Johannesburg: Real Madrid midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart says that the Netherlands deserve respect for reaching the final of the World Cup.
The Oranje will strive to win the World Cup for the first time in their history when they take on Spain in the final in Johannesburg on Sunday. The Netherlands reached the final in 1974 and 1978 but lost on both occasions.
Looking ahead to the final, Dutch midfielder Rafael Van der Vaat, who has appeared sparingly in the Netherlands' World Cup campaign in South Africa, said that they deserve to be respected for making history of their own.
"This team is on a 25-game winning streak and deserves respect. We are much more solid than in Germany 2006," he said, according to Real Madrid's official website.
"We try to play well, but it isn't always possible because some opponents don't allow us to. We are not a defensive team and have never changed the way we play. We have played well."
"The Dutch national teams of '74 and '78 are legends who have had a lot of influence on us, but this group is making its own history.
"We want to win the World Cup. We have been confident since day one and have never thought otherwise. There is only one match left. We never doubted ourselves when we got here six weeks ago. We knew we had a chance. We have players who play for the best teams in Europe."
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