Dutch may turn to Huntelaar for goals
Reuters - Sunday 10 June 2012, 09:04
It doesn't take a tactical
genius to work out what the Netherlands need to fix after their
1-0 upset to Denmark - they simply have to be able to convert
their chances and that could mean a start for Klaas-Jan
Huntelaar.
The Dutch face Group B leaders Germany next on Wednesday and
while their opponents have three points in the bag after a 1-0
win over Portugal, the Netherlands are already in 'must win'
mode.
Bert van Marwijk's team produced 28 attempts on goal but only
eight were on target and midfielder Wesley Sneijder knows that
ratio will have to improve against the Germans or risk an early
exit.
"It's painful. The only positive thing we can take out of
this match is that we played really well at times and created
lots of chances. We'll also create chances against Germany -
that's our strength - but they have to be converted or it's over
for us," he said.
Sneijder's smart movement and incisive passing were on show
against the workmanlike Danes but striker Robin Van Persie and
winger Arjen Robben wasted a series of good openings.
"Dominating the match isn't enough. Look what's happened -
we left empty-handed. We missed that last bit of sharpness,"
said Sneijder.
"If you truly dominate a match, you don't let your opponent
get into it and you put your chances away.
"We started well, in the opening 20 minutes we should have
scored a couple and then everything would have been fine. We
could maybe even have then racked up more. But instead the first
goal fell at the other end, and we spent the rest of the game
trying to repair the damage," he added.
Van Marwijk opted to leave Schalke 04 forward Huntelaar, the
continent's top scorer in qualifying with 12 goals in eight
games, on the bench until 19 minutes from the end but he will
surely consider starting the prolific striker on Wednesday.
The Dutch really should not have problems in front of goal
given the pedigree of their two main strikers - Van Persie,
after all, was top scorer in England's Premier League last year
while Huntelaar achieved the same in Germany's Bundesliga.
The pairing is by no means incompatible, even within the
Dutch system which utilizes just one out-and-out striker with
three players attacking from wider and deeper positions.
When they played together in qualifying Van Persie moved out
to a wider role, cutting in from the flank, leaving Huntelaar to
sniff out goals.
If Van Marwijk chooses that option then Ibrahim Affelay, who
did not impress against the Danes, would be the most obvious
choice to stand down.
It would be a logical move to make given the sudden urgency
of a win against the Germans.
"We have to win twice now to progress - we have to, that's a
clear mission," said midfielder Rafael van der Vaart.
"We really have to go for it now. If we had won then we knew
a draw against Germany would mean we were already doing well,
but now we just have to win twice."