The Sports Psychology Blog
This Sports Psychology blog, comes after a very physical and dirty Dutch side, are beaten by Spain in the World Cup final.
Football: Holland - Losing Ugly!
The World Cup is meant to be the stage by which the game of football develops and evolves. A visible forum of new ideas; theories; moves and formations. A means to transfer the best of the game from the top table to the grassroots.
Unfortunately, Dutch coach Bert Van Marjiwk took no heed of that notion. For him winning was everything. The only thing. No matter how. As long as the artful Spanish were stopped.
For years the Dutch have shot themselves in the foot at the big tournaments. Big egos and superior attitudes undermining their collective talent. The years of underachievement forged this hard on the eye philosophy.
Van Marjiwk created a united team. But the dark side of Dutch football still showed itself. This was not a team interested in the development of the beautiful game. Only winning at all costs. But that is not the sole purpose of football.
In seeking victory at all costs, Van Marjiwk sacrificed the free-flowing principles that made Holland everyones second favourite team. Was it a price worth paying?
