So, which team was better in your opinion? Considering depth, star players, managers, tactics, the way they played?

Holland 98
--------------van der Sar----------
Reiziger---F. de Boer---Stam---Numan
---------Seedorf---Davids---Cocu------
-------R. de Boer---Bergkamp-------
----------------Kluivert-------------

Manager: Guus Hiddink
Subs: Overmars, van Hooijdonk, Zenden or Winter among others

Germany 2006
--------------Lehmann----------
Friedrich---Mertesacker---Metzelder---Lahm
---------Ballack---Frings---Scweini------
Schneider-------------------------Podolski
----------------Klose--------------------

Manager: Klinsmann
Subs: Borowski, Kehl, Nowotny, Kahn

Sorry if I didn't get the formations right, it's been a long time since I've seen those play anyway.

It was a long time ago, but I do remember (and did some checking) that Holland keep changing system and line up. It was all over the place, changing every game.

Against Belguim they played 343 something like this

----------------Numun------Stam--------De Boer

De Boer----------Winter------Seedorf-----Cocu

----------Hasselbaink--------Kluivert------------Overmars


Kluivert got sent off, so for the next game Bergkamp came in. Davids and Jonk came in for Seedorf and Hasselbaink and it became 361 (lol) with a midfield 4 and then two supporting Bergkamp. I dont remember who played where.

Next game Reiziger came in.

KO stages, they went to a back 4 and played 4411 without Kluivert or any natural striker.

Next game same formation again but with Kluivert.

Next game Zenden came in randomly without hardly playing.

Anyway, I think Holland had better individuals, but Germany where the better team. Holland in their group struggled, they drew 2 games and yes, they did smash Korea and in the KO stages beat Argentina (thanks to that Bergkamp wonder goal) but they were not as good as the players quality suggested they should be.

They did do well vs Brazil when they got eliminated, but so did that Germany, to a slightly better Brazil too IMO, one less reliant on Ronaldo.

I agree with most of what you say. On paper, Holland was probably one of the best teams - solid defense (prime Stam and de Boer), great midfield (although Davids and Seedorf were still young) and a very in-form Kluivert as a striker with Bergkamp behind him - in both WC 98 and in EURO 2000, but failed to reach the final in both after being eliminated at penalty kicks in the semi-finals.

Germany had a mix of young players like Podolski, Mertesacker, Lahm and Schweini and more experienced ones as Ballack, Frings or Schneider who had already led the team to the 2002 final. They probably were a better unit, but they were also playing at home in that World Cup.



Minor correction: Germany were eliminated by Italy in the 2006 semi-finals.

Edit: Sorry for that quote, I'm still kind of new in this forum, don't know how to fix it.