The Netherlands entered this World Cup with the lowest expectations the nation has had for a major tournament since the 1960s. Golden generations have come and gone in Dutch football, yet the nation has never lifted the World Cup trophy. For years, the Netherlands squad has been more about big personalities and individual abilities than […]

Which team has the best odds to win the 2014 World Cup, and which teams will win in the semi-finals? Find out below. First, an update regarding how the odds are determined. Using Elo ratings (ER), an elegant metric for calculating current strength based on weighted recent relative performance, each match’s expected outcome was plugged […]

From 32 teams at the beginning of the 2014 World Cup, the tournament has now been narrowed down to the four teams that have qualified for the semi-final. Who will it be that will reach the final? Will it be . . . • Argentina • Brazil • Germany, or • Netherlands. All four teams […]

Netherlands qualified for the World Cup semi-final after defeating Costa Rica on penalty kicks. During the match, Wesley Sneijder hit the woodwork twice, but the Dutch were unable to score against a Costa Rica side who continued to play a high line and catch Netherlands in countless offside traps. In regulation time, the match ended […]

In the final World Cup quarterfinal, it's a David against Goliath match with Costa Rica battling against the mighty Netherlands. Don't underestimate Costa Rica, who have already shown that they can overcome teams such as Italy, Uruguay and Greece. Where to watch – The 4 PM EST/12 PM PST kick-off can be watched at – […]

There were not many pundits that expected the Netherlands to go this far in the 2014 World Cup. Pitted alongside the holders Spain and a vibrant Chile team, there was a sense that Louis van Gaal’s progressive Dutch side would fall just short in the group stage, but this campaign would make for the core […]

The Round of 16 is over, the optimism and joyous attacking play of the group stage have given way to the need for ruthless precision and unyielding determination. Though we saw teams depart the tournament in the group stage those are exits we could often see coming, make our peace and begin to figure out […]

The World Cup is well and truly into the business end of the competition. As the dust settles on the round of 16 there’s been no shortage of drama, controversy and talking points. The best South American side playing in yellow is not Brazil; Arjen Robben will be closely scrutinized after admitting his penchant […]

In February, FIFA President Sepp Blatter stated that diving would be taken seriously and that FIFA would use video evidence if needed to punish those who did it. Blatter stated: "Video evidence can be used for serious breaches of the principle of fair play such as brawling, spitting at opponents, verbal insults and racist slurs, or […]

Watch the following tactical analysis video to discover what changes Holland made during the game that had a profound outcome on the final result of the World Cup Round of 16 match. Controversies aside, there were several key changes that Louis Van Gaal made that changed the game as well as the change that backfired […]