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6/3/06

SPIEGEL ONLINE: World Cup Group C The Netherlands: Orange Is Back

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World Cup Group C The Netherlands: Orange Is Back

Oranje is finally back after failing to qualify for the last World Cup. At the end of a strikingly successful qualifying season, the team has yet to meet its match. Chances are they will find it in the home country of archrival Germany.

Netherlands' only major title to date has been a 1988 European Championship victory in Germany. Despite stars like Edgar Davids, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Kluivert, the next generation never really delivered on its early promise, and missed out on a berth in Japan and South Korea completely. Europe's ultimate footballing purists, the Dutch often fail to get the results they deserve. But this is accepted in a country that has always demanded attacking flair from its national team. Following Holland's defeat in the 1974 World Cup Final, the team's creative genius Johan Cruyff ventured: "Maybe having an unforgettable team is more important than lifting a trophy."

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