Elia: "We are no less than Brazil"
Thursday, 1 July 2010
On Friday Holland will face Brazil
in the quarterfinal of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa,
something Eljero Elia is really looking forward to,
he says in an interview with the paper copy of Dutch
magazine Voetbal International.
The word is that most Brazilian
are stronger individually than the Dutch players. We
argued in an earlier article that that is hardly
the case, and Elia agrees.
"I know quite a lot about
the Brazilian team, so let's have a look at some of
these positions. Gilberto Silva plays in the Greek league
for Panathinaikos, Nigel de Jong plays in the Premier
League for Manchester City. You see?"
"What has Felipe Melo achieved
with Juventus when you compare it with what Mark van
Bommel has done with Bayern Munich? Robinho plays in
the Brazilian league for Santos. That is just not the
same as Arjen Robben playing for Bayern. What I'm trying
to say is that we are no less than Brazil. I am 100%
convinced of that."
Although Elia has so far come on
as a sub in every game Holland have played, he is not
fully happy about his own role in the tournament. "Of
course not. Every international wants to play as much
as possible and make the most of himself. When I come
on I give it all I've got. And I try to do so in my
own style, run at my opponents and try to get past them.
That's where my strength is."
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