The Dutch national team will face Argentina in the quarterfinals of the World Cup on Friday. The older Brabanders think back to 1978 when the Netherlands lost the final of the World Cup to the Argentinians after extra time. Ernie Brandts from Eindhoven was the starting point for this match. He still remembers the grim duel like it was yesterday. He also makes a quick appeal: he has lost that shirt he was wearing and he would like it back.
“I lent that shirt to a journalist from North Holland for an exhibition. Together with all kinds of other shirts from my career. But he sold them for lack of money. I tried to get them back, but that’s a difficult thing. I also don’t know who has the shirt now,” says Brandts, who played for PSV for years.
According to him, it concerns journalist Cor Mooij. When asked, he denies that the shirts were ever in his possession. “Brandts has been saying that about me for years. It was once in Studio Sport, they apologized a week later,” said Mooij on the phone to Omroep Brabant.
Brandts reacts furiously to Mooij’s words: “What a dick. Unfortunately, I have no proof on paper. I don’t have to meet him,” Brandts indicates. The journalist is done for him.
“We were so close with that ball on the post”
Apart from that missing shirt, Brandts does not like to think back to the World Cup final against Argentina either. “I still remember everything about that game, but I don’t like to be reminded of it. We were so close. If you see that ball from Rensenbrink hit the post in the last minute of the game. That post was just a little too thick or the The ball should have gone in a little more,” says Brandts. “A painful moment, second place doesn’t count.”
On Friday evening, the Dutch have a chance to win against Argentina, he thinks. “It will depend on whether Messi is in shape. When he is on the ball, he is deadly. But we also have to watch out for Rodrigo De Paul.”
“If we keep a clean sheet, I give us a good chance”
De Paul is the player who gives the most assists to Messi. “They are friends on and off the field. Messi runs 6 to 7 kilometers per game, but Rodrigo covers twice the distance. He ensures that Messi does not have to do anything defensively. The Netherlands must keep it compact, close together. Then we have definitely a chance to win. I have a lot of faith in Louis van Gaal,” said Brandts.
The discipline is good in the Dutch national team. “They execute it tactically exactly as Van Gaal wants. And there is a lot of scoring ability in the team. So if we can keep a clean sheet, I give us a good chance.”