Dutch media outlet NOS, in an article titled “The Netherlands Must Beat Top National Teams,” argues that despite reaching the semifinals, the best European Championship performance in 36 years, the Dutch team needs to overcome a void: beating top teams.
Excluding the 2024 European Championship, the Dutch national team has participated in 10 European Championships, reaching the semifinals four times. Aside from their victory in 1988, the other three semifinal appearances ended with defeat. Therefore, the team’s performance in this tournament has been satisfying for the Dutch public. However, the Dutch team still needs to overcome another challenge: beating top-tier teams.
Since the 2020s, the Dutch team has played nine matches against some of the biggest names in football, including Italy, Germany, Argentina, and France, with a record of 0 wins, 4 draws, and 5 losses. Notably, they went 1-1-1 against Italy and Spain in 2020. In 2021, none of the Dutch team’s 16 opponents were considered top-tier.
In 2022, the Dutch team drew 1-1 with Germany in a friendly match and were defeated by Argentina in a penalty shootout after a draw in the World Cup. In 2023, the Netherlands suffered a double defeat against France, losing 0-4 away and 1-2 at home in the European Championship qualifiers. They also lost 2-3 against Italy in the UEFA Nations League. In 2024, the Dutch team lost 1-2 to Germany in a friendly match and drew 0-0 against France in the European Championship.
Overall, while the Dutch team has a decent winning record against weaker opponents, their long-standing inability to win against top teams has earned them a reputation for being “soft.”
When did the Netherlands last defeat a top team? It was on September 6, 2019, when they beat Germany 4-2 in the European Championship qualifiers. That was almost 5 years ago.
Focusing specifically on the European Championship, the last time the Netherlands defeated a top team was in the 2008 tournament, when they beat France and Italy, the 2006 World Cup champions and runners-up, in the group stage. Following this, in 2012, the Netherlands suffered a disastrous group stage, losing all three matches, including defeats against Germany and Portugal, both former champions. The Netherlands missed the 2016 European Championship and won all three group matches in the 2020 tournament. However, their opponents, Austria, Ukraine, and North Macedonia, were not considered top teams. The Netherlands lost their first knockout match against the Czech Republic. In this year’s European Championship, the Netherlands faced four opponents (Poland, Austria, Romania, and Turkey) who are not considered top-tier. The only match against a strong team was against France, which resulted in a draw.
The Dutch media has pointed out that, in Dortmund, the Dutch team faces a crucial task against England. A team with such a prestigious legacy as the Oranje must overcome the hurdle of not having won against a top team for so long.
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