Oranje Heartbreaks – UEFA Euro 1996.

Ever since I witnessed Holland win their first ever international title in 1988, being a fan of the Oranje has been nothing but heartbreaks and bitter disappointments. With the Oranje not being part of the 24 teams playing this summer in France for the European Championship, let’s revisit their previous disappointments in this tournament since 1988. This chapter covers Euro 1996. 

The Lead-Up:

Two years after losing to Brazil in the Quarter-Finals of the 1994 World Cup, the Oranje were back in the UEFA European Championship. This was their second consecutive elimination in a World Cup by the eventual World Cup champions. Dick Advocaat remained for a year before Guus Hiddink replaced him as Oranje manager on New Year’s Day in 1995.

UEFA Euro 96 saw an increase in the number of qualified teams expand from eight teams to sixteen. This decision was reached by UEFA after the number of UEFA members rose from 33 to 48 following the break ups of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. This meant there would be eight groups of qualifiers with the group winners qualifying automatically along with the top 6th best group runner-ups. There would be a playoff between the other two remaining runner-ups.

Holland qualified through playoffs after finishing second in their group. They battled Czech Republic and Norway for a top two finish. Their other opponents in the group featured Belarus, Luxembourg and Malta, with Belarus pulling off an amazing 1-0 upset at home against the Oranje. Holland obtained second place, behind the Czech Republic, in their final group match. Holland were in third place trailing Norway by a point heading into the final group stage qualifier. The final group stage qualifier was against Norway. Anything short of a victory meant elimination but the Oranje rose to the occasion by defeating Norway 3-0 in front of their home fans at the De Kuip.

Holland and Ireland were the bottom two group runner-ups and would meet in a single match playoff to decide which country would take the final spot at Euro 96. Both sides faced off in England at Anfield stadium with the Oranje managing a 2-0 win courtesy of a brace by Patrick Kluivert. This victory meant that the Oranje were going to be playing in their third consecutive UEFA European Championship. This tournament would mark the final time Holland used Lotto as their kit maker, with an odd looking white and orange away shirt.

England were the hosts for the 1996 edition. Holland were grouped in Group A with the hosts England, Euro 92 group opponent Scotland, and Switzerland. Group B consisted of France, Spain, Romania and Bulgaria. Group C consisted of Germany, Czech Republic, Italy and Russia. Group D consisted of Denmark, the team that eliminated the Oranje in 1992 Euro Semi-Finals and became champions, Portugal, Croatia, and Turkey.

The 1988 champions era was over and a new generation of players were given the chance to shine. Dennis Bergkamp, Aron Winter (the lone holdover from Euro 88 team), Danny Blind and Ed de Goey were the familiar faces. This tournament would be remembered for the debut of many future stars of the Oranje, many of whom were members of Ajax Amsterdam side that reached consecutive UEFA Champions League Finals in 1995 and 1996. Ajax stars Edwin van der Sar, Michael Reiziger, Clarence Seedorf, Edgar Davids, Patrick Kluivert, Winston Bogarde, made their debut along with Phillip Cocu, and Johan de Kock, just to name a few. This squad also featured some familiar surnames such as Johan Cruyff’s son, Jordi Cruyff who was also making his Oranje tournament debut, Rob Witschge’s brother, Richard Witschge, and Frank de Boer’s twin brother, Ronald de Boer. Jaap Stam was called up but did not get to play while Frank de Boer and Marc Overmars, who shined for Holland at the 1994 World Cup, would miss this tournament because of injury.

Holland kicked off their Group A with a scoreless draw against Scotland before defeating Switzerland in their next match 2-0, with Cruyff scoring the opener and Bergkamp scoring the second. Holland ended the group stage with an embarrassing 4-1 defeat to England. A draw would have been sufficient for both teams to advance but the Oranje made it difficult on themselves after 22 minutes when Blind brought down Paul Ince inside the box and Shearer converted from the spot. Teddy Sheringham and Shearer scored two goals in less than ten minutes after the restart before Sheringham scored his brace after the hour mark. Down 4-0, Holland were on the brink of elimination with Scotland, temporarily in second place, enjoying a better goal difference. Fortunately, Kluivert came off the bench and scored the Oranje’s lone goal in the 78th minute which would be enough to send them through ahead of Scotland.

Holland’s opponents in the Quarter-Finals would be France. Defending champions Denmark exited in the group stage so a new champion was going to be crowned. Czech Republic would meet Portugal, Germany would meet Croatia, and England would face Spain.

The Heartbreak:

Holland v France pitted two teams breaking in new young players. Two years later, both sides would reach the 1998 World Cup Semi-Finals in France. However, the outcome of this clash would determine only one Semi-Finalist for Euro 96. This match took place four days after that lopsided loss to England and the team’s morale was low heading into this game because of that result and because of the Edgar Davids controversy prior to that loss.

