Wesley Sneijder

Manager: Bert Van Marwijk
Captain: Giovanni Van Bronckhorst
FIFA Ranking: 3
World Cup Appearances: 8
Best World Cup: Runner’s-up – 1974, 1978

Holland Betting Article

Holland Team Profile

It’s rare that the Netherlands, or Holland – whichever you prefer – turn up at these major events without their own unique party atmosphere, and the crazy Dutch could meet their match with the locals in South Africa. On the pitch, however, Holland will mean business as their explosive players will look to drive Holland towards their third final appearance in a World Cup and possibly to win the competition for the very first time as well.

Holland have been the bridesmaid on two occasions after twice coming up short in the final of a World Cup; 1974 & 1978. Recently, though, the Dutch haven’t even got close and will seek inspiration only from their 1998 semi-final in France when they came oh so close to their third World Cup final but lost out on penalties to Brazil. They haven’t really had a squad strong enough to mount a genuine World Cup push since though, but 2010 could be different as a whole host of players within the Holland squad are branded as ‘World-Class’ in their own right.

The Dutch fell at just the last-sixteen stage in their previous World Cup, while they were knocked out of the European Championships in 2008 in the quarter-finals. At one stage in those 2008 European Championships, the Dutch looked the real deal, the team everyone had to beat as they stormed through the Group of Death in emphatic fashion. But, however, they failed to deliver when the limelight was on them, and only time will tell if they fall ill to the same fate in South Africa. The group shouldn’t be a problem, they should complete that part of the mission fairly comfortably, but the knock-out stage is where the pressure will mount and Holland, in recent years anyway, haven’t coped at all well with knock-out football. There’s no time like 2010 to better that though…

Nicknames: Oranje, The Flying Dutchmen

Holland Key Players

All three mentioned below are exciting, explosive and exhilarating to watch. To have all three in the same team is breathtaking as the deadly combination of Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Robin Van Persie means Holland’s biggest flaw, their lack of a world-class striker, is now longer of great concern. All three are immensely talented when it comes to creating chances but they can also score plenty of goals themselves.

Wesley Sneijder has been a revelation at his new club Inter Milan since joining from Real Madrid. He has superb vision; possessing the ability to read, predict and influence the forward play, but he’s also a very good hitter of the ball as well. He’s a player which will look to shoot on sight and when he catches it right, they stay hit.

Arjen Robben is a magician on the ball, weaving in and out of defences with ease, using the quickness of his feet and his flexibility to dodge oncoming tackles. He occupies one of the flanks usually, often making the full-backs next 90 minutes a nightmare, but he’s prone to cutting inside and having a pop and he too is deadly from long range. Robben doesn’t get a lot of back lift with his shots but they fizz through the air at a disturbing rate of knots, often swerving from side-to-side that the keeper has no chance.

Robin Van Persie is one of our personal favourites; such a delicate little footballer, sort of Dennis Bergkamp like in how he goes about playing the beautiful game. His deft touches, jinxing little runs in between defenders and one lethal shot make the Dutch winger one of the best forwards in the modern game. He’s also a fabulous reader of the play, often seeing a move before it’s even happened. Great vision, the ability to pick out and implement the perfect through ball. Add to his game precision like set-plays and you’ve got one talented winger. 

Strengths

At the 2008 European Championships, Holland were shaping up as genuine contenders for the European crown after storming through their ‘Group of Death’ with France and Italy, emphatically beating two recent World Cup winners. The catalyst for their success on that occasion was the manner at which they counter-attacked. They were lightening quick, precise with their passes and emphatic with their finishing. The Dutch really did look a sheer delight to watch, and with some explosive and exciting players within their midst once again, we’re expecting some more quick breakaways in South Africa as they look to make the pace and guile of the three Dutch musketeer’s to good effect; Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Robin Van Persie, all of which are more than comfortable when in possession, know how to take on a defender and certainly know where the goal is. Given the chance to run towards goal, either of the three will punish opponents. 

