World Cup 2014 Latest News: Did Holland Become Cup Favorites After Spanish Route?

Before Holland opened their World Cup campaign against Spain, there were a lot of critics questioning how strong this Dutch team was. Inexperience and some “aging stars” were at the top of the concerns for fans of the “Oranje.” It seems as though those questions have been silenced after the Dutch absolutely dismantled holders Spain. So the question now remains, is this Dutch team good enough to win the entire tournament?

Of course it may be premature to discuss a topic such as this one, but it is hard to overlook a result that made the world take notice. Holland was absolutely dominant. Whatever questions there were about the age of Arjen Robben, Robin Van Persie, and the inexperience of the rest of the squad were put to rest.

As the Dutch set to face off against the last placed team in the tournament, they could very well book their place in the Round of 16 before playing their third game. Besides Germany, Holland provided by far the best performance the tournament has seen so far and will be a team that no country wants to meet once the knockout stages commence.

Robin Van Persie scored what will probably be one of the best goals of the tournament, while Arjen Robben was up to his old ways, using his pace and pristine touch to evade every Spanish defender that dared challenge him. They looked strong in defense too, preventing Iniesta and Xavi from creating anything menacing over the ninety minutes.

Louis Van Gaal had his men executed their game plan to perfection, and they will need to play at the top of their game if they want to have a chance of lifting the golden trophy at the Maracana. But if I were to put my money (based on what we have seen thus far) on any team other than Germany, it would be the Dutch.

Spain was definitely not at the top of their game last Friday, but they do not get beaten 5-1 by chance. Holland was good, very good. Though hard to predict if a team will make it far into the tournament, especially this early on, look for the Dutch to continue their dominance through group play. There are no guarantees from there, but after their most recent performance, it will be hard to bet against the Dutch.