After the Switzerland victory, Davids stated on a radio interview that “Hiddink should stop putting his head in some players’ asses.” Hiddink responded by kicking Davids off the team. Hiddink explained, many years later during an interview with Maarten Meijer for his Hiddink biography, “Guus Hiddink. Going Dutch,” why he made that decision.

“As a coach you have to be flexible, but that should not mean that you discard certain principles. Davids undermined team unity by expressing his complaints to the media. Relationships have to stay healthy. The team should know that I am consistent and cannot be manipulated. They found out. That clarity came as the result of a sad decision I had to make in England. A strong team is more than a collection of individual technical and tactical qualities”

There were reports that the black Dutch players of Surinamese origin, Kluivert, Davids, Seedorf, and a few others, were not getting along with the white players. There were also issues from the black players regarding tactics and the lack of consideration from the KNVB regarding meals and the lack of Surinamese dishes for them. Another major issue on the minds of those players was how much they were earning compared to their white teammates at club level. A photographer managed to take an unauthorized photo during the team meal, much to the annoyance of Hiddink, that showed the black and white players seated separately, even though Witschge was seated with the black players. It was a combination of a photo taken out of context and blown out of proportion coupled with poor PR management on Hiddink’s part.

Nonetheless, Oranje now had to face France in the Quarter-Finals. Two teams undergoing a youth revolution with their squads. The venue would be Anfield, the same stadium that Holland defeated Ireland to qualify for this tournament. Both sides kicked off the match by being cautious. Holland had the first scoring chance from a corner kick that Ronald de Boer headed wide. France’s best chances came from Christian Karembeu and Patrice Loko who missed the target with their efforts. Holland’s only other scoring chance of the half came courtesy of Cocu who blazed his shot over the bar after being set up by Bergkamp.

The second half would be a cagey affair and around the hour mark, Hiddink took off Bergkamp for Seedorf and a few minutes later, Cruyff was replaced by Winter. Hiddink’s final substitution came in the 80th minute when Youri Mulder came in for Witschge. This game would not be without controversy. Towards the end of regulation time, Holland were awarded a free kick from a Marcel Desailly hand ball. The problem was that it should have been a penalty but the referee somehow ruled that Desailly handled outside the box when replays clearly indicated otherwise.

During the ensuing free kick, Seedorf, Cocu and de Boer stood near the ball when de Boer quickly played it to Cocu who blasted a powerful shot on goal and away from the wall. Unfortunately, Laurent Blanc, who was not in the wall, rushed towards Cocu once he saw what was transpiring and managed to get in the way of Cocu’s shot. The ball took a slight deflection off of Blanc’s ankle and then struck the post before bouncing out. Lady luck denied Cocu and the Oranje twice in one shot. Holland had one last scoring chance at the end when Mulder set up Seedorf through on goal, but France’s keeper, Bernard Lama denied him with his foot.

Just like their last European elimination game in 1992, this match was heading into extra time. France were the better side in extra time with the best scoring chances. They first gave the Oranje a scare when a dangerous corner bounced inside the box, but fortunately it was out of reach from any of the nearby French players. Edwin van der Sar came to the Oranje’s rescue right before the end of the half after Bogarde dealt poorly with a Pedros cross, which allowed Zinedine Zidane to pounce on the ball and dribble past a few players before squaring it up to Youri Djorkaeff. Somehow, van der Sar was there to deny Djorkaeff with a great save.

Djorkaeff was the star of the extra time as he continued to give the Oranje trouble. In the second half of extra time, he controlled a cross from Pedros before blasting a powerful half volley which van der Sar saved. He and Zidane connected terrifically later on which resulted in Bogarde bringing down Djorkaeff near the edge of the box. Fortunately for the Oranje, Djorkaeff’s free kick just sailed over the bar. Just like that 1992 match against Denmark, penalties would decide the outcome of this match.

Holland went first and de Kock saw his effort come off the cross bar and bounce in. Ronald de Boer and Kluivert also converted on their chances. However, Zidane, Djorkaeff, and Lizaranzu also scored from the spot with van der Saar guessing correctly on Zidane’s and Lizarazu’s efforts but could not stop the well taken penalties. Seedorf stepped up to take the fourth penalty and right before he was to take it, he was instructed by the referee to place the ball properly on the spot. Seedorf complied with the referee’s orders and then took his penalty, which was a weak effort in the middle, which Lama was able to dive to his left to make the save. Seedorf lashed out in frustration on the ball that bounced back to him and he struck it into the goal. Did the referee mess up his routine?

