Dutch winger is Robben his opponents blind

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This article was published 05/07/2010 (5936 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk took a calculated risk when he brought an ailing Arjen Robben to South Africa, but that gamble has paid off.

Since his first appearance as a substitute in the last group match, Robben has looked every inch the match-winner. He is now expected to be a key man in Tuesday’s semifinal with Uruguay in Cape Town.

The former Chelsea and Real Madrid winger’s rapidly balding scalp makes him look older than his 26 years. But his skill, direct running and wicked shot reveal a player approaching the peak of his career.

Robben has winner’s medals from the English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga and the German Bundesliga. This year he was a Champions’ League finalist with Bayern Munich and was voted the best player in Germany. But Robben has had more than his fair share of injuries, and when he pulled up with a hamstring problem during a World Cup warm-up match, it appeared the curse had struck again.

Van Marwijk, knowing how crucial Robben is to the attacking options of a Dutch side that favors a more cautious approach, brought him along in the hope he would recover. And recover he did.

The Bayern Munich man made an instant impact when he came on for the last 20 minutes of a meaningless final group match against Cameroon.

The Dutch were huffing and puffing at 1-1, when a trademark Robben move handed them victory. He cut inside from the right and cracked a left-foot shot off the post, leaving Klaas Jan Huntelaar with a tap-in.

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Then, he did the exact same thing to Slovakia.

Slovak boss Vladimir Weiss said it was simply a case of Robben being too good.

"We were preparing for three days for Robben, for his way of playing but he is an absolute genius," Weiss said after the game.

— McClatchy Newspapers