World Cup 2010: Netherlands

World Cup 2010: NETHERLANDS

FIFA ranking: 3

Overall World Cup record: 16-10-10

Coach: Bert van Marwijk

Best performance: Runner-up, 1974, 1978

Overview: Any team containing the likes of Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Mark van Bommel, Rafael van der Vaart, Robin van Persie and Dirk Kuyt, to mention only six players, is bound to be a contender and the Dutch, ranked third in the world, are definitely that. Their problem, historically, has been the strange ability to self-destruct, with the cause generally being internal feuding. The independent-minded Dutch players simply don’t jell well and that could spell another premature exit.

-- Grahame L. Jones