Guérin converted from the spot for France and Blind converted on his shot. Blanc stepped up to take the decisive penalty and sent van der Sar the wrong way as he coolly slotted the ball in. France celebrated while for the second consecutive UEFA European Championship, Holland were heading home after a bitter elimination via penalty shootout. Overall, this was a learning experience for the manager and a team full of many young players who would get another chance at success in France.

The Aftermath:

The Germans eliminated Croatia and then hosts England to reach the Final where they defeated Czech Republic in extra time thanks to a Golden Goal from Oliver Bierhoff. Thus, Germany made amends after losing the 1992 Final against Denmark. The Oranje only managed to score three goals in this competition, which was lower than what they scored in their previous two Euros. Two years later, Hiddink and most of these players, including Edgar Davids, would impress the world as they reached the Semi-Finals of the 1998 World Cup in France. There, they would suffer a bitter elimination by the hands of Brazil yet again. Their elimination would also come at the hands of a penalty shootout.

Danny Blind retired from the national team following this tournament while the unforgettably named de Kock would not feature for the Oranje again. Yet, this core of players would continue to represent the Oranje in the future with Kluivert and Bergkamp forming a superb attacking duo for the next four years. Furthermore, van der Sar, Cocu, Davids, the de Boer twins and others would represent the Oranje for many years to come. This truly was the ushering of a new Oranje generation.

Qué Pasa La Liga - February Edition.

Qué Pasa La Liga is a quick roundup about what’s going on with La Liga.

Barça are still in the driver’s seat for success as they set the record for longest unbeaten run; 29. Barça are still in the driver’s seat for success. The quest for a consecutive treble is still possible and they just clinched a spot in the Copa del Rey Final for the third straight year. Arsenal is the first obstacle towards repeating as Champions League winners. Now if they could only stop getting threats of law suits and find a sponsor for the shirt.

Atlético Madrid are still in second place and proving to the naysayers that La Liga is not a two horse race. Everyone had to be happy and relieved that Fernando Torres finally hit the 100 goals milestone. The club must be ecstatic that their summer signing flop, Jackson Martinez, was sold to a Chinese club for €42 million. He cost them €36.75 million and they went ahead and sold the disappointing player for a profit.

Real Madrid still have to deal with the old issues even under a new manager. They still look unconvincing away from the Santiago Bernabéu. Zidane has not been tested but faces a tough test ahead with matches against Athletic and Atlético in Spanish League and Roma in the Champions League. Injuries to Marcelo and Bale do not help Zidane’s cause where their pursuit of a league title could be over in March.

Villarreal continue to be one of the best run teams in Spain and quietly cementing a place in Champions League playoff spot. Ever since gaining promotion, they have been competitive and fiscally responsible. That is a rarity nowadays.

Sevilla and Celta face for the third time in a week. Sevilla’s 4-0 first leg win means they will be Barça’s opponents in the Copa del Rey Final. Both clubs are separated by two points for one of the Europa League spot. Does Sevilla have another Europa League run in them this season?

Athletic, sandwiched between Sevilla and Celta, in 6th place, travel to Madrid in Zidane’s first toughest match at the Santiago Bernabéu. This is always a big game but also a big test for both clubs.

Eibar continue to be the surprise of the season as they currently occupy 8th place. La Liga’s version of AFC Bournemouth with their small stadium and exceeding everyone’s expectations about survival. They received a stay of execution after they were relegated then promoted when Elche got relegated instead for not being fiscally responsible. The club is making the most of a second chance with José Luis Mendilibar.

Deportivo seem safe from the drop right and things keep improving under Víctor Sánchez since rescuing them from the drop last season. They barely survived the drop last season and slowly progressing.

Malaga also continue to exceed expectations. Javi Gracia continue to do an amazing job with very little to work with. Malaga went from big spenders to penny pinchers and yet remain competitive.

Real Sociedad is another team on the up after bringing in Eusebio as David Moyes’s replacement. Only time will tell if they can continue to get the right results to avoid a relegation battle.

Getafe and Real Betis are two clubs were not much were expected of them and the final stretch of the season will be only about surviving the drop.

Valencia are the biggest disappointment of the season. The Gary Neville project has been a disaster. Juande Ramos and Rafa Benítez rumored to be next in line to replace Neville. Foreign ownership has gotten it wrong so far this season and they are only four points from the relegation zone.

Rayo Vallecano continue to be La Liga’s swashbucklers under Paco Jemez who does not settle for draws. That
attitude is commendable but will it be enough for them to survive the drop?
Sporting Gijon are struggling after gaining promotion. The rest of the season will be about survival and enjoying the young starlet, Alen Halilović, who is on loan from Barça.

Espanyol is this season’s sinking ship. New ownership came in with the aim of qualifying in the Champions League. Right now, their concern must be avoiding a bottom three finish.

