Experts pick Dutch to win cup final

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33579, 6 July 1974, Page 42

Experts pick Dutch to win cup final

<N.Z P.A.-Reuter—Copyright > MUNICH. I lelmut Schoen and Rinus Michels, rival coaches of the West German and Dutch teams, put their players back to work in training camps yesterday before their World Cup soccer final in the Munich Olympic Stadium tomorrow.

With a day of rest and easy-paced workouts behind them after bruising contests on Wednesday, the coaches planned more serious training and study of their opponents’ strategy.

The West Germans have already moved to the Munich area, and revelled in the sunshine at the Gruenwald Sports Centre on the outskirts of this city, which is the home base of six of their key players. This move was guaranteed to ease the players’ pre-final tension. Confident team The Dutch, on the contrary; left all their problems at home and reporters have found their camp bubbling with relaxed confidence. So pleased are they with their quarters at Hiltrup, in the Ruhr area, that they have delayed their 400-mile journey to Munich until today. Most discusion centred on whether the Netherlands’ undoubted flair can overcome West Germany’s fighting spirit and home ground advantage. While the Dutch, in the final for the first time, have looked the best team in the tournament, West Germany has proved in its last two matches that it has the will-

! power to find a way out of ■ trouble. Against both Sweden and [Poland, the West Germans i recovered from shaky firsthalf displays and went on to victory in the second half. Both matches were played on rain-sodden surfaces and left no doubts about West German stamina. Whether the Dutch have similar powers of recovery, particularly after Wednesday’s exhausting encounter against Brazil, remains to be seen. The Netherlands seems certain to be without the left wing R. Rensenbrink, who has pulled a thigh muscle and is unlikely to recover before the final. But. the midfield star, J. Neeskens, knocked unconscious in the first half and substituted late in the match against Brazil, should be fit to play a decisive role in the final. Dominant role Neeskens has so far had a more influential role in the Netherlands’ march to the final than his colleague, J. Cruyff, the world's No. 1 footballer. Although Cruyff has sometimes been crowded out in the hurly-burly of physical clashes his quality remains undoubted as he showed by making one goal and scoring the other against Brazil. Most expert opinions favour a Dutch victory on Sunday. The Argentine midfield player, C. Babington, one of the best South Americans seen at these championships, said: "The Dutch have been simply brilliant as a team and are clearly superior to the West Germans on their present form.” Brazil and Poland meet today to decide third place.