Davids the Toast of Amsterdam
Copyright � 2000 Nando Media
Copyright � 2000 Agence France-Presse
AMSTERDAM (June 8, 2000 6:31 p.m. EDT http://www.sportserver.com) -
Four years after being sent home in disgrace from Euro 96, Edgar Davids is tipped to be the Dutch side's most influential player at this summer's finals - and in a sense the image of the tournament.
A huge poster of Davids has been plastered on the
Netherlands' tallest office building as part of the Dutch
celebrations of Euro 2000.
Construction of the image, the size of the Statue of
Liberty, took a month to complete.
Davids is seen from the back and the front, creating the
impression he is storming through the 150-meter tall Rotterdam
office of insurer Nationale-Nederlanden.
The image shows panes of glass flying as Davids chases a
ball that has crashed through an adjacent 90-meter tower.
It is apt for a player who seemingly runs through walls,
buildings and flying glass to chase soccer balls.
Johan Cruyff, the greatest of all Dutch players, once
suggested the Netherlands' biggest failing was its occasional
lack of will to win and its inability to fight back when
behind.
Davids, nicknamed Pitbull, would probably argue with that.
His work rate, combativeness and tackling in the center of
the Dutch midfield is second to none.
Add to that the vision and precision to pick out runners in
attack, and the Netherlands has what other coaches can only
dream of - a playmaker who battles.
Davids does not score many goals but, when he does, he does
so in style. He opened his Dutch account against Yugoslavia in
the World Cup in France, blasting in a winner in the 90th
minute.
His second, in a friendly against Argentina, was just as
stunning, but that game exposed Davids' weakness - a tendency
to be dismissed.
Davids is no thug, but his high volume of tackles and his
ferocious commitment make him vulnerable to red and yellow
cards. Solve that weakness and Davids could prove the difference
between a near-miss and a triumph for the Euro 2000 co-host.
The situation now is in stark contrast to the last European
Championships in England, when the dreadlocked firebrand was
expelled from the squad after criticizing then-Dutch coach Guus
Hiddink and his relationship with some of the more senior
players.
Two years later the prodigal son, distinctive on the field
for wearing special protective goggles following surgery for the
eye disease glaucoma last year, was back in the Dutch side,
turning in some blistering performances at the World Cup.
Davids was named in a World Select XI at the end of the
World Cup, and more accolades could be heading his way at Euro
2000 - provided he stays on the right side of the law.
