The same Netherlands team that humiliated Spain early in last year’s World Cup is fading — and fading fast.
After losses to Turkey and Iceland over the last few days, the Dutch are on the brink of missing out on next year’s European Championship in France — a tournament expanded to accommodate 24 teams.
The Netherlands lineup that lost to Iceland 1-0 at home on Thursday and then 3-0 at Turkey on Sunday is virtually unchanged from the one that overwhelmingly defeated the defending World Cup champions 5-1 last year in Brazil and ended up finishing third.
“This whole qualification campaign has been incredibly difficult,” Netherlands striker Robin van Persie said after the loss in Turkey. “We still have a chance, but it is no longer in our hands and that is terrible.”
These days, the 1988 European champions and three-time World Cup finalists are struggling to find the net against all but the weakest opponents.
A tight defense was the foundation of the Netherlands’ success in Brazil — apart from two penalty shootouts, the team conceded only four goals in seven matches at the World Cup.
Even Johan Cruyff, a passionate advocate of attacking soccer, has been left lamenting the lack of quality at the back.
In his column in Monday’s edition of Dutch daily De Telegraaf, the former Netherlands great pointed to the penalty given away by defender Gregory van der Wiel that handed Iceland victory in Amsterdam as symptomatic of poor Dutch defending.
