De Guzman out of Dutch Squad
It’s probably pretty hot around his new digs at Mallorca right now, but Jonathan de Guzman must be feeling left out in the cold: Dutch national coach Bert van Marwijk has yet again passed over the Canadian-born midfielder for selection to the Netherlands’ senior squad. Van Marwijk named his 18-man squad today for the Netherlands’ August 11 friendly against the Ukraine, and the former Feyenoord man was nowhere to be found.
The omission seems like a huge blow to de Guzman’s hopes of every playing senior squad – the roster for the Ukraine match is bereft of the stars that came within a Spanish whisker of winning the World Cup earlier this month. There is, of course, the argument to be made that de Guzman’s omission is due, in part, to a lack of match-fitness due to an injury-hampered campaign with Feyenoord last year. But de Guzman is currently fit and healthy, so – especially being preseason, when no-one is quite match fit – if the Dutch were still interested in the Scarborough, Ont., native, they’d call him.
The reality is that de Guzman appears unable to make the Dutch senior squad – even one custom-built to give youngsters (including the fantastically named Ricky van Wolfswinkel) a look-in with the big-boy team. Combine that with a club move away from the Netherlands, which will make it all the harder to for de Guzman force a way into selection, and his prospects with the Oranje seem very slim indeed.
All of this begs two questions that Canadian fans have been grappling with since JDG2 first decided he “felt Dutch”: Would he answer a call from Canada? Does Canada want to call him?
What do you think?
(And, yes, I’m intentionally dragging a dead horse out of its grave so we can all beat the crap out of it again. So what?)
July 29, 2010 at 5:27 pm
It would take a lot of balls on his part to come back. I’m sure Canadians would forgive him eventually.
July 29, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Use your media skills to suggest to Stephen Hart that he give Jonathan a call. Doesn’t have to mention playing for Canada, just be friendly
July 29, 2010 at 6:00 pm
“Hi Jono, it’s Steve… No, not that Steve. Stev– Stephen Hart. …yeah. No, I know, my accent confuses everyone…Me? Oh, nothing, just uhhh, just wondering if anything was new with *you.*”
July 29, 2010 at 7:08 pm
Exactly!
“Hey, if you’re going to be in Canada anytime soon, how about we go for a drink? You can bring your brother, I’ll bring Peter (Montopoli), it’ll be fun!”
July 29, 2010 at 7:11 pm
Stephen Hart seems like the second-last Canadian Stephen I can imagine going by “Steve”.
July 29, 2010 at 6:43 pm
That isn’t necessarily true. If JDG2 has a great season for Mallorca than he will be back in the picture. Not saying that will happen, but could.
July 29, 2010 at 9:21 pm
That’s true. But he’s have to have one HELL of a season.
July 29, 2010 at 7:11 pm
Some Canadian Guys Writing About Constant False Hope and Inevitable Disappointment.
July 29, 2010 at 9:22 pm
Yeah: But we call it “Canadian Soccer.”
July 29, 2010 at 7:23 pm
[...] to play for the national teams of England or the Czech Republic or Bosnia or the Netherlands (well, maybe not the Netherlands). Has it occurred to us that the reason Canadians seem to think in droves that European teams and [...]
July 30, 2010 at 3:05 am
I think that we should get Marc Bircham to talk to him. Bircham didn’t even know he was Canadian and have never been to Canada before he suited up for the national team. Or Perhaps Marcel de Jong who now doubt feels “Dutch” given that he was born and raised in the Netherlands. Or perhaps our cricketing hero John Davison who was born in Vancouver and raised in Australia with Australian parents could give him a call.
My point being that there are a lot of people that felt more something else than Canadian, but have answered the call and represented us well.
The plain facts are this, unless JDG2 exceeds his pre-injuries hype in Spain his best chance for playing in a World Cup is with us.
July 30, 2010 at 7:51 am
“The plain facts are this, unless JDG2 exceeds his pre-injuries hype in Spain his best chance for playing in a World Cup is with us.”
Pompey Canuck laying the smack down!
July 30, 2010 at 12:02 pm
I still don’t get why you guys call it “soccer” in north America?
This is football!
July 30, 2010 at 12:05 pm
YES, give him a ring and get him into the lineup of the Canadian NT.
It would be childish for anyone to hold a grudge against the poor lad. He made a decision that’s backfired but bottom line is he is a player that would help the NT, so we need to have him.