>Hi Peter,
>
>>[snip]
>>>Well, holland might be small, but you're talking about 16 million people + x million from suriname (A former dutch colony: Quite a few good players came from there). Physically the dutch people are the tallest people in the world (avg above 1.85 m for males), so arguable also the strongest. Soccer is
>>[snip]
>
>>This can not be said about our soccer players. In almost all matches against other countries the opponents are taller and stronger on the average. This is because our emphasis is on technique and that quality is more prone in smaller players.
>
>Wel of course I never stood there with a measuring tape, but I never thought that players like Kluivert, Gullit, van basten, van nistelrooi, kieft, Ronald and Frank de boer, robben were less tall or strong than their opponents. Is there any hard data available anyways ?

Statistical info is hard to get. I found a list of smallest internationals: a.o. Davids, Sneijder, Overmars, Sikora, de Jong, Zenden, all smaller than 1.74. However, an indication can be the number of goals that are made from corners. It is my impression that many opponents are more dangerous with corners than we are.

>BTW, the match of last night against andorra, we definately were taller and stronger on the
>average :)

I suppose so. The Spanish are indeed not taller than we are. Meaner, yes, although some of us can also be quite mean. I think the red card was justifyable. :)