Can the Netherlands win World Cup 2014?

The Netherlands is missing notables Strootman (Deffensive midfielder from Roma) and van der Wiel (Fullback from PSG) this World Cup.

Team coach Van Gaal has signed for Manchester United, and will take over the hot seat at Old Trafford when the world cup in Brazil is over. The excitement and negotiations could have taken some energy out the not so young man. Still! This squad is full of talent.

They showed in Euro 2012 they can tangle with the best of them, and in qualification they were as good as spotless. Holland went ten games without a loss against Romania, Hungary, Turkey, Estonia and Andorra scoring a whopping thirty four times in the process. They let in only five goals too. Those stats are simply impressive.

The Dutch provisional squad

Van Gaal has so far selected the following players for his preliminary squad list:

Jasper Cillessen (Ajax), Tim Krul (Newcastle), Michel Vorm (Swansea), Jeroen Zoet (PSV Eindhoven), Daley Blind, Joel Veltman (both Ajax), Stefan de Vrij, Daryl Janmaat, Terence Kongolo, Bruno Martins Indi, Tonny Vilhena (all Feyenoord), Karim Rekik (PSV Eindhoven – on loan from Manchester City), Patrick van Aanholt (Vitesse Arnhem), Paul Verhaegh (FC Augsburg), Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa), Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord), Jonathan de Guzman (Swansea), Nigel de Jong (AC Milan), Leroy Fer (Norwich), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich), Wesley Sneijder (Galatasaray), Rafael van der Vaart (Hamburg), Georginio Wijnaldum (PSV Eindhoven), Jean-Paul Boetius (Feyenoord), Memphis Depay (PSV Eindhoven), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke 04), Dirk Kuyt (Fenerbahce), Jeremain Lens (Dynamo Kiev), Quincy Promes (Twente), Robin van Persie (Manchester United)

Squad comments

The keeper spot is in safe hands as all three mentioned keepers are more than decent. Cillessen is likely to get the nod in the starting position. Van Gaal has experimented with 3-5-2, and he has said he will play it in the World Cup. This could of course be hot air, but given the player material it might make sense. He’s played Vlar and the promising Feynoord youngsters de Vrij and Martins Indi in various center back pairings during qualification. Van Gaal could probably be tempted to play them as a back three. The defensive midfield duties are likely to be performed by De Guzman. He’s got a good range of passing and can really get the dutch attacking players going. They’ll miss Strootman, but De Guzman has had a decent season with Swansea. He can do the job.

Further up the pitch van Gaal has a good mix of ability, power and pace at his disposal. The mix of youth and experience is also remarkable. The old guard consists of notables such as Sneijder, Robben, Huntelaar, Kuyt, van Persie and van der Vaart. The younger lads, Fer, Wijnaldum, Boetius, Depay and Promes are all highly skilled and could contribute to the success of this team if given a chance.

The Dutch coach has mixed up his selections in midfield quite a bit in qualification. I do see him doing it again during the world cup. It is a grueling tournament, and the heat during several of the matches can be cruel.

Further up front it is unlikely van Persie is guaranteed to start unless he is injured. Memphis Depay is a phenomenal youngster who might get the nod alongside van Persie if the Dutch really go 3-5-2. He is one to watch for sure.

Netherlands to win World Cup 2014 odds

You can still get 34 times your money if you fancy the Dutch to win World Cup 2014 in Brazil. BET 365 is the provider. Are those odds any good? First, let’s have a look at the likely opposition post the group stage. It is very likely in my opinion the Dutch will finish runner up to the Spanish. Then it is very likely they’ll face home favorite Brazil in the 1/16^th. Obviously that is not the best of draws. On the other hand, should the Dutch win their group it is quite likely they’ll play Croatia in their first Knock Out match.

For me; at the end of the day: Looking at how Netherlands played during the Euro 2012 and the football they produced during qualification I think it is safe to say those odds just do not seem correct. I am quite confident the difference in quality between the best sides are much smaller than the odds in the market currently indicates. This looks a value play!

Bet on the Dutch. Click here if you agree

Other interesting bets on the Dutch

I am going to gamble a bit and bet on Memphis Depay as Dutch top scorer. The odds on van Persie are of course useless as everyone and their uncle is on that bet. Keep in mind: The young lad is a van Gaal favorite, and he is likely to play in a 3-5-2 formation. With the players around him, chances will come. At 20/1 (21.00) with BET365 I think this is a great bet.

Click here if you agree with me

I am also going to bet over 4.5 points. Actually I like this bet a lot. I think the Dutch should beat both Australia and Chile. Even if they should draw against one of these sides they can still get a point from Spain and be over that line. I like those scenarios, and Sportingbet offers 1.73 for the Over. I am on it!

Take Holland over 4.5 points, click here.

Good Luck with your World Cup betting!