When PSV Eindhoven paid 6.3 million euros for his services, it was a Dutch-league record for a transfer fee.  Then came his move to Manchester United in 2001, where he broke several records and was named the 2002 PFA Players’ Player of the Year.  In 2006, [...]]]> For the majority of his career, he has been a wanted man. 

When PSV Eindhoven paid 6.3 million euros for his services, it was a Dutch-league record for a transfer fee.  Then came his move to Manchester United in 2001, where he broke several records and was named the 2002 PFA Players’ Player of the Year.  In 2006, 24 million euros later, he was suiting up in Bernabeu for Real Madrid.

No matter where Ruud van Nistelrooy went the goals and the success followed.

In the summer of 2008, he would lead the Dutch as they took Europe by storm in the opening stages of the European Championships.  After a 3-1 loss to Russia in the quater-finals, the Dutch exited earlier than many would have expected.   A retirement from international football soon followed for van Nistelrooy.

The Dutch will likely need a happy and healthy van Nistelrooy if they are to be successful in South Africa

But now if the Dutch are to find success in South Africa this summer, it will require van Nistelrooy returning to the orange.

In November 2008, early into the La Liga season, van Nistelrooy suffered a knee injury that would keep him out for quite some time.  The big Dutchman was now out of football, so much so that Madrid gave his No. 17 shirt to another player for the remainder of the season.

Van Nistelrooy, more so than others, hates to be away from top competition.  When the Dutch failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, it was the 25-year-old van Nistelrooy whose angst for the world’s biggest footballing stage would be delayed four years.

After a callous loss to Portugal in the 2006 World Cup and several falling outs with then national team coach Marco van Basten; there were some who wondered if the prolific goal-scoring Dutchman would ever get another shot at international glory.

Fast forward to January 2010, van Nistelrooy has not played for the national team in a year and a half.  For Madrid he has appeared only three times, all as a substitute, since the 2008 knee injury.

After the reconstruction of Galacticos, van Nistelrooy was seen as expendable.  He then signed with Hamburg SV of the German Bundesliga.  It’s not exactly the top-flight football that van Nistelrooy is accustomed too.

But for the Dutchman, all is not lost.  More so, the move to Germany presents an opportunity.

At the club level, there will be far less pressure on van Nistelrooy.  He finds himself on a team that already has three fellow countrymen on it: Joris Mathijsen, Eljero Elia and Romeo Castelen.  In the case of Mathijsen, there is a veteran defender who has made several national team appearances with van Nistelrooy.  Then there is Elia, seen a budding star with the Orange, who could help ignite a possible return to the national team.

Should van Nistelrooy remain healthy, the make up is there for a cohesion with his fellow countrymen and a return to the national side is possible.

Now coached by Bert van Maarwijk, the national team is in desperate need of health for its stars.  Arsenal striker Robin van Persie was having what appeared to be a career season until an ankle injury sidelined him for some five months.

Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben is a match winner on the wing, but has struggled to stay fit for most of his career.

Couple the Dutch health issues with the fact that Klaas Huntelaar, the supposed successor to the target striker position, has struggled with AC Milan this season and has yet to replicate van Nistelrooy’s value for the national team.

All of this makes van Nistelrooy’s move to Hamburg that much more important.  Simply put, the Dutch need van Nistelrooy.

Van Maarwijk is a coach that tends to rely on his veteran players; an in-form van Nistelrooy would more than likely become a favorite of the new coach to be selected for South Africa.  His inclusion would bring a leadership that historically the Dutch have needed.  A team that tends to self-combust could greatly benefit from the addition of van Nistelrooy.

As much as a healthy van Nistelrooy would be key to a possible Dutch resurgence, the newly acquired Hamburg striker must express an interest to return.  He is at this time still retired from international football.

If the Dutch arrive in South Africa with all of its stars healthy and van Nistelrooy leading them, they should pose quite a threat to the rest of the world next summer.

Dave Topp is contributing writer to RF Football.  He covers the U.S. men’s national team and the Eredivisie on a regular basis for World Soccer Reader.  You can follow him on Twitter under the username of Topper18.

The 45th episode of Inside the Six sees me come out of my presenter’s shell to rant about Robert Warzycha and Dutch football fanboys. What do the two have in common? Only timing, as they concern this episode. With the Columbus Crew being surprisingly eliminated from the MLS playoffs and a few [...]]]>

The 45th episode of Inside the Six sees me come out of my presenter’s shell to rant about Robert Warzycha and Dutch football fanboys. What do the two have in common? Only timing, as they concern this episode. With the Columbus Crew being surprisingly eliminated from the MLS playoffs and a few select Dutchophiles plead FC Twente’s case for inclusion in WSR’s Top Ten list, both end up on the wrong end on my first Inside the Six rants.

It’s Friday. I let myself button a bit. With World Soccer Reader colleague Jordan Wise along, who talked about fantasy football in the last segment, the show had a decidedly more venting feel.

The format of this one is a bit different. While it was intended to be an interview/theme show (Jordan/fantasy football), it went in another direction because of things that happened on Thursday. Please let me know – positive or negative – if you enjoyed this type of show.

