UEFA Euro 2012 Poland & Ukraine
Group E - Qualifications
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Sneijder: "Don't tinker with it"
6 September 2010
Wesley Sneijder was one of the
main players for Holland during the World Cup in South
Africa. But he can charge himself up for games against
San Marino and Finland as well. Turning the switch,
he calls it. "That's how it is in life. We have
a new goal now. We can't just replay the World Cup."
It's a big contrast, playing against
San Marino and Finland only two months after the World
Cup. But Sneijder, Holland's top goal scorer with five
goals during the tournament, says it's no effort at
all. "That's how it goes. That's the life of a
football player. It's just like any regular job. You
have a goal in a year, and then you go on holiday with
your family. You come back and you set a new goal. We
can not replay that tournament in South Africa. We have
to look forward. It's always good to be back with this
team again."
Mission
That looking forward is to the European Championships
in Poland and Ukraine in the summer of 2012. The first
qualifying game in a group that with Hungary, Sweden
and Moldavia as well, was won on Friday. San
Marino was beat 0-5.
On Tuesday it's Finland in Rotterdam.
"It's another mission. Just like we did in the
previous qualification campaign we will try not to lose
a single game. That's our aim. We need total concentration,
like we managed against San Marino."
No tinkering
Since the World Cup people have been calling for a more
offensive Dutch team, for instance with Van der Vaart
instead of De Jong, like in the second half against
San Marino and in parts of the World Cup. It's argued
that it ads more 'football' to the team. Sneijder doesn't
agree on that. "I think what the coach is doing
is right, each time. He interfered after 45 minutes
by putting on a more offensive midfielder. We have worked
towards the World Cup with this formation. Two holding
midfielders and one playmaker. You mustn't interrupt
that. Don't tinker with it. This is our system and our
quality. Of course you can adapt a bit in individual
matches, depending on how it develops. But the core
structure stands."
Euro
2012 campaign - Results, schedule, standings
Head-to-head: Sweden
Holland
at European Championships
All
time European Championships ranking
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