One of the co-authors of Soccernomics, Simon Kuper is also an expert on Dutch soccer. On this edition of the World Cup Buzz podcast, I talk to Simon about the romance surrounding the Oranje, when we learned about the team from Euro 2008, and whether he feels a suspect defense and hold up in South […]

Last year, I was lucky enough to do a fabulous series on English football legends, which saw me delve back through history to cover 11 players that perhaps never get the credit they deserve. Football is such a fickle sport that these days, people forget just how many great players passed through the annals before […]

Yesterday, I looked at the expectations we often place on international football. This got me thinking about the Dutch and their legendary Total Football era in the 70s. What does this mean to us today? Does Cruyff's legacy still influence world football? What do we want from our football? The Spain/South Africa match was on […]

Yesterday, I asked the question of implementing live video review in football. Today's question is: are our expectations too high for international football? I enjoyed your responses to yesterday's article. Please weigh in with your feelings on international football in the comment section below. It is easy to hold one's international side to an unfair […]

Marco van Basten told us Ryan Babel might just be the next Thierry Henry. And there have been some instances to suggest the 22-year-old could be on the path to greatness: Babel's 40 yard blast against Chelsea to give Liverpool a breath of hope in last year's Champions League semi-final. His arched rocket past Edwin […]

It's finally official, Rafael van der Vaart the Netherlands midfielder and Hamburg's captain is on his way to Real Madrid pending the results of a medical. The Bundesliga's own version of the Ronaldo affair has come an end. Although the clubs themselves have not released the details regarding the transfer fee, reports in the German […]

Fred Rutten isn't the only new Dutch manager in the Bundesliga, as ex-Tottenham Martin Jol took over the reigns of Hamburg earlier this month. It's been nearly 30 years since Jol's last appearance in Germany. He made 9 appearances for Bayern Munich as a midfielder in 1978/79 before returning to the Netherlands the next season. […]

This week we make the short trip west on the A40 from Dortmund past Bochum to Gelsenkirchen, home to Schalke 04 and their new coach, Fred Rutten. Much like his new Ruhr rival, Jürgen Klopp, Rutten has been a one club man for almost his entire 30-year playing and coaching career, all with FC Twente […]

The Guardian's Barney Ronay wrote an excellent article this week about ticket scalpers at Euro 2008. While in Zurich, I didn't see one scalper. But the minute I walked off the train in Bern on the day of the Holland against Italy match, there were scalpers everywhere. That day, I probably saw about 20-30 different […]

Here's a brief video I shot of the Dutch friends we made in Bern. It's one of those delightful football songs that's almost impossible to get out of your head after you've heard it. [display_podcast]

It was a night to remember for the Dutch and neutral football fans, and a nightmare Italian supporters will hope to soon forget. For those of us who were there at the stadium, myself included, it was by far the most entertaining match of the tournament and an incredible experience.Of course, the topic that everyone […]

Euro 2008 hasn't even started yet, but that hasn't stopped so many pundits who have been writing off Holland's chances of success in the tournament. The critics keep on pointing at the Dutch defense as a weakness, but what they're forgetting is the Oranje's power in midfield and up front.An integral part of that attack […]

I have an extra ticket to the Italy vs Netherlands game at Euro 2008 scheduled for Monday, June 9th in Berne, Switzerland. If you're interested, please email me privately at thegaffer[at]epltalk[dot]com before midnight on Monday, June 2nd with your name, passport number and postal address (UEFA is asking for the details in order to issue […]

EPL Talk will be at Euro 2008 bringing you a first-person account of what the atmosphere is like as well as the latest news and analysis. I'll be there for three days and have a ticket to the Italy against Holland match on Monday, June 9 in Berne, the Swiss capital. Depending on availability, I'll […]