Dutch masters
The Dutch footballing philosophy, already very much in vogue, received a further boost with several of the country's coaches steering sides to Germany 2006. When Marco van Basten took the helm of the Netherlands national team, his decision to rebuild the side prompted plenty of debate. Most of the Oranje were starring in the world's top leagues and few saw the need for wholesale changes but Van Basten felt differently. He assembled a squad of players who, in the space of a few short months, went from being virtual unknowns to household names. Andre Ooijer, Khalid Boulahrouz and Romeo Castelen, among others, played key roles in the coach's daring strategy, which paid off spectacularly with a first-place finish in a tough Group 1 of the European Zone.
The former AC Milan star was not the only Dutch coach working wonders from the bench. Guus Hiddink and Leo Beenhakker also performed minor miracles with their respective sides on distant shores. Already revered for leading Korea Republic to the last four at Korea/Japan 2002, Hiddink showed he still had the touch by leading Australia back to the FIFA World Cup™ finals after a 32-year absence. The Oceania side, who had lost out in play-offs for the three previous finals, secured their berth in Germany thanks to the Dutchman's coaching acumen and some inspired individual displays from, among others, goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, who saved two penalties in the decisive shootout against Uruguay in Sydney.
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Beenhakker's achievement was perhaps even more surprising. He took the reins of Trinidad and Tobago with the tiny island nation rooted to the bottom of the CONCACAF final qualifying group. Less than a year later, he led them to a historic first qualification for the FIFA World Cup finals.
