Netherlands vs Estonia live stream soccer video online on HD TV
Date:22/03/13
Time:20:30
Venue:Amsterdam
Status:LIVE
Netherlands Details:
Qualification history
After competing in both the 1934 and 1938 editions, Netherlands did not appear in a FIFA World Cup™ final tournament until returning in style in 1974. Despite finishing runners-up both then and in 1978, they missed out in 1982 and were again left on the sidelines four years later, a disappointment that was repeated ahead of Korea/Japan 2002, when they were pipped by Portugal and Republic of Ireland to a place at the first Asian edition. They have not slipped up since and the generation of players which reached the UEFA EURO 2008 quarter-finals followed a faultless path to South Africa 2010, winning all eight of their games along the way. They thus headed into their ninth finals full of confidence, as their performances on South African soil duly revealed.
FIFA World Cup finals history
With legendary coach Rinus Michels pulling the strings from the bench, Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens and Co won their way through to the Final in 1974, only to lose out to the hosts. Four years on, their revolutionary Total Football again took them to the showpiece, but history repeated itself as they suffered another defeat to the host nation, succumbing 3-1 in Buenos Aires. The Oranje then experienced Final heartbreak for a third time in Johannesburg, coming within four minutes of taking Spain to penalties before Andres Iniesta crushed their dreams.
The current crop
Continuity is key for Netherlands, with the side that shone in South Africa being kept together for UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying and ready to target a place at Brazil 2014. Their style has remained consistent too, the spectacular football of previous generations having been shelved in favour of a more pragmatic approach. The likes of Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben add their own touches of individual magic to the mix.
The key players
The Oranje boast a bewildering array of talent on paper, especially in attack, where Sneijder, Van der Vaart, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Ibrahim Affelay, Dirk Kuyt and Robben can all make the difference. At the back, Giovanni van Bronckhorst has retired, but Gregory van der Wiel, John Heitinga and Joris Mathijsen provide equally stout resistance.
Coach: Louis Van Gaal
Best performances in a FIFA competition: FIFA World Cup Germany 1974, Argentina 1978, South Africa 2010 (Runners-up), FIFA Futsal World Cup Netherlands 1989 (Runners-up), Men’s Olympic Football Tournament London 1908, Stockholm 1912, Antwerp 1920 (Third place), FIFA U-17 World Cup Peru 2005 (Third place)
Former stars: Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, Dennis Bergkamp
Estonia Details:
Qualification history
Estonia took part in their maiden qualification campaign as an independent nation ahead of the 1994 FIFA World Cup™ in USA, though the team managed just a single point in ten matches. Four years later and the eastern Europeans enjoyed improved success, registering their first-ever competitive victory against Belarus (1-0) in October 1996.
The preliminary competition for Korea/Japan 2002 saw Estonia collect two wins and two draws, but their best qualifying performance to date was undoubtedly en route to the 2006 edition in Germany, when they recorded five wins, two draws and five defeats. Ahead of the 2010 edition in South Africa, the team were unable to reproduce that form and finished fifth in their group.
The current crop
Estonia have not featured at any major international tournaments since the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament in 1924, a stat they will very keen to lay to rest at Brazil 2014.
Key players
Captain Raio Piiroja and Ragnar Klaven are well established on the international stage, but Estonia's biggest star is unquestionably Andres Oper, the country’s record goalscorer with 36 strikes.
Current coach: Tarmo Ruutli
Best performance in a FIFA competition: None
Former stars: Mart Poom, Sergei Terehhov, Arnold Pihlak
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