STRASBOURG vs LENS (LIGUE 1)

 Throughout time, the Holland national soccer team gave out some truly outstanding players, most of them surpassing the status of Holland soccer stars and becoming famous on an international level. Here is an overview of Holland's all-time soccer stars that includes players such as Dennis Bergkamp, Johan Cruyff, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard or Marco Van Basten, players that have changed the way the game is played and marked their name in the international hall of fame. But enough blabber, let's get down to business:

 Soccer is famous among the layman by the name of ‘Football’. The term ‘Soccer’ has been derived from the word ‘assoc’ that in turn originated from ‘Association’. The game is basically about ‘playing ball with the foot’.

Today, football is played at a professional level all over the world, and millions of people regularly go to football stadium to follow their favourite team, whilst billions more watch the game on television. 

Since, soccer evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individual fans, local communities, and even nations; it is therefore often claimed to be one of the most popular sports in the world.

The game of soccer, played between two teams of 11 players each, is by far the most popular sports in the world. The game is played with a ball on a rectangular grass field with a goal at each end of the field. The object of the game is to score by manoeuvring the ball into the opposing goal. The team that scores the most goals by the end of the match wins. A game is officiated by a referee, who has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" and whose decisions are final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees. A standard adult football match consists of two periods of 45 minutes each, known as halves. There is usually a 15-minute "half-time" break between halves. The end of the match is known as "full-time."

The contemporary history of soccer dates back to more than 100 years. It all began in 1863 in England, when rugby football and association football branched off on their different courses and the world's first football association was founded - The Football Association in England. Both forms of football have a common base and both have a long and intricately branched ancestral tree. After the English Football Association, the next oldest are the Scottish FA (1873), the FA of Wales (1875) and the Irish FA (1880). Strictly speaking, at the time of the first international match, England had no other partner association against which to play. The spread of soccer outside of Great Britain, mainly due to the British influence abroad, started slow, but it soon gathered momentum and spread rapidly to all parts of the world and today it is an undeniable truth that the game has die-hard fans all over the globe.

Scholars might have conflicting views on the origins of the game and the influences that certain cults may have had on its evolution, but one thing is absolute truth: football has flourished for over a thousand years in diverse rudimentary forms, in the very region which we describe as its home, England and the British Isles.

Football is governed internationally by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). The most prestigious international football competition is the World Cup, held every four years. More than 190 national teams compete in qualifying tournaments within the scope of continental confederations for a place in the finals. Since 1900, Summer Olympic Games also holds a football tournamnet. After the World Cup, the most important football competitions are the continental championships, which are organised by each continental confederation and contested between national teams. These are the European Championship (UEFA), the Copa América (CONMEBOL), African Cup of Nations (CAF), the Asian Cup (AFC), the CONCACAF Gold Cup (CONCACAF) and the OFC Nations Cup (OFC).

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Holland Soccer Stars – Johan CruyffCruyff is considered THE most important Dutch soccer player of all times and he gained legendary status wherever he played, be it for Ajax Amsterdam, FC Barcelona or even Feyenoord. Cruyff is also considered third in a list of the best all times soccer players, following Pele and Maradona closely (some even say he was over Maradona, as Maradona had feats of brilliance combined with poor games, whereas Cruyff kept a high standard for himself all throughout his career). He redefined modern soccer as we know it with his game style and vision on the pitch and many football specialists agree that Johan Cruyff was one of the smartest and most calculated players ever to feel the grass of a soccer stadium.

Holland Soccer Stars – Ruud GullitGullit was one of the most important Holland soccer stars during the 80s and 90s and he was amongst the first to define the "complete midfielder". That meant that he could play almost any position in midfield his coach would place him in, from a defensive role to a supporting playmaker or an attacking midfielder. Together with Marco Van Basten and Frank Rijkaard, he succeeded in bringing Holland their first international cup ever, winning the 1988 European Championship.

Holland Soccer Stars – Frank RijkaardTogether with Gullit and van Basten, Rijkaard formed an internationally renowned midfield triangle for both his club, AC Milan and his national side. Based on this triangle, AC Milan had a tremendously successful period, winning the European Cup (today's Champions League) twice and the Serie A championship on two editions. The same success soon came on at national level as well, as Holland won the 1988 European Championship with a team based on the three magnificent players. Although Frank Rijkaard didn't stand out as much as Ruud Gullit or van Basten, since he had a more defensive role in the squad, but playing alongside his two "side-kicks" he would form an unstoppable midfield for any team.

Holland Soccer Stars – Marco Van BastenAlthough no one can reach Johan Cruyff's throne as the most important Holland soccer star of all time, van Basten came close enough and definitely closer than anyone else could. His tremendous career at Ajax and AC Milan as well as his goals for the Holland national soccer team made a lot of people see Cruyff's successor in van Basten. Unfortunately, after several successful seasons with AC Milan and winning the European Championship with his home country in 1988, van Basten suffered a career-ending injury at one of his ankles, when he was just age 30.

Holland Soccer Stars – Dennis BergkampDennis Bergkamp was part of a particular group of strikers: those guys that seem harmless 85 minutes of the match, only to blast the other team into oblivion for the remaining 5. Bergkamp will probably remain known in the history book of soccer by three things: his fear of flight that didn't allow him to join overseas matches, his incredible goals (fewer than many other strikers, but definitely more artful) and his loyalty for English side Arsenal London, for whom Bergkamp played for 11 seasons.