Weaknesses

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is a young lad with plenty of potential and raw talent, but he has his critics despite plenty of room for improvement, with age certainly on his side. He has, however, tried his hand with some of Europe’s biggest clubs, and on some of the biggest occasions, but he’s disappointed massively and there is a big question mark hanging over Huntelaar heading into South Africa over whether the AC Milan flop has what it takes, has enough experience to score the goals Holland need him to score if they are to go far in South Africa.

In fairness, though, there are few strikers available for Bert van Marwijk to choose from, with Huntelaar likely to be the only out-an-out striker travelling to South Africa for Holland. The prolific Ruud Van Nistlerooy has retired, while the forlorn figure of Dirk Kuyt is perhaps the only back up for Huntelaar in that central-forward role.

Holland Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: Europe
Group: 9
Position: 1st
Win-Draw-Lose: 8-0-0
Goals Scored: 17
Goals Conceded: 2

World Cup Potential: 4 / 5

Holland have some explosive players in their midst, players which can really make a difference and have that big game experience from club football. They’re a team jam packed with creativity and forward ingenuity, with the likes of Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Robin Van Persie all boasting that vital match winning mentality. We aren’t entirely convinced with their defence but it does have more than enough caps to suffice on paper, while a big tournament is needed from wonder-kid Klaas-Jan Huntelaar if the Dutch are to be a big player in South Africa. We feel they can be and they are one of our personal favourites to spring a surprise at odds which would suggest they have only an outside chance of lifting the FIFA World Cup trophy.

Holland World Cup Betting Odds

Holland to win the World Cup (odds before the final):          3/2 – Bet365

Before the World Cup the odds on Holland were 11/1 

Official Holland World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax Amsterdam)

Michel Vorm (FC Utrecht)

Sander Boschker (FC Twente Enschede)

Defenders

Khalid Boulahrouz (VfB Stuttgart)

Edson Braafheid (Celtic Glasgow)

Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord Rotterdam)

John Heitinga (FC Everton)

Joris Mathijsen (Hamburg SV)

André Ooijer (PSV Eindhoven)

Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax Amsterdam)

Midfielders

Ibrahim Afellay (PSV Eindhoven)

Mark van Bommel (Bayern Munich)

Nigel de Jong (Manchester City)

Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan)

Rafael van der Vaart (Real Madrid)

Stijn Schaars (AZ Alkmaar)

Demy de Zeeuw (Ajax Amsterdam)

Eljero Elia (Hamburger SV)

Strikers

Ryan Babel (Liverpool)

Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool)

Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)

Klaas Jan Huntelaar (AC Milan)

Robin Van Persie (Arsenal)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Holland Fixtures – Group E

28 June – 15.00 – Round of the last 16: Holland v Slovakia 2-1

02 July – 15.00 – Quarter Finals: Holland v Brazil 2-1

06 July  – 19.30 – Semi Finals: Holland v Uruguay 3-2

11 July – 19.30 – World Cup Final: Holland v Spain

World Cup 2010 Group E - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results

The FIFA Golden Ball is an awarded presented to the most outstanding performer of the tournament, with some of the sport’s finest winning the prize down the years, and on this occasion it went to a player who in our opinion thoroughly deserved the recognition. Diego Forlan wouldn’t have been a name on the forefront of many a punters lips before the tournament, although looking back it wouldn’t have seemed that crazy a punt considering he’s at the peak of his form right now in domestic football and was easily the star inside the Uruguay camp. Even so, his valiant efforts in helping Uruguay, who were the last team to qualify for South Africa 2010, to the semi-finals was sensational. The fact he played for lowly Uruguay didn’t necessarily get him pity votes, far from it, as his performances throughout the tournament in a role he isn’t all that familiar with were of high class. There were times, more notably in the knock-outs, when Uruguay appeared dead and buried about Forlan’s courageous and never say die attitude ensured Uruguay were never beaten until the final whistle rung loud.

