Reuters File Photo

For a Talented Dutch Team,
Expectations Always Great
Despite having an abundance of talent, the Netherlands national team has a number of questions leading to this summer's World Cup. Two prominent players have questioned whether the Netherlands has the determination to challenge for the title. At left, Belgian Vincenzo Scifo (No. 10) duels with Dutch's Dennis Bergkamp during a qualifier in September.

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World Cup Highlights

Sixth time in World Cup finals (1930, '74, '78, '90, '94, '98)
Reached the final game of the World Cup twice (1974 and '78)
Reached quarterfinal in 1994 World Cup
Won the European championship in 1988 (was third in 1976)

First-Round Schedule

Day, Time (EDT) Opponent Site TV Saturday, June 13, 3 p.m. Belgium Saint-Denis ABC Saturday, June 20, 3 p.m. South Korea Marseille ABC Thursday, June 25, 10 a.m. Mexico Saint-Etienne ESPN

Complete First-Round Schedule

Tentative Roster

Pos. Name Age Club GK Edwin van der Sar 27 Ajax Amsterdam GK Ed De Goeij 31 Chelsea GK Ruud Hesp 32 Barcelona D Frank de Boer 27 Ajax Amsterdam D Arthur Numan 28 PSV Eindhoven D Michael Reiziger 24 Barcelona D Winston Bogarde 27 Barcelona D Jaap Stam 25 PSV Eindhoven D Andre Ooijer 23 PSV Eindhoven M Aron Winter 31 Inter Milan M Wim Jonk 31 PSV Eindhoven M Ronald de Boer 27 Ajax Amsterdam M Clarence Seedorf 22 Real Madrid M Philip Cocu 27 PSV Eindhoven M Giovanni van Bronckhorst 23 Feyenoord M Edgar Davids 25 Juventus F Dennis Bergkamp 28 Arsenal F Marc Overmars 25 Arsenal F Patrick Kluivert 21 AC Milan F Pierre van Hooijdonk 28 Nottingham F F Boudewijn Zenden 21 PSV Eindhoven F Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink 26 Leeds United

Road to France

Won Lost Tied GF GA 6 1 1 26 4 How Qualified: First place in UEFA Group 7

Date Result Oct. 5, 1996 Netherlands 3, Wales 1 Nov. 9, 1996 Netherlands 7, Wales 1 March 29, 1997 Netherlands 4, San Marino 0 April 2, 1997 Turkey 1, Netherlands 0 April 30, 1997 Netherlands 6, San Marino 0 Sept. 6, 1997 Netherlands 3, Belgium 1 Oct. 11, 1997 Netherlands 0, Turkey 0

Facts and Figures

Knight-Ridder/Tribune
Location: Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany
Population: 15.5 million (1995 estimate)
Capital: Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government
Comparative area: Slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Religions: Roman Catholic 34 percent, Protestant 25 percent, Muslim 3 percent, other 2 percent, unaffiliated 36 percent (1991)
Landscape: Mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land; some hills in southeast; often called Holland, though this name actually refers to only one part of the country; in English-speaking countries, the people of the Netherlands are known as the Dutch