06-19-2014, 01:22 AM
If you don't believe us:
History is on Australia’s side on Wednesday – Holland have failed to beat them in their three previous meetings – and they are also not short of inside knowledge on a nation that has influenced the Socceroos’ footballing philosophy for the best part of a decade, ever since Guus Hiddink was appointed manager in 2005. A year later, Hiddink, who will replace Louis van Gaal as the Holland manager after the finals in Brazil, took Australia to the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time in their history. Alongside Hiddink in the dugout was Johan Neeskens, the former Ajax and Barcelona midfielder. Hiddink departed after the World Cup finals in Germany but his legacy lives on in Australia. Robert Baan, another Dutchman, was appointed technical director at the end of 2006. Pim Verbeek, also from the Netherlands, later replaced Hiddink and took Australia to the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa. In between times, Jan Versleijen, who also heralds from the Netherlands, was put in charge of the federation’s national youth programme, and Han Berger, the former Holland under-21 coach, was named the new technical director. Australia, in short, know a fair bit about the way the Dutch operate.