Like we said, this award was fully deserved and went to the player who we felt was the outstanding performer of these finals in a team which at best boasted averaged players by profile. Now, in an egocentric way to toot our own horn, we didn’t get on Diego Forlan before the tournament to win the FIFA Golden Ball but we did do so just before the quarter-finals kicked-off, meaning we highlighted a 33/1 WINNER!

Holland’s Wesley Sneijder grabbed his second piece of silver, following up his second in the Golden Boot contest with another second in the Golden Ball behind Forlan. Spain’s David Villa, who accounted for five of Spain’s eight goals in these finals and was so often their match winner, claimed third.

Diego Forlan World Cup Statistics:

Games Played: 7
Minutes Played: 654
Goals: 5
Assists: 1
Shots: 32
Shots on Target: 15
Passes: 309 (54% pass completion rate)
Man of the Match: 2

At one stage, David Villa went as short as 1.55 on betfair to be the leading goalscorer at the World Cup, although his failure to score against Germany means that the Barcelona new boy is level on goals with Wesley Sneijder ahead of the final in Johannesburg.

Two weeks before the tournament, Blue Square were offering a generous 9/1 about Villa following his high-scoring success in Euro 2008 by landing the spoils in 2010. They also had each-way terms of ¼ first 5 places, although Spain’s opening game defeat against Switzerland saw their star striker matched at odds of around 20/1 on betfair.

Going into this final weekend of the World Cup, Villa is still favourite (10/11 bet365), although he has plenty of competition for the much-coveted award which is often won by a player who isn’t part of the victorious team.

Sneijder was an amazing 100/1 with Ladbrokes before the action got under way, although the Dutchman had done brilliantly with Inter last season and has played in an advanced position for most of the competition. After the group stages, the midfielder has only scored one goal and that saw odds of over 400/1 being matched on betfair, especially as his team looked like going out against Brazil.

However, FIFA’s decision to award Sneijder both goals against the Selecao saw the bookmakers cutting the odds on the Netherlands player winning the Golden Shoe. He’s now into 3/1 with Ladbrokes and if he remains tied for a share of the lead with Villa, then the bookmakers will pay out half your stake at 3/1 so you would still make a profit.

Nevertheless, the pair have Miroslav Klose breathing down their necks and the Germany striker needs no extra motivation when he takes to the field at Port Elizabeth on Saturday night. The Bayern Munich player needs one more goal to equal Ronaldo’s all-time World Cup goal record and two more to re-write history! While the World Cup final is likely to be low-scoring, the same cannot be said of the 3rd-place play-off if recent history is anything to go by.

Klose is 11/2 (Victor Chandler) to win the Golden Shoe four years after winning the prize during the 2006 World Cup and there are two more reasons for thinking this bet could yield a profit. Firstly, as this match is a ‘friendly’, he might expect team-mates to supply him with more ammunition (including any penalties that are awarded to Germany). Secondly, Uruguay conceded three goals to the Netherlands in the semi-final and looked pretty jaded towards the end of the game.

With Thomas Muller back from suspension, Klose can reward those punters that backed him at 33/1 before the World Cup kicked off, although the former has an outside chance (14/1 Victor Chandler) of landing the prize himself. The youngster also has four goals to his name and will be fresh from sitting out Wednesday’s match.

Diego Forlan is the final name in the mix, as he has been ever since that brace against South Africa during the group stages. Victor Chandler offer 16/1 that the Uruguayan walks off with the Golden Shoe, although he claimed after the Netherlands semi-final that he wasn’t 100% fit and manager Oscar Tabarez might use the occasion to use some fresh legs.

Before the start of the World Cup, Spain were no bigger than 7/2 to win the competition and although they have reached Sunday’s final, Vicente Del Bosque’s team certainly haven’t done things the easy way. An opening game defeat by Switzerland saw La Furia Roja drift out to 6/1 on the outright market and it appeared that a potential last sixteen clash with Brazil was on the cards.

