Look no further than the Netherlands’ national soccer team for proof of how quickly things can change in soccer.
The Netherlands’ disastrous qualification campaign in the 2016 UEFA European Championship crashed and burned with a 3-2 loss to the Czech Republic on Tuesday in Amsterdam. The latest Dutch defeat means the fallen soccer giant will watch next summer’s Euro 2016, instead of traveling to France and competing in the expanded 24-team tournament (up from 16).
The Czech Republic scored twice in the first half before Robin van Persie, the Netherlands’ all-time leading goal scorer, scored an own goal in the 66th minute to effectively seal the result.
https://twitter.com/TheWorldGame/status/654040357009690624
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar started the hosts’ comeback attempt with a goal in the 70th minute, and van Persie struck on the right net 13 minutes later to reduce the Dutch deficit to one.
But the Czech Republic held on to the advantage until the final whistle, ending the Netherlands’ hopes of reaching the showcase tournament.
The Czechs and Iceland automatically qualify as Group A winner and runner-up, respectively, and Turkey automatically qualifies as the best third-place team in the nine groups.
The Netherlands have failed to qualify for a European Championship for the first time since 1984, and their home form is among the many reasons for their historic miss.
The Netherlands finished in third place at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and their fine performances under then-coach Louis van Gaal earned widespread plaudits and signaled a bright new era.
But the Netherlands’ progress halted when van Gaal stepped down after the World Cup, and Guus Hiddink replaced him. Hiddink oversaw two losses in the first six qualification games. The 68-year-old resigned after less than a year on the job, and Danny Blind replaced him on Aug. 1.
Blind failed to engineer a turnaround in four games, and the Netherlands now are out of the reckoning for European supremacy before the real race even started.
What a difference a year and a coach make.
Thumbnail photo via Peter Dejong/The Associated Press
