De Boer poised for start

Impressive performance
The coach was impressed by De Boer's performance in the 3-0 Group D win against Latvia. "Frank had a fast striker playing against him, so I see no problem. He did very well. I have no doubts about his defensive qualities, and he is a slightly better passer of the ball [than Bouma]."

Larsson threat
Former Rangers FC defender De Boer is ready to start and has the advantage of having played against Sweden's ex-Celtic FC striker Henrik Larsson in Glasgow derbies. "I played against him a couple of times," De Boer said of Larsson, who with three goals is the competition's joint second-top scorer. "We lost both games 1-0 and he scored once from a scrambled effort. I know he can score from every angle, so I will have to concentrate for the whole game."

Sweden warning
De Boer warned his team-mates not to underestimate Group C winners Sweden. "From their first game against Bulgaria, they have played very well. They are a solid side with very good strikers." Striker Roy Makaay added: "They sent Italy home after the group stage, and that says a lot. You cannot say we are the absolute favourites for the match."

Credit to fans
Winger Marc Overmars praised the impact the orange-clad Dutch fans have had on the team. "It has felt like we have already played three matches at home, with all the orange-painted fans in the stands for the last three matches," he said.

Orange party
De Boer echoed those sentiments, saying: "For me personally, and for the rest of the team, the fans are really important. They are like our twelth man. They have behaved fantastically at this tournament. It is always a party during and after the match, and that is how it should be."

Advocaat wary
Advocaat hoped the party would continue after the Sweden game. "They have two or three key players up front, and the rest of the team plays to give them service. They work very hard as well," he said.