However, Spain regained their composure after that early slip-up and now stand on the verge of greatness. It wasn’t until that last sixteen victory over Portugal that the team went shorter than the 7/2 that had been on offer at the beginning of June and they were still quoted at 2/1 before their semi-final against Germany. However, William Hill now offer a best price 4/7 that they become the eighth team to win the World Cup.

It’s been an amazing journey for the Spanish team, who are victims of their own success. Due to the way that they keep possession and try to work openings, it means that the opposition naturally get men behind the ball and go on to the back foot, something that a previously attack-minded Germany were doing on Wednesday night.

It will be interesting to see whether the Netherlands end up employing the same tactics, especially as Arjen Robben is not someone who naturally tracks back to help his team defend. Germany’s success in the World Cup was founded on Lukas Podolski and Thomas Muller trotting back to help out the full-backs and the Dutch instead rely on two midfield enforcers by the name of Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong.

Nevertheless, Holland were equally as impressive as their opponents when qualifying for the tournament and they have maintained that 100% record in South Africa. The Dutch were on offer at around 12/1 on betfair’s outright market before a series of impressive friendly displays saw their odds cut before they had played a single game. Italy’s failure in Group F led to the Netherlands making the quarter finals reasonably easily, although the game against Brazil saw them trailing at half-time.

At this point in proceedings, you could have backed Holland at around 23/1 on betfair to win the World Cup and there was little in that performance at Port Elizabeth which suggested that the Oranje were potential winners of this tournament. However, you need luck to win any cup competition and the Brazilians were happy to shoot themselves in the foot due to lack of concentration when defending set pieces and ill discipline.

Therefore, Bert van Marwijk’s team are 6/4 (Paddy Power) to triumph at the World Cup for the first time and they will probably watch videos of how Switzerland managed to stop Spain in Durban three weeks ago. Coral offer 11/4 that they follow the blueprint of Ottmar Hitzfeld and win in ninety minutes and they do have three excellent counter-attacking players in Robin Van Persie, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben.

We started the 2010 World Cup with thirty-two teams from all over the planet, although just four remain after 60 matches of football. On Tuesday night, the first place in the final is up for grabs, with Holland facing Uruguay at the Greenpoint Stadium in Cape Town.

It’s likely to be a huge betting contest and many bookmakers have special offers for the game which is well worth checking out. Over at bet365, they continue to run their ‘Penalty Payback’ promotion for the 2010 World Cup, where they’ll refund losing outright bets on any team that gets knocked out on penalties.

So far, bet365 have got away with only refunding losing stakes on Japan and Ghana, not two of the well-backed teams in the competition. However, it’s possible that at least one semi-final this week could go to spot kicks, not to mention the final. Spain are 15/8 favourites, Germany are 2/1, Netherlands are 21/10 and Uruguay are 10/1 with this firm.

Bet365 also have their 0-0 cashback offer available on the Holland v Uruguay and it’s likely that the south Americans will be looking to keep things tight. All losing first goalscorer, last goalscorer, anytime goalscorer, correct score and half-time / full-time bets will be refunded if the game is goalless after ninety minutes. Paddy Power and Blue Square are doing something similar for this game.

Meanwhile, Bet Fred are offering to refund all losing first/last goalscorer, correct score and scorecast bets on Holland v Uruguay if Dirk Kuyt scores in the game. The Liverpool striker likes to get forward and it’s not a bad offer at all.

Similarly, Stan James have used their imagination to create a Diego Forlan special for Tuesday night’s game. If the Uruguay striker scores at any point during the 90-minutes on Tuesday night, then the firm will refund all losing first/last goalscorer, anytime goalscorer and hat-trick bets placed on the game.

