Marcellis close to a start

Friday 10 October 2008

Dirk Marcellis has impressed bondscoach Bert van Marwijk in the past three days to such an extend that the young PSV-defender is close to starting Saturday against Iceland.

"He has made a good impression during training. He deserves a place on the squad," Van Marwijk said.

That means the 20-year-old might get his first orange cap tomorrow.

Marcellis was called up after John Heitinga and Khalid Boulahrouz dropped out due to injuries and now seems to be challenging the far more experienced Jan Kromkamp for the full back position.

"In training he did very well as a right back," Van Marwijk said.

That is good for Marcellis, because the right back position has been a troubled one for Holland for a while now.

In the last two years a long list of players was tried at right back: André Ooijer, John Heitinga, Khalid Boulahrouz, Nigel de Jong, Demy de Zeeuw, Kew Jaliens, Jan Kromkamp and Mario Melchiot.

But apart from Andre Ooijer none were much to the satisfaction of the then manager Marco van Basten.

Although Marcellis stands a good chance of being played at right back on Saturday his memories of the game he played there for the U-21 aren't good ones.

In a tournament in Sweden ahead of the Bejing Olympics he was all over the place in a game against the French U-21, and manager Foppe de Haan had to put him out of his misery after 60 minutes by replacing him.

Looking at Iceland who play with only 1½ forwards it seems more likely though that Marcellis will be the right one of two central defenders (the other one being Joris Mathijsen) with Andre Ooijer in-between.