. He has formed great teams, outstanding players, but the case is that such an achievement never comes.

Was in three finals. Despite a historic team, lost in 1974 to Germany. In the following Cup, it was defeated by Argentina. In 2010, he didn’t do well in the final against Spain’s famous generation.

Maybe my gaze — and some others — are a little skewed. Accustomed to a more showy football Netherlands. Therefore, the severity in the analysis in relation to football this year. It’s a thesis. On the other hand, teams have already been champions playing in a pragmatic way. No show. Not so many brilliant players.

Would this, one of the least popular selections among all Dutch teams, be responsible for putting the country’s name once and for all in the small group of teams that have already lifted the cup?

It does not seem. We’ll find out from next Saturday (3).