There’s been plenty of money for the Netherlands in the build-up to the match in Cape Town and it’s possible that Coral’s 4/6 won’t last until kick-off. Other bookmakers have been running for cover as a major gamble takes place on Bert van Marwijk’s team, with punters clearly being swayed by that victory over Brazil in the quarter final. Sporting Bet are now as short as 4/7 (Sporting Bet) about a Dutch win.

It’s good to see that Ladbrokes have also been giving their punters extra value throughout the World Cup and it’s worth checking out their Enhanced Doubles currently available on the World Cup semi-finals. You can back Holland and Spain both to win at odds of 10/3 or alternatively go for the 9/1 that Uruguay draw and Germany win.

The Magic Sign also have goalscorer doubles available and offer 3/1 that Robin Van Persie scores on Tuesday and David Villa finds the net on Wednesday. A Diego Forlan x Lukas Podolski double is on offer at 9/1.

Uruguay v Holland Betting Odds

Holland to win: 7/10 at Paddy Power
Draw: 13/5 at SkyBet
Uruguay to win: 11/2 at Bet365

World Cup Semi Final
Date: Tuesday, July 6th
Kick Off: 19.30 GMT

Uruguay

Despite having four teams in the Quarter Finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, South America have only one representative left, as the remaining Europeans took charge of the competition. Uruguay saw the favoured Brazilians and Argentineans fall by the way side, as they themselves battled through to the semi finals in a tight match against Ghana. Uruguay had the unenviable task of taking on Ghana in the Quarter Finals, who were the last remaining team from Africa. That meant supporters from South America were heavily outnumbered on the African continent, but they were the ones who smiling at the end, after seeing their team win through on penalties. Uruguay have been commended throughout the tournament for their strong defensive play, but they largely had the upper hand in all aspects of their contest against Ghana, who lacked a little punch up front. But it was Ghana who struck first, with a long range effort from midfielder Muntari, who caught Uruguayan keeper Fernando Muslera off guard. It took a great free kick from striker Diego Forlan to draw Uruguay level, but all of the controversy game at the end of extra time, when fellow striker Luis Suarez cleared a shot off his own goal line with his hands. He saw red and Ghana star striker Asamoah Gyan had the chance to put his side into the semi finals, the first time an African nation had been there, from the penalty spot. Gyan hit the bar, and the game went to a shoot-out, which the South Americans won 4-2.

Uruguay have played well throughout the tournament, even if they have not been one of the most exciting teams to watch. They have a superb resilience and team work about them, which is the underlying root of all of their success. They have scored crucial goals when they needed to, and have defended for long periods of game, being quite comfortable in their role of being a defensive team. But they are a side which show a lot of quality when they have time on the ball, with Diego Forlan being at the heart of most of it. While known for his striking prowess across Europe, the number has more tricks up his sleeve than just putting the ball in net. You can watch and admire how he finds space, delivers dead balls with accuracy as well as picking out creative passes. Uruguay are just as comfortable on the ball as any other South American team, but because they have not go the out and out quality as Brazil or Argentina, they work to tactics which work for them. That is being conservative and by giving very little away, it means that they do not have to chase games too hard. Uruguay’s defence works from the front to the back, and the forwards press quite hard to stop the ball getting forward in the first place. The scrapping and quality tackling is a strength of the Uruguayans, especially in midfield, where there are three core players who keep compact. With the two wide forwards dropping back to held in midfield, there is a tough sky blue wall for opponents to get through.

But the South Americans naturally have very good quality up front as well, particularly in the link between Forlan and Suarez. Now however, after his indiscretion in the Quarter Final, Uruguay will have to do without Luis Suarez as they take on Holland in the semi finals. This is quite a big blow for Uruguay, as Suarez is quite the prolific scorer. But, because they generally set up with three players up top, they may be able to cope. Uruguay do put out three forwards, with Forlan linking up between attacking midfielder and extra forward. It is a system which offers a lot of defensive benefits, as well as having the power in position to attack on the counter attack. Uruguay will go into their semi final match as underdogs against Holland, as the Dutch have been riding high on a long run of unbeaten games. But Uruguay can take confidence into the match, simply because of their defence, and knowing that the Netherlands have not looked particularly great through the tournament. Holland v Uruguay will see the South Americans thinking that this as a chance to bring down one of Europe’s elite, by playing a tight, compact game as they always do. Uruguay are a great World Cup Betting tip to grind down, dent the confidence of, and beat Holland.

