By Dave Mangene.
Last night, following Holland's remarkable win against Costa Rica, Coach van Gaal gave his post-game interview. In his typical 'rough around the edges' style, Louis said:
"We've already reached the K.N.V.B's goals (Royal Dutch Football Association), and I'm happy about that. But we have a different goal. We are here to become World Champions."
Wait, did I hear that right?
Did I just hear that the Governing body of Dutch football formally chooses to consider this a successful tournament if their team reaches the semi-finals?
Should it not be that the bosses of Dutch football believe so strongly in their team that the only goal is to win the World Cup?!
Surely there is only one goal?
The goal is to win all the marbles, no?
Apparently not.
At least not when it comes to the corporation that is the K.N.V.B.
After all, the K.N.V.B is running a business and, as with so many corporations, risks need to be managed, bets need to be hedged, shareholders need to see profit. Corporations inherently lean against unrealistic thinking and wide-eyed delusions of grandeur. The K.N.V.B. probably has a team of actuaries with a fist full of due diligence reports that statistically prove beyond a reasonable doubt that this Dutch team will have maximized its potential by reaching the semi-finals. That, the stiff shirts in Zeist most certainly concluded, was as good as this team could be.
Fortunately for us, Louis van Gaal wasn't at the meeting.
Coach van Gaal clearly doesn't give two shits about the Association's goals. He's in Brazil to win the big one and his players are with him every step of the way.
Of course, 2 months ago things looked a lot different. Kevin Strootman was out for the summer with a knee injury. Wesley Sneijder was performing so poorly that he wasn't even on van Gaal's team. The shit looked bleak. Only a crazy man would have predicted the Dutch reaching the semi-finals.
As luck would have it, Louis van Gaal seems to be that crazy man.
Crazy in the way he is making decisions that nobody has ever made. Crazy in the way he is substituting players that end up winning the games. And he's done it too many times to simply be written off as lucky. This guy, and this team, is crazy good. Van Gaal is one step ahead of everybody else and with every passing game he is looking more and more like the Einstein of Dutch football.
Having said that, a coach can only do so much. At some point, the players have to take over. Obviously these players got the memo. They are more than willing to carry out their coach's mission, with Arjen Robben rallying the troops on the field. Van Gaal has also publicly called this team the 'best he's ever coached", and he's coached a few.
For the past six years, I've been coaching youth football here in Holland. In those years I have found the K.N.V.B. to be a reliable and competent organization. They do a great job of running the game.
But when the K.N.V.B. fails to aim for the highest goal, at the biggest tournament, they are sending the wrong message. They are being too conservative, too safe, too realistic.
In a word, they are being too Dutch.
Again, the coach and the players aren't listening. They're playing the most un-Dutch tournament in Holland's history. This Oranje plays to win, ugly or not. This Oranje never gives up and wins games in the dying minutes of matches. This Oranje makes penalties!
In September, when my sons Mickey and Timo go back to their club, USV Hercules in Utrecht, I'll be glad that the fields are good, the balls are round, and the organization is solid. I will be grateful that my kids will have a nice place to play the beautiful game, mostly thanks to the K.N.V.B.
But for the next 8 days, to hell with the K.N.V.B. and their Calvinist goals.
For the next 8 days, I'm on board with the crazy coach and his fierce team.
See you in Rio, boys!
~ DAVE
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