Van Gaal emerges as Dutch star ahead of meeting with old foe, Argentina | Football News – Times of India

DOHA: In what would be passion taking on pragmatism, Argentina and Netherlands will play out one of the modern classics of football once again, when they meet to decide who goes on to the semifinals.
There have been differing journeys for both teams here at Qatar. While the Dutch have somewhat slipped under the radar, the South Americans have captured all attention, cornered all discussion as they have been literally carried by Lionel Messi, almost as if on a mission to deliver the trophy to Argentina. The idea is of eternity – the first World Cup since Maradona’s death two years ago, all pre-match talk happening incidentally on the second death anniversary of their former manager Alejandro Sabella, who was able to defeat the Dutch to the way to the final in Brazil eight years ago.
There’s none of that baggage that seems to be afflicting the Dutch though, there is a lightness to their endeavour here that is new and refreshing. History and the lessons – burden too — it brings were being dismissed in most off-hand manner by the oldest man in the fray here.

“The tournament is starting for us tomorrow, practically,” Louis Van Gaal, the 71-year-old coach, would tell us, and then add, “I don’t want to disrespect other countries that we have beaten here but Argentina now, and Brazil in the next round are the real opponents for us.”
The key component in the statement by a much-changed Van Gaal was the mention of “Brazil in the next round.” Essentially the much-travelled coach was saying that Argentina on Friday, would be just a traffic signal stop on way to their journey.
This Dutch shorn of superstars and prima donnas is relying on the collective and organization, and in the discipline instilled by Van Gaal, it gives them a fearsome edge. Memphis Depay described it best. “We all know his vision, his character,” he would say of his coach, “He is able to play with all kinds of stars and also a regular team, he has that mentality to win with both.”

If Messi is the undisputed star and hero of ‘the other’ team in Friday’s quarterfinal, it is clearly emerging that the Dutch manager has managed to posture himself as the team’s star and it is a much-changed Van Gaal that we are getting to see here in Qatar.
Nowhere is the battling, opinionated technician – almost an anti-Cruyff-ian, if ever there was one – of the past. Instead, the world saw a much-mellowed, easily smiling, jovial but also scathing version of the man. “My vision has evolved. I have evolved,but I have not changed,” he would tell us, shocked, disbelieving ones. “For the first time (in my career, since 2014), I decided to change my mind in football and that’s a new thing for me,” he said.
“I have more patience now than I used to have earlier. Like they say in Dutch, ‘Patience is good thing.'”
Someone asked him about Argentina winger Angel di Maria’s pre-match comments that Van Gaal was the worst manager he played under, during his short unhappy spell at Manchester United in 2014-15. Van Gaal simply played it out of the park. “Di Maria is simply a really good player,” he said, “At Manchester United, he had some personal issues, there was a break-in at his home, all that affected his fitness. It’s sad what Angel said, the things a head coach should say, but a head coach needs to take hard decisions.
Then he turned to Depay. “Here’s another player from the same time at Manchester United. (But) we kiss each other now. I would kiss him on the mouth, if he allows me, but I’m not allowed and that’s unfortunate” Depay would not know where to look, all he could manage was, “Not happening here, that’s for sure.”
It is clear Van Gaal has managed to take the edge off his players ahead of what he calls the “real tournament starting now.” He was also dismissing the baggage of history that this tie carries. “Football is very different now from what it was in 1998 or 1978,” he said when someone asked him about the great World Cup meetings between the two nations since 1974, the ’78 final to the 1998 classic. “It was a more open game then, it is no longer now. The football of today is very different.”
Of course, Van Gaal would nod at the massive Argentinian support here in Qatar. “Of course, they have 40,000 supporters and that’s a big difference. We just have 1,400 here, of which 400 are more than expected.”
Young Argentine Alexis Mac Allister, who’s having a dream come true being an integral part of Lionel Scaloni’s plans, was asked of their last World Cup meeting. “Of course, I remember the 2014 semifinal (in Sao Paulo),” the 23-year-old would say, “We were at home, sitting in the very spot since that is important.
Typically, he was asked about the Dutch star. “Van Gaal, as we know him, is a very respected coach, world renowned.”
Scaloni, youngest coach here at 44 to Van Gaal’s 71, would hold forth on the Dutch tactician’s views about football having changed, becoming more defensive oriented. “Of course, he is right. His team can defend as well as they attack. Some 20 years ago, it would be that only 4 or 5 players would attack but now it would be foolish to think that those who attack will not be used to defend.”
The question of how to defend those who attack had fallen to Van Gaal earlier. Typically, he would have the last word. “It would be very, very foolish to reveal (here) how to stop Messi.”