Tuesday, 3 September 2013 - 04:30
Sneijder Back In Orange
National team coach Louis van Gaal has called for Wesley Sneijder for the upcoming matches of the Dutch national team in the World Cup qualifiers against Estonia and Andorra . The midfielder is replacing Georginio Wijnaldum in the selection, who can’t lay because of an ankle injury.
The choice for Sneijder is remarkable. Van Gaal even said on Friday that the playmaker of the Turkish champion was still not fit enough for a comeback in the national team . "Wesley is on the way back, but to really get fit you need seven weeks," said van Gaal, who apparently was anticipating on the international matches next month against Hungary and Turkey. "In fact I am not helping Wesley now by getting him back in the Dutch team. He must now train very much at his club to be fully fit . On ball possession he is already on a good level, but losing the ball is a point of attention," said Van Gaal.
After Wijnaldum disappeared from the field, due to his injury, the coach sees apparently no better substitute than Sneijder, who makes an eager impression this season at Galatasaray . Van Gaal could also have chosen Marco van Ginkel or Adam Maher way from the Junior team.
Sneijder is determined to shine with Orange at the World Cup next year in Brazil. Van Gaal repeated a few times that ‘a fit Sneijder in good shape, is very difficult to deal with’.
The 93-time international started the qualifying round of Orange on the way to the World Cup as captain . Coach van Gaal took him off the selection during the training trip earlier this summer in Asia. "He must be fit," said Van Gaal about the midfielder which he didn’t invite for the friendly match against Portugal 3 weeks ago .
Sneijder didn’t like to hear about that decision through the media . Van Gaal responded in turn furiously when he heard of the reaction of his former captain. When Sneijder makes his comeback on Tuesday morning in Orange for a training, the two have all the time to discuss the mutual irritations.