Van der Sar: Netherlands lack quality for World Cup push

Edwin van der Sar feels that the Netherlands lack the overall quality to make an impact at next month’s FIFA World Cup.

The Netherlands reached the final four years ago, only to lose 1-0 to Spain after extra time.

Louis van Gaal’s men will meet Spain again in the group stages of the 2014 tournament after being drawn alongside the holders as well as Chile and Australia.

The Dutch squad is much changed from the one that reached the showpiece in South Africa, with Van Gaal – set to leave the post after the World Cup to take over at Manchester United – opting to select an array of youngsters.

A total of 13 players aged 23 or under were included in Van Gaal’s provisional 30-man group and Van der Sar, who featured in two World Cups for the Netherlands, is not expecting the Dutch to catch the eye in Brazil.

“We are in a little bit more of a difficult time now, we don’t have the 10 or 11 world-class players in our team – we have maybe three or four and they are getting older,” Van der Sar told FIFA.com.

“So it’s about time that the young Dutch generation pick up the laurels from the older ones and hopefully can achieve, first with their clubs and then the national team, a little more success than over the last three or four years. No, three years, as four years ago we were in the final.”

Van Gaal’s main selection dilemma surrounds who to pick as the first-choice goalkeeper, with Newcastle United’s Tim Krul, Swansea City’s Michel Vorm, Jeroen Zoet of PSV and Ajax shot-stopper Jasper Cillessen all vying for the spot.

And Van der Sar, now a marketing director at Ajax, has backed Cillessen to win the battle.

“I think Jasper Cillessen. He plays for Ajax and came into the team this year and has played three or four times for the national team,” Van der Sar added.

“He’s looked good as a young goalkeeper, he’s very good with his feet, that’s something that Ajax and the Dutch team need as we always try to involve the goalkeeper in keeping possession.

“He has the ability, I think, to retain the position for the World Cup finals.”