Uruguay are not a prolific team going forward though, but that does not mean that they do not have goals in them. They are a huge threat from set pieces, and when hitting teams on the break. Holland’s style will suit Uruguay to some extents, as the South Americans will be facing a patient team which like to knock the ball around and look for beautiful goals. Uruguay will be pretty confident that they can negate the threats from Holland, simply by keeping things tight in the middle of the park, and cutting off the supply line to the forwards. They will have to deal with opponents who like to throw a bit more width into their game than any of their opponents have done so far, but with Suarez having to be absent, it may allow for an extra out and out midfielder to spread out and clog up the midfield, leaving just two strikers up top. There is not a harder working team left in the tournament, and the Uruguay strikers always drop back as much as possible anyway, so they always seem to have extra midfielders on the pitch.

Uruguay Team News: Midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro is injured. Captain and defender Diego Lugano is a doubt. Jorge Lugano and Luis Suarez, suspended.

Holland

Holland have not been playing anywhere near their potential of Total Football, the style associated with the Dutch. While they have gone nearly thirty matches now without losing, there appears to be something lacking in their game, an edge that is not quite sharp enough which may see them fail in the Holland v Uruguay semi final. That seems an odd thing to say about a team which just went out and beat Brazil 2-1 in the Quarter Finals. Holland found themselves behind early on in the match after the Brazillian attack were cutting through them like a hot knife through butter. To their credit, they got themselves back into the match with a piece of luck from a cross from key man Wesley Sneijder, which eluded everyone including Julio Cesar in the Brazilian goal. Holland went on to win the match, largely helped by the South Americans completely losing their cool and capitulating, with Brazil’s Felipe Melo being shown the red card. It was a feisty, tetchy match, in which the Netherland were guilty of showing unsportsmanlike conduct, with winger Arjen Robben in particular spending a lot of time on the ground in drawing fouls. He was lucky to still be on the pitch for simulation, as the Dutch players milked all they could in playing up to the referee and agitating the Brazilians.

Holland have not displayed as much firepower as they were expected to have, and while going behind against Brazil was the first time that they have had their backs against the wall, they have not been overly convincing in proving that they have enough to win the World Cup. However, luck does play a huge part in football, and the Dutch are now just two victories away from winning the greatest prize in the game. South Americans Uruguay stand in their way now and it will be tough test for the Dutch, who will need to show a little more passion than they have done. They are on the brink of something good, and perhaps they are saving their best for last, and their best will be needed to break down the resilient Uruguayans. There were rumours of fractions in the Dutch camp after Robin Van Persie was moaning about being substituted in match. He had a very poor afternoon against Brazil, and him not being on song will not help the Dutch cause any. The key man for Holland is Inter Milan’s Wesley Sneijder, who floats around linking up the midfield and attack. It was his two goals which caused the downfall of Brazil, and Uruguay simply have to find a way to keep him quite. They do that, and they will be giving themselves a huge boost.

At the back Holland lost their main centre half Joris Mathijsen just before kick off, and the aging legs of Andre Ooijer had to step in. The Dutch were not, in any way shape or form convincing against Brazil at the back, and Uruguay will fancy their chances there, especially from dead ball situations. The best way for Uruguay to get through Holland will be going down the middle of the park, where the South Americans will be able to out work, out battle and out tackle the European side. There is not a great deal of toughness in the middle for Holland, with Mark Van Bommel being the main man who holds things together. Quite how he was on the pitch at the end of the match against Brazil is quite a mystery, as he was guilty of some very blatant fouls. He was quite reckless, and if the craft and speed of Forlan can get the better of him, then the South Americans will be in with quite a good chance of winning this one. For Holland, this will now represent their best opportunity to win the World Cup in their history. They will believe that they are facing the weakest team left in the competition, and their place in the final should be already booked. This is something else which could work against their favour, underestimating the technical capabilities of the Uruguayans. Holland need to show a lot more conviction, and a lot more creativity than they have done in the tournament so far, in order to break down Uruguay. They have the talent, but do they have the team to rise again and get the job done without being over complacent?

