Mark van Bommel: Holland's clockwork

Saturday, 10 July 2010

Robben, Sneijder, Van Persie - Holland are well known for their artists on the ball. Yet their progress to the final of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa is also largely thanks to a man who is the absolute opposite of aesthetic football: Bayern Munich captain Mark van Bommel is the real figure head of this new, pinpoint, successful Dutch side.

It's the question that forces itself upon the followers of a World Cup towards the end of a tournament: who were the decisive players for their teams? In the case of the Netherlands the answer seems simple: Arjen Robben, the genius on the wing, Wesley Sneijder, the director. Or Robin van Persie, the elegant forward. But in reality they represent the old Oranje.

When Holland kickoff for their third World Cup final in history tomorrow the creative players will be in the spotlights. But the man who puts his head where it hurts so that the artists op front can put their stuff on display is overlooked by many. Yet he is the man who represents the new Dutch style like no other: Mark van Bommel.

The captain of Bayern Munich is the quiet star of this Dutch team who doesn't stand out because of backheels or trickery, but because of order, discipline, battle strength and ground covered. And it's very much because Van Bommel that Holland have the best statistics when it comes to duels won (55%) in this World Cup.

Dutch daily 'De Telegraaf' called him the 'Motor of Oranje', the one who keeps the orange-colored machine running, but does so mostly unseen. The South African newspaper 'Cape Times' described the Dutch football as a 'Clockwork Orange': the team plays with the precision of a clock. Nothing spectacular, but very effective. And Van Bommel is the suspension.

Alienated under Van Basten
The 33-year-old has given the team the balance that it lacked during Euro 2008. Van Bommel drives the team and cleans up after it, he dispossesses and distributes, a quiet fighter and an intelligent strategist. And that is why it may come as a surprise to many that with forwards Keisuke Honda (Japan) and Luis Suárez (Uruguay) he is the player who got fouled the most this tournament.

And it's credit to bondscoach Bert van Marwijk, that he recognized the importance of his son-in-law for Holland and brought him back on the team. Van Marwijk's predecessor Marco van Basten saw nothing but a raw-legged destroyer in Van Bommel, an odd-one-out in the classic offensive game of the Dutch.

After the 2006 World Cup (Van Bommel's first big tournament) Van Basten ignored Van Bommel for the first two Euro qualifiers. When he was named for the next game against Bulgaria, Van Bommel rejected the invitation, saying he never wanted to play for Holland again as long as Van Basten was manager.

At Euro 2008 Holland laid down some spectacular games in the group stage (without Van Bommel) to then go out in the first knockout game against Russia because of the traditional defensive weaknesses. Van Marwijk then took over and imposed a new style upon the team: the creative strength should be maintained but also be enforced with more order and stability. For that he needed Van Bommel.

As common his performance is on the ball as striking is his performance off it. Van Bommel directs, gestures, provokes. His mental strength and his will to win are contagious and affect his team mates. It was because of that approach that Holland were able to turn the tables in the game against Brazil and to come back after they fell behind against Brazil - something few teams have ever managed. Van Marwijk's Oranje is not as thrilling as they used to be in the past. But it doesn't die of beauty any longer either.

Besides that Van Bommel is much more then the fighter and grinder to which some often like to reduce him. Like all Dutch players he is technically well educated, he always knows exactly where to put himself and he has a fine eye for the positions of his fellow players. He had four assists at Bayern this season, which is decent for a holding midfielder. This tournament 78% of his passes are completed, and in that he is only outdone by his partner in midfield Nigel de Jong (81%). And he didn't get his first yellow card this tournament until the last minute of the semifinal - for kicking the ball away.

Van Bommel has ripened to become a leading figure. At Bayern he now has assumed the role of the great Stefan Effenberg. But in the Dutch national team he had to create that role first. Under Van Basten De Jong or Orlando Engelaar would play in central midfield. Both are reliable workers - but no leaders.

And how easy do we forget that his position at Bayern Munich was in danger for a while. At the start of the 2008/09 season Bayern manager Jürgen Klinsmann put him (as captain) on the bench for a while and for the new season Klinsmann signed Ukrainian Anatoli Timoschuk to replace Van Bommel all together. Van Bommel reacted stoical: "He's welcome to come - and take his place on the bench," Van Bommel said. And that's how it happened.

Last season Van Bommel became the figure head of Bayern Munich, despite the presence of Arjen Robben and Frank Riberry. If he leads Holland to their first ever World Cup tomorrow he might just become a figure head of a winning Oranje as well.