Advocaat applauds old guard

Dick Advocaat hopes that the young players in the Netherlands squad will draw a lot from training and playing alongside Clarence Seedorf. "He is the man with the creative ideas and solutions in this team," said the coach of his midfield player.

'Positive shine'
"When you first meet him you often find him to be annoying, and you have to control yourself not to say anything," Advocaat continued. "But Seedorf is a dominant personality in a positive way. He has a good heart and a very positive shine that you also notice in a match."

'Own opinions'
Advocaat first drafted Seedorf into the squad during his first spell in charge of the Netherlands. "I think he was 16 years old when we initially put him with the national team," said the 57-year-old. "I remember discussing Jari Litmanen's role within the [AFC] Ajax team. But he didn't agree and told me that as a youngster he had his own opinion, which was different."

Constructive criticism
Seedorf has since matured into one of Europe's finest midfield players, and last year became the first player to win the UEFA Champions League with three clubs - Ajax, Real Madrid CF and AC Milan, his current employers. Advocaat said: "Seedorf is keen to make discussion possible within the squad, something which has become easier now we have bonded here in Portugal. He's been a positive influence."

Squad spirit
The coach also praised Patrick Kluivert, the only Dutch outfield player not to have appeared at UEFA EURO 2004™, for his part in keeping morale high. "To keep disappointed players satisfied is the hardest thing there is," Advocaat said. "The fact that a top player like Kluivert, who is the all-time leading scorer for the Dutch national team with 40 goals, stays so positive is something to be proud of."

Defensive injury
The most-capped Dutch player of all time, Frank de Boer, will have another scan on his injured ankle today but is not expected to feature against Portugal in Wednesday's semi-final. If he is ruled out then Wilfred Bouma is likely to return. "There are other options," Advocaat said, "but I like to have a left-footed and a right-footed player in the centre of the defence." Jaap Stam is a definite starter.

Political support
The team today received a good-luck message from Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkende. "He wished us well and hopes we will stay here for another week which was nice of him," Advocaat said. "But I think he partly said it in self-interest because now all the Dutch press are in Portugal he will have a quiet time!"