Netherlands

[Wan]

Stekelenburg is definitely the #1 goalkeeper for the Netherlands squad.
He's the second goalkeeper behind van der Sar and the only goalkeeper who can challenge him is Henk Timmer but I'm sure that he's not as good as Stekelenburg.

[Barry]

Stekelenburg is a really solid goalkeeper, Henk Timmer is not. Van der Sar's level is out of reach for Stekelenburg for now, but he could grow to that level.

[freestyleh7]

Any opinions on the australia game ?

[CDDRodrigo]

Wow, 38 years!

I thought he had 35 ^^

[Barry]

Originally Posted by freestyleh7

Any opinions on the australia game ?

I hate these fucking international games, when we have only seen 1 round of league football. I'd rather they do it in midweek so I don't have to sit through another boring friendly game.

But it is good to see they are all healthy and fit.

[Barry]

Pretty good show in the first half - if the pitch wasn't so godawful on one end it might have been glorious. Strange things have to happen if we aren't going to compete in South Africa (like us being us, or us meeting Portugal).

Robben's dribbling abilities are among the best in the world.

[Dale C.]

I voted yes on the poll

[Barry]

Well you've always been a daredevil, Dale

[Barry]

Apparently we start our game in about 50 minutes, though it is a home-game.

Perhaps so the Japanese avoid a serious jet-lag and/or similar problems? Last time we started a game this early is when we toured Asia.

[AgentZero]

missing going to the game because of a 21st but will be on phone updating constantly. Good luck Barry

[Bish]

How did the Yanks look tonight Baz?

I heard Van Persie was watching in the stands and got injured again. Apparently speared through the leg with a hot dog.

[The Eristic]

What I saw of us in the first half was pretty decent overall, but TERRIBLE in the final third. Donovan didn't get the ball enough to influence the game, then our left back gave away a ridiculously stupid penalty, which is something he's a bit prone to do, though a different ref might not have called it. Didn't get to see the second half.

Hope Stuart Holden is ok after that awful challenge from De Jong. Could've been another horror break, easily. I like De Jong generally (The Netherlands are my "second" national team, as my ancestors were from Wageningen), but he can be rather dirty, and should quite possibly have been off today, or booked at least. No need to be going in like that, especially in a friendly.

[Bish]

Heard Holden fractured his leg from that challenge.

[Cannon ball]

Just seen De Jong's challenge. It was similar to Shawcross's but a little more reckless, quite poor form considering it was only a friendly.

[Barry]

De Jong has made it a habit to do these things, against Japan he nearly killed a player too and (almost) every subsequent friendly he went over the line. I'd rather see him replaced if he doesn't get called on it by Van Marwijk, even if the alternatives are different types of players. Schaars is the only true alternative, 1 on 1, and he's not having the greatest season.

De Jong made it out to be a 50/50 tackle, I say it was poor judgment on his half and definitely a red card. And a tar and feathering.

Bishop: The Yanks have a good team, sturdy and you really have to last them out. Friendlies don't usually serve us well, we are terribly good at winning but the true colors never show and it is hard to base your judgment on them.

Though I can definitely tell that almost any striker will suffer in this system. You have to be a target-man with combination qualities, a poacher and a creator all in one. Ideally, you have someone like the Liverpool Gerrard playing right off him and around him.

The South Africa starters, in my estimates:

Stekelenburg

Van der Wiel
Heitinga
Mathijsen
Van Bronckhorst

Sneijder
de Jong
Van Bommel

Robben
Van Persie
Huntelaar

Against lesser teams you could swap either De Jong or Van Bommel for Van der Vaart.