Netherlands Team News: Gergory Van Der Wiel, Nigel De Jong (suspended). Robin Van Persie, Joris Mathijsen (injury doubts).

Holland v Uruguay World Cup Betting Prediction: Uruguay could again edge this one, adding another upset to the list of unexpected results for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Uruguay +0.75 Asian Handicap for 41/40 at Bet365
 

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that a player will score more goals during a football tournament if he plays more games. Therefore, it’s little surprise that only five men can win the 2010 World Cup Golden Shoe and that the quintet are all playing for teams left in the competition.

It’s been a highly competitive betting market this summer which saw Gonzalo Higuain installed as early favourite after a hat-trick against South Korea took the Argentina striker well clear of the chasing pack. However, the Real Madrid forward was only able to add one more goal to his tally and was leapfrogged by a Spanish striker in the form of his life on Saturday night.

David Villa has been nothing short of phenomenal in South Africa, with the Barcelona forward scoring in every match since that opening game defeat against Switzerland. His late winner against Paraguay has taken him a goal clear at the top of the scoring charts and he may not need to find the net again to add a world award to the European one that was landed two years ago. The 28-year-old is no bigger than 7/10 on betfair, with the fixed-odds firms no bigger than 8/15 (Sporting Bet).

Perhaps Villa will struggle to get any change out of Philipp Lahm, the German right-back and captain who is one of the best in the business. The Bayern Munich player will be looking to also get forward and support his club team-mate Miroslav Klose, who seems to turn from Clark Kent to Superman when he dons the international colours. Four years ago, the Munchen forward won the Golden Shoe and he’s 4/1 (Paddy Power) to repeat this achievement. If you back him at 4/1 and he dead heats with one other player, you will get half your stake paid at odds of 2/1.

Meanwhile Wesley Sneijder is right in the thick of things after FIFA made the odd decision to award Holland’s opening goal against Brazil to the Inter midfielder. Although the ball took a clear deflection off the head of Felipe Melo, the football body’s Technical Study Group has decided that the Netherlands’ number ten is worthy of the goal and that means he’s on four for the tournament with Uruguay lying in wait. Totesport offer a stand-out 12/1 that he finishes top of the pile and it’s possible that his team will fill their boots against the south Americans.

The final player in contention  is Diego Forlan, who stands on three goals after firing a brace home against South Africa and then managing an equaliser against Ghana on Friday night. The Atletico Madrid striker has been crucial to the team’s progress at this World Cup, although it’s asking a lot for him to manage a brace against the Netherlands, especially with strike partner Luis Suarez missing suspended. Ladbrokes offer 25/1 that the former Manchester United forward gets the goals he needs.

Betting Guide to Holland

Perhaps that old destructive nature has started to creep back into the Netherlands, just as it appeared that Holland were finally a collective that would push on towards World Cup glory together. Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie has been complaining about the fact that he got substituted in Holland’s last sixteen victory over Slovakia. He was visibly unhappy at the time, insisting that Wesley Sneijder should have been taken off instead of him. Now coach Bert Van Marwijk has the task of trying to unite the Dutch side as they chase a place in the World Cup final. All too often Holland have failed to put their talents to good use when it matters, usually falling into some disarray off the pitch at tournament football, which then causes them to crash out. Historically, the Dutch always start well at tournaments, and then bottle it on the big occasion. Even during their impressive qualification run and build up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Van Marwijk kept stating that he is imploring and drilling into the players the need to stay calm and to show a togetherness. The in fighting has been a problem will Dutch sides in the past, and all was looking to be plain sailing until Van Persie launched an angry outburst. Holland unquestionably have the talent worthy of winning in Europe and on the World stage. Whether they can put everything together for three more matches remains to be seen, as they have yet to display with any consistency, the beautiful game they have come to be known for. Not that they have been troubled in the World Cup so far this time, they haven’t, winning all three of their group games comfortably. But the Netherlands look as if they have not hit top gear, and going into a quarter final match against Brazil, that is exactly what you would need.

