Johannesburg, July 12: Once the orchestrators of the most beautiful brand of football — Total Football — Holland’s hard tactics may not have gone down well with the neutrals or even expectant Dutch fans, but coach Bert van Marwijk, a member of the 1974 dream team that lost 1-2 to West Germany in the final, justified his team’s play.
Marwijk has brought a mental toughness and resilience not normally associated with the free-spirited Dutch known for their flair, more than their hard fouls. However, on Sunday the message from the coach was simple — stop Spain, any which way possible.
The result? 13 yellow cards, including eight for the Dutch, a red card for centre-back John Heitinga and a heartbreaking loss three minutes from the end of extra-time. “I would have loved to win the match even with not so beautiful football,” van Marwijk said unapologetically.
“Both sides committed fouls and it may be regrettable for a final and it is not our style but you do play a match to win. It is very bitter, very sad, but that is sport,” said van Marwijk. “It is harsh but the best team won tonight,” he said.
The Dutch coach can hardly be blamed for the tactics. In the semifinals, Germany let Xavi & Co. control the midfield hoping to catch them napping on the counter-attack, the result there for all to see.
Marwijk knew letting Spain dictate the pace would be a big mistake and in son-in-law Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong he had two players capable of stopping the Spanish Armada.
For all their negative tactics, Holland had the two best chances in regulation to seal the match and win the trophy they have waited an eternity to get their hands on.
And yet, Arjen Robben’s close misses after breaking through the Spain backline and in a one-on-one with goalkeeper Iker Casillas, meant the Dutch have to wait, at the very least for another four years.
"You could feel from the start the team that would score the first goal would also win the match. Those chances for Robben could have meant victory but unfortunately we were not lucky," he said.
"Nobody expected that we would have been here, playing the final, and we came so very, very close to the penalty shootout," said the coach. "We were unlucky."
Fortune favours the brave, and truth be told, the Dutch weren’t the usual cavalier selves.
"If we deserved it, I do not know. It is disappointing. We came so close and we really wanted to win. We could have with a bit of luck.
"I do not think the referee controlled the match well but let me be clear: the best team won," van Marwijk said. Well, at least give him credit for acknowledging the biggest truth of the match — the best team won.