Robben, Sneijder go where Van Basten and Gullit never went

CAPE TOWN - The Dutch generation of footballers around Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten are widely considered to be on par with the golden generation of Johan Cruyff and Johan Neeskens.

But while the Cruyff and Neeskens generation managed to take the Oranjes to two World Cup finals in 1974 and 1978, (although Cruyff walked out on the team shortly before the start of the 1978 competition), the same feat was forever denied to the likes of Gullit, Van Basten and Frank Rijkaard.

Some 20 years later, another golden generation of Dutch players has emerged. Unlike the generation that came after Cruyff and Neeskens, the generation that includes Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben Tuesday managed to advance to the World Cup final.

A 3-2 victory against Uruguay saw the Oranjes gain their third final after 1974 and 1978, thus giving the players around Sneijder and Robben a success that Gullit and Van Basten never achieved.