Van Marwijk not proud yet

Saturday 3 July 2010

Holland manager Bert van Marwijk didn't look a very happy fellow, the morning after his team's historic victory over Brazil. He looked cranky, especially on the questions of the international press. Often his answers were very short. Later he said to the Dutch press: "The same questions over and over again, having to explain the same thing time and again. I get weary of it at times."

Later on he cheered up. "Of course I have enjoyed it. When we returned to the hotel we had a great meal, had a look at the penalties of Uruguay and Ghana and then spent the evening together and celebrated a bit. Am I proud? I'm not walking around feeling proud all the time, no. I was content, but we're not there yet. Our mission hasn't been accomplished. With Uruguay another very dangerous opponent awaits us, and we can not make the same mistakes that we made in the past. I have been stressing that for two years."

Van Marwijk looked back at the two faces of the game against Brazil. He didn't think Holland played poorly in the first half. "We were off song in the first 20 minutes. A lot of that had to do with Brazil. You want to play your own game and contain them tactically, because Brazil are very good. I was impressed with the way we came back.

"We displayed a great mentality, and the second half was great, in every way. But I don't think we were poor in the first half. I thought we did okay and in the second half it was even attractive. But I thought we were good in all five games. Have a look at our statistics. Count how many chances we created."

Looking ahead to the semifinal Van Marwijk praised Uruguay. "They battle and they survive. That is why they are in the semifinals. We can not underestimate them, or we'll be knocked out."

Uruguay will have to do without the suspended Luis Suarez and Jorge Fucile and the injured Lodeiro. Captain Diego Lugano is possibly out with an injury. "But that doesn't mean all that much to me. I believe they will start with 11 players. Besides we can not use Nigel de Jong and Gregory van der Wiel because of their suspensions.''

"I have come to understand that there is great euphoria in Holland. That is great but it has happened in the past. Often we came home empty handed. We want to prevent that this time around. That is why we take the game very seriously, and especially after a game like the one against Brazil we have to be careful."

Robin van Persie was again one of the weakest Dutch players, but Van Marwijk keeps having faith in his center forward. "He's been improving every game. And I have no reason doubt his qualities. I have a lot of faith in him."

Goals

Cards

14' J. Heitinga
	37' M. Bastos
47' G. van der Wiel
64' N. de Jong
	73' Felipe Melo
76' A. Ooijer

Lineups