Las Palmas, Granada, and Levante are fighting for survival. Valiant efforts were on display from Granada and Levante this past weekend against Real Madrid and Barça, yet many claim the big dogs of La Liga have it easy against the bottom teams.

@IBES16

Messi Is Mortal After All.

It was disappointing to see Messi come up just short in his quest for the World Cup trophy. He helped carry his team all the way to the Final but in the end; his pursuit of matching Maradona’s World Cup feats was sadly similar to Maradona’s 1990 World Cup and not 1986. Messi will now have a few weeks to recuperate and get ready for the upcoming season and hope he has the support from the fans and the board as Barça begins a new chapter in their history.

Not often many athletes can reach the status of immortality. Michael Jordan did it when he helped lead the Bulls to the NBA title to be considered one of the legends along with Magic and Bird. Messi had been one of the many Argentinians to be considered as the “Next Maradona” but was the only one to actually be a genuine contender for that title through his performances. The only thing missing of course was a World Cup title on his resume. Sunday could have been his coronation into immortality status along with Pele and Maradona.

However, it was not to be. Nevertheless, being associated with the likes of Johan Cruyff, Di Stefano, Eusebio, Puskas, Van Basten, and Raul is not bad company either. For years, we heard that Messi could not be compared with the likes of Pele and Maradona until he won the big one. Unfortunately, Messi’s performance was not good enough, along with his supporting cast for that matter, to beat Germany in the final.

Yet, it is ludicrous to believe that Messi cannot be considered one of the greatest of all-time because he did not win the World Cup. People make it seem that it was Pele and Maradona and 10 other men that won those titles. Pele had Garrincha and other superb players by his side.  Maradona had Jorge Valdano, Burruchaga and Ruggeri in 1986 and then Canniggia in 1990 on the national team among others. They are all-time greats but to say that those two players won it on their own is farfetched to say the least. It was a team effort and that’s why people need to cut Messi some slack. Messi did not have the talent, healthy or injured, that those two players had. Messi only had Mascherano that was dependable throughout the World Cup. Messi bossed the attack and Mascherano bossed the back.

This whole World Cup, everyone expected Messi to mimic Maradona and lead Argentina to glory. He sure did play that role early on in the group stages but his role changed in the knockout stages. He went from being Messi/Maradona and then played the roles of other World Cup winners. When Di Maria suffered an injury against Belgium, Messi became Zidane and Pirlo on the pitch and bossed the midfield and pulled the strings for Argentina while being hounded by two to three players at a time. It’s no surprise that he looked slow and sluggish against Germany. He looked human when he missed that golden scoring chance early in the second half. He has been carrying the team, and the expectations of his country and the world, on his shoulders with Mascherano but in the end, it seemed to be too heavy for his back and legs to pull off one last golden moment.

Messi will now have some time off to regroup before he rejoins Barça for another season and chapter in the history books. He’s been through a lot with the injuries, the loss of teammates, managers and the death of a manager he knew for many years. It is with the upmost importance that the club be on his side and support the man and also protect him. Messi has never been the same since his injury against PSG back in 2012-2013 season and the club needs to ensure he is getting the right treatment and reunite him with Juanjo Brau to be his personal trainer again. The club also needs to protect him when the Madrid media attack him and by all means, not allow a repeat of club directors to insult him either. This is not just a team but a family where they should have everybody’s back.

Hopefully we are not seeing the beginning the end of Messi, but rather, just watching a minor blip in his career. He has given so much for the club and for football and we should have his back. Of course, Messi also needs to realize that he is not 22 anymore and cannot play every day. We saw how Raul played himself to the ground and Messi is close to doing the same to himself. He is only 27 but the mileage on those legs is probably those who of one who is 32. However, that’s going to be easier said than done what with Copa America taking place next summer, followed by Copa América Centenario in the summer of 2016 and perhaps Confederations Cup in 2017 (if Argentina win the Copa America) and then the World Cup again in 2018.

Messi will not retire from playing for Argentina now but he has to start avoiding playing in meaningless matches such as international friendlies for Argentina across the globe, early rounds of the Copa del Rey, Champions League group stage where qualification and first place has been reached. He also should not play a full 90 minutes in games where the outcome has been decided by a four goal margin after 60 minutes. We are witnessing one of the greatest of all times who may play himself into early retirement if he keeps playing at this pace.

We do not know what the future will hold for Messi. However, it is time to stand by Messi in these difficult moments. If anybody has given us Barça fans so much glory and happiness in our long history, that no one else, not our beloved Kubala, Cruyff, and Pep could during their playing days. We will always be grateful and remember him for his legacy, for the trophies, and for being an overall good human being. If his best playing days are behind him, then so be it. In the end, we will still enjoy the magic for years to come even if he is not at his best and hope for more success.