This article is written by me in Kolkatafootball.com published on 25.05.12, follow this link http://www.kolkatafootballs.com/euro_2012_story/index.html#4
Holland won the
1988 European Championship held in West Germany, beating former USSR in the
final by a clear 2-0 margin. Rud Gulit & Marco Van Basten scored for The
Orange side in the final. Marco Van Basten scored the most number of goals on
that tournament by scoring 5 goals individually. Marco van Basten shook off injury
worries to inspire the Netherlands to their first major title in a competition
that will forever be associated with his incredible volleyed goal in the final.
In 1988 Euro semi-final clash
against the West Germans, the Dutch side was trailing by a Lothar Mattheus
penalty with 15 minutes remaining. A
penalty by Ronald Koeman and an 88th minute winner by Van Basten put them
safely through to the final of Euro 1988. It was the first victory for the
Netherlands over West Germany for 32 years.
The Soviet
Union qualified as winners of Group A and overcame Italy 2-0 in their
semi-final to set up a return clash with the Dutch in the final. Rudd Gulit
scored the first goal for The Orange side in 32nd minute, Van Basten
doubled the lead in 57th minute & sealed the game. The Dutch
goalkeeper Hans van Breukelen later saved a penalty to keep the Dutch on top
but Van Basten’s goal was worthy of winning any tournament.
Marcel Van Basten was born in Utrecht,
Netherlands on 31st October 1964. He
is regarded as one of the greatest forwards of Europe of all time. Basten was
Known for his strength on the ball, his tactical awareness and spectacular
strikes and volleys. He got few great players like Rud Gulit, Frank Raicard in
his time, that is the golden generation of Dutch football.
In his international career(1983-1992)
he scored 24 goals in 58 matches for Holland. In his club football career he
scored 218 goals in 280 matches. He started to play for Ajax, he spent five
seasons(1982-1987) in there, scored 128 goals for them in 133 matches. In later
he moved to Italian club AC Milan, spent eight seasons(1987-1995) in there,
scored 90 goals for them in 147 appearances. There is a controversy regarding
his playing with AC Milan & withdrawing his name from 1994 World Cup. His
high profile career ended in 1995 as
a result of an injury suffered two years earlier.
He
was named the European Footballer of the Year three times (1988, '89 and
'92) and FIFA World Player of the Year in 1992.He was later the head coach of
Ajax and the Dutch national team.
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