 While Van Marwijk may not have been the most heralded player of his time, he has seen far more success patrolling the sidelines as a coach, having led Feyenoord of Rotterdam to the UEFA Cup championship in 2002 before winning the Dutch crown upon his return following a two-year stay with Borussia Dortmund in Germany. Calm, courteous, and discrete but approachable, the coach feels it is important to be close with his players based on the fact that international coaches have few chances to work with their squads. Due to this belief, Van Marwijk tends to make the most of the time spent with his players – mixing with them, participating in training, and changing things up in order to get to know his men better. Although his style differs drastically from that of his predecessor, Marco van Basten, the scheme remains similar, keeping the familiar 4-2-3-1 formation in place. With goalkeeper Edwin van der Saar (130 matches – most in team history) and striker Ruud van Nistelrooy (33 goals – tied for 4th all-time) having called quits to their international careers, Van Marwijk has needed to put his own stamp on the nucleus of players he inherited from Van Basten, while making sure not to shake things up too much. The key Flying Dutchmen are now Arjen Robben, Dirk Kuyt, and Klaas Jan Huntelaar up front, Mark van Bommel at the mid-field, Joris Mathijsen, Andre Ooijer, and captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst on defense – all of whom saw considerable playing time under the previous regime. Additionally, striker Robin van Persie and mid-fielders Rafael van der Vaart, Nigel De Jong, and Wesley Sneijder also remain closely in the mix. The Netherlands head to South Africa with a mission in mind; that mission is to be champions of the world. Order 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets now and plan to be there to see if the Oranje cannot only repeat their championship match appearances of 32 and 36 years ago, but finally get over that final hurdle to hoist the trophy.
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