Former Rapids defender Marcelo Balboa, a three-time World Cup veteran with 128 appearances for the U.S. National Team, reports from the World Cup in collaboration with Denver Post soccer reporter John Meyer. Balboa also is doing radio reports for Futbol de Primera and video for .From the beginning of the World Cup, I picked Holland as my team to go all the way. The Dutch have everything you could ask for in a team, and they’ve been playing better every game.
This is a pretty good team from the midfield forward. From the midfield back, there have been a lot of questions. Giovanni Van Bronckhorst scored a great goal the other day from more than 40 yards, but he has been a question mark at left back — he’s 35 years old. The center backs, John Heitinga and Joris Mathij- sen, have been questionable.
Since the Brazil game, though, the back line has played better. So you’re looking at a team that is well organized with a lot of offensive punch.
On the other hand, you have Spain, which started off awful, losing its first game. But watching Spain against Germany, I have not seen a team play a better 90 minutes in this World Cup. All cylinders are firing for Spain right now.
Everybody talked about Spain’s goalkeeper, Iker Casillas, having an awful year for Real Madrid. But then he saved a penalty kick against Paraguay and made two or three key saves against Germany.
Spain’s system is patient, it’s controlling the ball, it’s dictating the pace and finding spaces. Holland has a habit of playing forwards Arjen Robben and Dirk Kuyt out wide and leaving striker Robin Van Persie up high. That means there’s a lot of room in that midfield that Holland is going to have to cover. If not, you’re going to see Spain’s midfielders with a lot of time on the ball.
The German defense dropped four guys back, it dropped the midfield back and the two guys up front chased. Spain couldn’t get behind Germany but won 1-0 off a corner kick. I don’t see Holland defending with Robben and Van Persie. I don’t see all 11 defending, the way Germany did.
Holland has a bunch of great players, but in terms of overall team play, Spain has been the best. If Spain does what it did against Germany, Holland is going to be in for a long day.
I will say this: Don’t let Holland score first. If Holland scores first, the Dutch are going to drop back and play counterattack. Spain could be vulnerable there, because it throws a lot of guys forward.
A lot of people talk about the “shape” Holland plays, but does Robben defend? Not really. Kuyt will chase back, but does Wesley Sneijder? No. Does Van Persie chase back? No. That’s three guys Holland is leaving out on defense.
This should be a game that comes down to one mistake or one outstanding individual play. Whoever decides not to chase defensively, whoever gets lazy and decides, “I’ll let somebody else defend for me,” that team is going to be in trouble.
