The Netherlands plays a friendly against Germany this Wednesday in Amsterdam.
Louis van Gaal has picked these players. Normally these matches are not taken as that important, but there are still some first pick places to be had for the national team.
Picked Players
Goal: Tim Krul (Newcastle United), Kenneth Vermeer (Ajax)
Defense: John Heitinga (Everton), Daryl Janmaat (Feyenoord), Bruno Martins Indi (Feyenoord), Joris Mathijsen (Feyenoord), Ricardo van Rhijn (Ajax), Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa), Jetro Willems (PSV)
Midfield: Ibrahim Afellay (Schalke 04), Urby Emanuelson (AC Milan), Nigel de Jong (AC Milan), Rafael van der Vaart (Hamburger SV), Marco van Ginkel (Vitesse)
Attack: Eljero Elia (Werder Bremen), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke 04), Dirk Kuijt (Fenerbahçe), Robin van Persie (Manchester United), Arjen Robben (Bayern München)
Luciano Narsingh and Jeremin Lens plus Mark Stekelenberg are all unavilable for various reasons.
Yes you are right JC Heracles also plays on a plastic pitch, both teams get their pitch from their sponsors.
I am looking forward to this. Today I heard, that Löw will have to get really inventive, because Klose, Özil and others (8 total) will not be able to play and they are taking players from the Bundesliga, that were not intended to be in the squad.
There's a certain unpredictability (don't find a better word, yet) added to it, what I find makes it interesting so much (though I know one should not be happy, if the top players are not available
😉)
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btw. the groups for the Women's Euro Cup have been announced. The Netherlands are in Group B with Germany, unfortunately I have to tell you,
Happybunny, that your women's team is not one of the harder to beat (I think it was 7:0 the last time they met).
The groups are:
A:
Sweden, Denmark, Finnland, Italy (one of the harder groups. Denmark has a good reputation from years back, though they never got past the 4th final since 1995, despite 2001 were they were in the semi final. Italy lives from the image people have about the men's team and is investing more the last years, so it is somehow hard to judge how they will do. Finnland at least will not loose easily, though they will in the end.)
B:
Germany, Netherlands, Iceland, Norway (Norway is the one to keep an eye on here for Germany. The last three tournaments they got to the semis twice and got one 2nd place. Island is a knock-out team, short as that)
I do not know, if I should see it as unfair, like Germany will have it easy and will save energy or should I say it makes the other groups more interesting, because it is not everything's clear from the beginning.
C:
France, Spain, Russia, England. Best balanced group and then again not, because France has gotten really strong and England, has improved much, while they made the 2nd place last time, though before that always were out after the first round and now will be a bag of surprises. For Spain the same can be said as for Italy, Russia is on par with Spain. Maybe Spain has gotten better over the last year, too, but for my eyes the way the individuals play looks somehow un"educated", if you can say that (only saw two matches, though).
There is something I should add, Germany's women will have two friendlies against Japan and again(!) USA, before the Euro Cup starts 2013. I do not know, if I find that "fair", when the best use themselves as training-partners
🙂 (if that word is even english?). (France will visit on 29th of Nov., soon)
