Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Holland's Euro 2008 Squad

Dutch coach Marco van Basten just announced his final 23-man roster, leaving ten nations needing to do the same before tomorrow's deadline. His last cut was former Chelsea and now Sevilla defender Khalid Boulahrouz.

As you'll see, it is loaded with attacking players that fit the traditional Dutch 4-3-3 "total football" system, but this emphasis on going forward has come at the price of not producing many quality defenders (aside from Jaap Stam).

GK (3): Edwin van der Sar* (Manchester United), Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax), Henk Timmer (Feyenoord)

DEF (6): Wilfred Bouma (Aston Villa), André Ooijer (Blackburn), Mario Melchiot (Wigan), Tim de Cler (Feyenoord), John Heitinga (Ajax), Joris Mathijsen (Hamburg)

MID (7): Ibrahim Afellay (PSV Eindhoven), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord), Orlando Engelaar (FC Twente), Nigel de Jong and Rafael van der Vaart (Hamburg), Wesley Sneijder (Real Madrid), Demy de Zeeuw (AZ Alkmaar)

FWD (7): Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Ajax), Ruud van Nistelrooy and Arjen Robben (Real Madrid), Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (Celtic)

*Captain

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