Dutch coach spells end of samba football

REUTERS - Dutch style and Brazilian flair no longer have a place at major tournaments such as the World Cup, Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk said on Thursday.

"I know the Brazilian team played beautiful football...so did the Dutch but there is no more space for 'total' or 'samba' football these days," Van Marwijk told a news conference.

"The sport has changed and everything goes faster. Players are fitter and teams better organised so you can't display that sort of football any longer at a World Cup."

The two sides meet on Friday at the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium in Port Elizabeth for the first quarter-final.

The Dutch are on a run of 12 straight competitive wins. Brazil have registered three wins so far in South Africa and were held to a 0-0 draw by Portugal in the final group-stage match.

"We are both teams with our own style of playing and never adjusting to the opponent and might give a good match," Van Marwijk said.

"These days Spain is the team that plays the best football although during the World Cup they have also had phases when they couldn't play their own game.

"Normally I really enjoy their football but now they have problems with creating chances and I believe they created less than we did."

The Dutch have no injury worries for Friday's game and Van Marwijk said they were not afraid of Brazil.

"We don't fear them and believe we can beat them. They have their worries about us and maybe more then we know."