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How Louis van Gaal’s Legacy Will Affect New Netherlands Boss Guus Hiddink
Published: August 15, 2014
Since Dutch football came to maturity in the 1970s, there has been a divide in Dutch football culture.
On one side of the boundary there are the romantics, who believe a game of football should, first of all, be attractive to watch. Then there are the pragmatists. They believe matches are there to be won.
It’s difficult to blame the pragmatists for thinking football is a competitive game. Who wouldn’t want to wrap their fingers around that beautiful, golden trophy?
If you’re not willing to play for the win, you can’t even compete in the tournament. Somewhere during the qualifying round, San Marino or Andorra would send you home.
At the same time, you have to admire the romantics.
In the 1970s, Dutch football became famous not only because it was so effective, but also because it was beautiful to watch. Dancing around the pitch, constantly looking for opportunities to attack, manager Rinus Michels and star player Johan Cruyff made football into art.
But Louis van Gaal, who saw himself facing a major problem when key man Kevin Strootman suffered a serious injury just before the World Cup, wasn’t bothered.
2014 was not the 1970s, and he wasn’t going to go to the World Cup in Brazil to win a dancing competition. Louis van Gaal was going to do what Louis van Gaal does best: outsmarting his opponents and winning—no matter what.
And so, shortly before the Netherlands’ opening match against Spain, he switched from his regular 4-3-3 formation to an unusual 5-3-2.
This caused utter confusion among the Dutch publ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football
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