Holland came through their World Cup qualification with a 100% record, and they are on a long unbeaten run of games, which should put them in good standing in terms of confidence. While confidence is a necessary part of football, the Dutch are usually over confident to the point of arrogance, another of the qualities which are often their own undoing. Holland are famous for Total Football, but they are looking well short of that great title, even though they are clearly one of the stronger teams in Europe. Tournament football has never been their forte though, and like Spain, they are still chasing their first ever World Cup title. They certainly have the individual talent to do it, with Robin Van Persie himself, and the likes of Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben. Do they have the team to do it though? Their back line is solid enough, yet they have rarely been tested against top opposition. Cameroon exposed a lot of holes when playing and pace, and managed to get in behind the Dutch defence on several occasions. It is little things like this which keep Holland from being favourites in tournaments, even though they have some of the most impressive form around. They are not as good as Brazil, but they good give Brazil a good game if they can get enough of the position, but they are nowhere near as potent up front as Brazil are, the same level of threat just is not there. Holland, when the stressful times come and backs are against the wall, probably do not quite have the team nor the team spirit to win out.

Tactics: Holland’s Total Football approach lies in the fact that they let their midfielders and forwards link up by instinct. While there is obviously a formation to start out with, there is not so much of a rigidity in the workings of it. It is a very South American style which the Netherlands play, with the key man in the creative number ten position, being Sneijder who links up the midfield and sit in behind lone striker Van Persie. Arjen Robben and Dirk Kuyt patrols the flanks then, as well as filling in in centre midfield. Interchangeable is the word for Holland.
 
Coach: Bert Van Marwick – is not a person who is afraid to go his own way, but he does keep the ethics of Holland’s impressive style of football. Has relied on his experienced players a lot through his reign, and took a huge gamble in taking Mark Van Bommel with him, who has become pivotal in the middle of the park for Holland. The only thing wrong with Holland, is that is hard to see a back up plan if they go behind, and Marwijk hasn’t got a lot on the bench to change things up.

Holland World Cup 2010 Stats

Results
Holland 2, Slovakia 1
Holland 2, Cameroon 1
Holland 1, Japan 0
Holland 2, Denmark 0

Goals: 7 For, 2 Against
Cards: Y8, SY0, R0
Top Passer: Mark Van Bommel (238 passes, 78% completion rate)
Most Fouls: Wesley Sneijder, 8

Last 10 Match Holland Form:  DDWWWWWWWW

Probable Route to Winning the 2010 FIFA World Cup: Brazil (Q/F), Uruguay (S/F), Spain (F)

Holland Betting Tips

Stage of Elimination
Quarter Finals: 2/1 at Ladbrokes
Semi Finals: 6/1 at Bet365
Winners: 10/1 at Ladbrokes
Runners Up: 11/1 at Ladbrokes

To Reach Final
No – 1/5 at Bwin
Yes – 3/1 at Bwin

Holland’s Top Goal scorer at StanJames
Robin Van Persie 3/1 (1 goal)
Arjen Robben 5/1(1 goal)
Wesley Sneijder 4/6 (2 goals)
Dirk Kuyt 4/1 (1 goal)
Klaas Jan Huntelaar (1 goal)

Holland Betting Tip: Total Goals: 8-9 for 3/1 at Ladbrokes