Mixed results keep Group A under pressure in Euro 96
By Vic Mills
LONDON (JP): With two draws and the points shared in the opening encounters, Group A remains the most open in Euro 96. The pressure will be all the more intense in the second round matches which kick-off with Holland against Switzerland at Villa Park today.
A little over a month ago Villa Park belonged more to bedouin tribesmen than the beautiful game. The combination of harsh winter weather and crowded fixture list had rendered it a grass- free zone. It look a newly developed seed and fertilizer to help reclaim desert.
Which is good news for the Dutch pass-masters who fell some way short of their much lauded billing as tournament second favorites in a goalless draw against Scotland.
Indeed, Monday revealed the new generation of Dutchmen to be not as talented or as authoritative as Johan Cruyff's team of the 1974 World Cup. Nor are they as incisive and sure of themselves as the class of 1988, the European champion.
After missing early chances against Scotland, the Dutch elected to battle it out, to match the frenzied tempo of their opponents man for man.
This was an approach that relied more on stamina and strength than skill or subtlety. Little wonder then that the workers took the eye: Richard Witschge covered every blade of grass and Ronald de Boer, another playing a game foreign to his nature, labored tirelessly for the cause.
Injury and suspension had forced Seedorf and Davids to play out of position against Scotland. Davids was asked to patrol in front of the back four. Seedorf effectively to play off the main striker, who, for much of the game, was Dennis Bergkamp,
The Arsenal player, however, is no center forward. He lacks the real courage to lead as bruising as Hendry and Calderwood. The No. 9 shirt was the possession of Patrick Kluivert, yet he, barely a month since knee injury, is still short of match fitness.
In November, when Holland beat Ireland 2-0 for the final qualifying place, Kluivert was at his most breathtaking best, so cool and composed, the consummate finisher. He just might, if the rest can buy him time to recuperate fully, find that confidence again.
Leadership
However, what this Dutch team is really lacking is leadership -- the return of Danny Blind should cure that -- and penetration on the flanks. It sorely misses the speed and balance of Marc Overmars.
Against Scotland, Gaston Taument flattered to deceive and Jordi Cruyff has speed and athletic fitness, but nothing like his father's touch and intuition for the game.
Van der Sar is a bean-pole goalkeeper of extremes and the defense in front of him can never settle. Unorthodox, at times he appears to flap like a windmill, to punch when the easy safe option would be to gather the ball.
While the Dutch might be seen as falling somewhat short of expectations, this cannot be said of its traveling fans. The team has only to pause and draw breath for the band from Amsterdam to strike up, urging greater endeavor.
Cowbells
By way of contrast, the Swiss, anything but neutral where soccer is concerned, enlisted some 12,000 fans with cowbells for the tournament opener at Wembley. Ninety minutes later it was they and not the English who stayed on to cheer their heroes.
Despite going behind to an early Alan Shearer goal, Switzerland held firm, kept its shape and rode out the storm. As England faded in the second half, the Swiss took control, finishing much the stronger and fully deserving a draw.
Indeed, nobody deserved to score more than Kubilay Turkyilmaz, whose coolly dispatched penalty was just reward for a paced, incisive performance which teased and turned England's defender to the point of distraction.
The Dutch, however, will provide a far sterner test. All the more reason then for Swiss coach, Arthur Jorge, to pay heed to Scotland's performance on Monday and that of Juventus in its Champions Cup victory over Ajax side doubling as the Dutch national team.
With these games to draw upon, the likelihood is that the Swiss midfield Vogel, Geiger and Sforza will close their counterparts' downs as quickly as possible, allowing them little time or space to play their more expensive game.
The defense was superbly marshaled by Spanish-born Ramon Vega, with the aid of the elusiveness of twin strikers, Grassi and Turkyilmaz, who offer a far more potent threat than the Scottish forwards.
As to whether this will be a Dutch master class or a demonstration of Swiss accuracy, only time will tell. The signs, however, suggest another intriguing contest in the making.