De Jong wants World Cup triumph

(GSM) – Netherlands midfielder Nigel de Jong believes the current generation of Dutch players can win the World Cup. De Jong insists the team can put the country’s past failures behind them and claim World Cup glory.

After beating Uruguay 3-2 on Tuesday, Holland have booked their place in their first final since 1978. And despite past failures which had seen the Netherlands leave the 1974 and 1978 final empty-handed, De Jong is staying positive on his team’s chances of winning the competition.

“That is right (having never won), but it is not a problem,” he said. “The energy we get from it is positive, not negative.

“Those teams in the past put Holland on the map. But that was 32 years ago. This is a new generation.

“We cannot go into the game with any memories of the past.

“This is our squad and our time. With all due respect, they had theirs.”

Netherlands are set to play the winner of tonight’s clash between European champions Spain and 3-time World Cup winners Germany in the World Cup final on July 11.