As always, you can get Inside the Six at World Soccer Reader, from my iTunes feed, or from the inline player, below:

[podcast]http://www.pointoneohradio.com/pods/its_episode45_20091106.mp3[/podcast]

Posted here just because I want to commemorate it. I’ve felt this ever since Euro 2008 but have been deferential. I think the only way I can go on being so (into the future) is to get it out of my system. If it’s not posted somewhere that has some permanency, I [...]]]>

Posted here just because I want to commemorate it. I’ve felt this ever since Euro 2008 but have been deferential. I think the only way I can go on being so (into the future) is to get it out of my system. If it’s not posted somewhere that has some permanency, I won’t feel I’ve let it go.

After a few people were joking with me over Twitter about getting a Dutch side into the World Soccer Reader World Club Top Ten, I let it out.

I feel much better now. Check it out (and in Twitter-style, got bottom-to-top):

I feel my first ever ITS rant coming on.
1 minute ago from web

Supporting the Dutch is like supporting Bruce Springsteen. Really, you’re cheering for the legend, not the current product.
2 minutes ago from web

Netherlands are fine, particularly for their population base. But yeesh. Look around. “[Johan Cruijff] is not walking through that door!”
10 minutes ago from web

Ntl team: Goalie? Defense is not world class. EASY qualifying group. They’re not Germany. They’re not Spain. Last time they played Russia?
12 minutes ago from web

World Cup before that? Didn’t make it. Best current player, Sneijder, was pushed out at Madrid.
15 minutes ago from web

And during the last Euro, for all the love, out at the quarters. Last World Cup? Out at Round of 16.
16 minutes ago from web

Never mind that all of the players purported to being this generation of star have failed to be the wonders originally purported.
17 minutes ago from web

Sorry, all this blind love of Dutch football has me cranky. A few outdated books have us overlooking the last 5 years of results?
17 minutes ago from web

We’ll know how many Liverpool supporters vote for Ballon d’Or based on how many voters write in Xabi. The guy is legendary, to some.
20 minutes ago from web

The impact for Real Madrid is minimal. Although this would have changed as the season wore on, they were committed to not [...]]]> Wesley Sneijder has completed his move from Real Madrid to Internazionale. Various Italian outlets started reporting the story early morning Pacific time. Here’s one example, and here is an English-language account.

The impact for Real Madrid is minimal. Although this would have changed as the season wore on, they were committed to not playing Sneijder. Part of that is the reality of their squad. Part of that was posturing to pressure a move.

Now that the move is done, we can think about what this means for Internazionale and Sneijder. For the player, he gets playing time and keeps himself in line to join the Netherlands in South Africa next year. Given the construction of the Dutch national team and a potential lack of playing time at the Santiago Bernabeu, it was not inconceivable that Sneijder would have had to sacrifice his spot on the national team if he stayed with Madrid.

The downside for him, other than having to relocate to different country, city, and culture, is in the tactics. Real Madrid was a very good fit for Sneijder. Capable of playing world class football as an attacking midfielder or in a wider, more traditional winger’s role, Madrid’s formations typically allowed Sneijder multiple ways to get involved in the attack. Not on the level of somebody who could take over matches, Sneijder was always complemented by players who could put him in position to display his talents, of which there are many.

At Internazionale, things will be very different. Getting Sneijder allows José Mourinho to entertain the idea of switching back to his favored formation: two wide players in attack, one central striker. To this point in the season, Internazionale had been playing Samuel Eto’o and Diego Milito in a two striker formation with a diamond in the midfield to support. This tactical choice was made in part because Inter needs both Eto’o and Milito on the pitch (they don’t have a ton of other players who will contribute goals) and part because they do not have the depth in wide players to play Mourinho’s preferred tactic. Now that changes.

If Mourinho wants to play two wide, we can deploy Sneijder and Mario Balotelli with Eto’o or Milito pushing the line. He could also go unbalanced an play Eto’o slightly wider than Milito with Sneijder playing a true winger’s role. Still, while Mourinho could entertain going back to this formation, it would still require him to play one of this strikers in a unfavorable position.

That’s why most people have speculated Sneijder will play the top of the diamond, a place that would solve some problems for Internazionale though take Sneijder away from his best role. Moved in from his best, wide position, Sneijder would improve on anybody else Mourinho can put in the attacking midfielders, supporting role. Sneijder is an adept enough playmaker, and his threat at the edge of the box would be best utilized in this deployment. The question is whether the diminutive Dutchman possesses the physicality to last i that position over the course of a Serie A season and a Champions League run. Long term, he may be able to develop that stamina, but it could be much to expect him to instantly be Internzaionale’s Diego.

Sneijder would be shoe-horned into the role, but it’s Inter’s best option, as they don’t have the players to play José’s favorite formation. That says a lot about the lack of depth and versatility in Inter’s midfield. Sneijder instantly becomes their best (possibly only creator), forcing him to a central role. A team with Inter’s aspirations shouldn’t have to do this. They should be acquiring Sneijder to play him wide, in his natural, best position. Note that may still be the case, but right now, it looks like this will be a need acquisition.

Ultimately, Juventus is the better team. That’s not to say Inter can not retain the Scudetto. They move closer to Juve on talent with Sneijder’s acquisition. The question is whether they are close enough for José to win them the league.