Player Focus: De Vrij's World Cup Displays Will Have Impressed Potential Suitors
With the World Cup now over, attention turns to the transfer window and the return of the domestic season across Europe. The Russian Premier League kicks off in just 17 days, while Ligue 1, the Championship and the Eredivisie all begin within a month. The latter league may well be light on a number of top performers given the recent history of English sides signing the best players from Holland's top tier. Jan Vertonghen and Christian Eriksen have excelled for Tottenham Hotspur, Wilfried Bony performed impressively in his debut campaign with Swansea, while Ron Vlaar has become an Aston Villa fan favourite since joining from Feyenoord in 2012.
This month alone, Southampton have raided Twente and Feyenoord respectively to import Dušan Tadić and Graziano Pellè, as they aim to cover the losses of Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert, with Premier League teams tapping into the Dutch market ahead of the upcoming campaign. One who may end up making the move to England’s top tier before the close of the transfer window is Stefan de Vrij. The 22-year-old enjoyed an impressive World Cup for Netherlands, with his WhoScored rating (7.90) the highest of every centre-back to make at least 2 appearances.
The youngster was integral to an Oranje defence that helped the national team to a 3rd place finish after an impressive rearguard performance in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Brazil. De Vrij won the WhoScored man of the match award with his rating (8.75) pipping teammate Georginio Wijnaldum to the top spot. His display against the hosts capped off what has been a commendable outing in South America for the Feyenoord youngster, who formed a solid bond with Vlaar, Bruno Martins Indi and, when needed, Daley Blind in Louis van Gaal’s 3-man defence.
In fact, such were the displays of De Vrij and Vlaar that both feature in WhoScored’s World Cup 2014 highest rated XI, highlighting how well the pairing played. As a result, the duo have been the subject of intense speculation regarding their future. While there is a risk with signing a player on the back of an imperious international tournament - Liverpool acquiring Salif Diao and El Hadji Diouf on account of Senegal's impressive showing at the 2002 World Cup a prime example - the two defenders were able to limit the goalscoring opportunities of their opposition, which will stand them in good stead.
De Vrij, though, could possibly be seen as the more lucrative investment. At 22, the centre-back has proven his credentials for his country and having made his senior debut with Feyenoord in 2009, the young defender has proven his worth for the Rotterdam-based side in the last 5 years. De Vrij, coincidentally, succeeded Vlaar as club captain in 2012, though was stripped of the armband following a poor run of form. Despite his potential, the time clearly was not right for him to skipper the team, though that isn’t to say he does not have the makings to reach the very top.
Only Pellè (7.96), Lex Immers (7.62), Jean-Paul Boëtius (7.43) and Jordy Clasie (7.34) earned a better WhoScored rating than De Vrij (7.31) of every Feyenoord player in the Eredivisie last season, so his performances at Brazil 2014 come as little shock to those who have overseen his progress. However, it was his time with the national team this summer that has caught the attention of neutral supporters.
Arjen Robben (8.37) was the only Dutchman who secured a better WhoScored rating than De Vrij (7.90) in football's elite competition. Van Gaal’s side conceded just 4 goals in 7 games and much of that was down to the centre-back. Of the 608 players to partake in the competition, only 27 made at least 1 last man tackle - one of those was De Vrij, that coming in the 0-0 quarter-final draw with Costa Rica.
His ability to assess the situation and cover ground was essential in a match that eventually ended with a penalty shootout, which saw Netherlands progress to the semi-finals. While they fell in the final stretch against Argentina, this time the victims of the spot kick, De Vrij was integral to their 3rd place finish.
Only Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano (30) made more tackles than the Dutchman (26) at the competition as De Vrij displayed his defensive quality. Mentally, his reading of the game rivals that of a seasoned professional. De Vrij made the most interceptions (25) at the World Cup, while only Ezequiel Garay (70) and Vlaar (63) made more clearances than the Feyenoord ace (50).
Not only could he foresee potential danger, but when opposition attackers encroached on Netherlands’ goal, De Vrij was able to be in the right place at the right time to alleviate the pressure. It’s little wonder he has developed statistically calculated strengths of ‘tackling’ and ‘concentration’.
When needed, though, De Vrij is more than capable of playing with the ball at his feet. Only Dirk Kuyt (56.4) averaged more passes per game than the centre-back (54) of all Netherlands players and with a respectable pass success (85.7%), he can clearly keep the ball on the deck if his team aim to build attacks from the back. Furthermore, De Vrij proved he can carry possession forward, completing all 6 of his attempted dribbles, the most of every player with a 100% success rate at Brazil 2014.
Factor in that only Gary Cahill (90%) and Daniel van Buyten (88.5%) had a better aeriel success than De Vrij (85.7%) of the 45 centre-backs to win at least 5 aerial duels at the World Cup and the proof is there that he has the makings of a perfect all-round defender. Only Ajax (28) and Twente (37) conceded fewer goals than Feyenoord (40) in the Eredivise last season, so for club and country, De Vrij has proven to possess a defensive ability that will attract potential suitors.
Naturally, there is always a risk associated with signing players on the back of an impressive international competition, while acquiring stars from the Eredivisie is a gamble; Mateja Kezman and Alfonso Alves just two examples of how this can fail. However, De Vrij’s superb performances in the heart of the Dutch defence suggest he can adjust to the rigours of a new league should teams firm up their reported interest in the centre-back this summer.
How did you rate Stefan de Vrij's performances at the 2014 World Cup? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
