By Steven Green

Another year and another transfer window. Throughout the month of January clubs all over Europe frantically try to conduct business, and whilst some gain significant firepower, others lose crucial cogs in their machine. It’s a brutal month for managers and fans alike, but there is a certain type of club that it usually spells doom for: The selling club.

Like a baton that nobody wants, the notion of being a selling club is usually placed on small to midsize provincial sides, which after a short period of sustainability in their domestic league have been deemed ripe for the harvest as larger sides cherry pick the highest performers (it’s also worth noting that any team can be classed as a selling club, but for the sake of continuity we will go with this definition).

By Gordon Fleetwood, writing from New York

Tomorrow in the Serra Dourada Stadium in Goiânia, these two juggernauts of world football will clash once again. Their last meeting just under a year ago in the World Cup in South Africa was not a classic, but it was memorable for the Dutch fight back which saw them book a place in the semifinals. Now, Brazil have a chance for revenge - albeit one that is sugar-free - on home soil.

Since that heart-breaking loss to the Dutch in Port Elizabeth, the Selecão has gone through a number of changes, the most important of which was the appointment of Mano Menezes as the new coach. Menezes’ first priority was to replace Dunga’s dour, defensive, counter-attack based football with the smooth passing game that the world has come to expect from Brazil.

The new regime has done fairly well so far, with four wins and two losses in their six games. However, these wins came against lesser teams, while the two losses were against fellow heavyweights, Argentina and France. A win over the Dutch would go far to relieving some of the pressure Menezes is currently under. The squad for this game - as well as the following friendly against Romania - has a couple of new faces.  Henrique and Fábio of Cruzeiro are included, along with the Rio-based duo of Thiago Neves and Fred, both of whom make their return to the national team after long absences. Notably exclusions include Hernanes and Ganso. The latter is recovering from an yet another injury. Reports say that Menezes is planning to go with three forwards, which hints at all out attack. This is the Selecão’s first home game in Brazil since their 6-2 demolition of Portugal at the end of 2008, and they will be looking to repeat that performance in front of the home fans. 

Like Brazil, the Netherlands has tried to move away from the defensive, bruising tactics that they adopted in the World Cup that went against their nature. Unlike their South American counterparts, the Dutch did this without a coaching change. Bert van Marwijk retained his job and has begun to bring back the beautiful football expected from the Netherlands. The success of this is evident from their results since their loss to Spain in the World Cup final. In the nine matches since that game, the Oranje won eight times and drew the other. However, this record is in danger with the number of key players missing from the flight to Brazil. Wesley Sneijder and Rafael Van der Vaart are absent, as well as Mark van Bommel, Theo Janssen, and Maarten Stekelenburg. Even with these missing players, van Marwijk still has a lot talent to call upon with the likes of Robben, van Persie, and de Jong all making the trip. This game is the Netherlands first against a fellow football giant since the World Cup, and they will surely be eager to prove themselves. 

Brazil and the Netherlands have met on Brazilian soil before in a friendly in 1999. That day an exciting 2-2 draw was the result. Hopefully, tomorrow will produce a similar game. The record between the two countries now stands at 4-3-3 with Brazil holding a slim lead.

Probably lineups

Brazil: Julio César, Daniel Alves, Lúcio, Thiago Silva, André Santos, Lucas Leiva, Ramires, Elano, Robinho, Neymar, Fred

Netherlands: Krul; Van der Wiel, Heitinga, Mathijsen, Pieters; De Jong, Strootman; Robben, Afellay; Kuyt; Van Persie

By Eric Beard, writing from Barcelona with nostalgia

A few weeks ago, my girlfriend and I embarked on a wonderful little trip to explore the Netherlands for the first time. Amsterdam more specifically. Not knowing what to expect from Europe's sin city (nor knowing a single word of Dutch, 'hallo' aside), we both found ourselves delighted with the kindness of everyone we met despite the near frigid temperatures. We had left the sunny shores of Barcelona, however, we found a love for the Catalan lifestyle, especially when it came to Total Football. To many of the Dutch men and women we talked football with, there was a sense of pride in comparing their club, Ajax, with the Blaugrana. Some still avidly watch their club at the Amsterdam ArenA every weekend, while others have lost the fire for the 'Joden' because the complex of modern football has left them with the despair of knowing they'll never again have a team capable of winning the Champions League, or even as close to as good as the team of the 70s with Cruyff, Krol, and Rensenbrink.

Thanks to our Dutch friend Babette, who is a spirited Ajax club member as well as a sports & media student, we were able to take in the legendary Ajax experience against AZ Alkmaar at the Amsterdam ArenA with 50,000 other fans, while we also saw the football culture of the club everywhere throughout the city. Those four days in Holland inspired me, as the uniqueness of Ajax is something that needs to be appreciated. The club is not consistently playing in the Champions League, nor have they won the Dutch Eredivisie since 2004. Despite this perceived trip in mediocrity, they are still one of the best clubs in the world. Why? Well that is exactly what I will focus on in the first of my 3 part series capturing the Ajax experience.

The future. That's what the club, for better or for worse, is all about. Ajax is looking towards the future and it always will be. Walking into an Ajax store near Leidseplein square, I looked at the vast array of Ajax scarves. You know those rare moments when something, whether it be a person, a university, a club, or a company, defines itself so precisely with just one phrase? Ajax's phrase was 'Where The Legends Are Made.' I saw it, stopped and paused, simply staring at the truthful essence of that slightly overpriced scarf I probably wouldn't have bought had I known there were scarfs for 5 euro at the actual stadium.

However, I was caught gazing at the scarf by the Moroccan employee working.

He said, "You like Ajax?"

I responded, "They're not my team, but they're something special aren't they?"

"Oh, they certainly are. Follow me."

The employee took me into this sketchy backroom before I came to see a wall that might as well have been an alter to Ajax. In the middle of the wall there was an Ajax crest, but surrounding the crest were the signatures of Ronaldo, Ruud Gullit, Bergkamp, Suarez, Sneijder, and the list goes on. He told me the players used to come to the Leidseplein square to celebrate after winning a trophy, but now they do it in the Amsterdam ArenA because it's too dangerous from all the drunk fans. Then he told me the whole Moroccan national team had been at the store a few weeks before. I asked if it was for a friendly, though I couldn't recollect Holland playing them. Then he proceeded to show me his jersey signed by Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh. "No, they won their game. So they came here to party." Of course.

But looking through the names I saw on that wall reminded me Gordon Fleetwood's recent AFR article trying to mathematically prove that the Ajax team in the 70's with Cruyff was the best in the world. Ever. Obviously Gordon's debate sprouted from the constant murmurs that this Barcelona side is the best ever. I don't care so much for those comparisons, but seeing all these names that had left Ajax, I thought it was important to recognize Ajax for what they do better than anyone else, maybe even Barcelona. And that is consistently create the future stars of football. Appropriately, Ajax's academy has taken the name De Toekomst (The Future).

Sitting in the Amsterdam ArenA with Babette and my girlfriend the next day, about an hour before kickoff, we began talking about the world class players that have passed through the ranks of this club in recent years. Does Ajax's reputation deserve to be perceived as second-rate simply because it is located in a country with just over 16 million people in a league that cannot financially match those in England, Spain, Germany, and Italy? Not at all.

If Barcelona have a star coming through La Masia or even Barça B, then that player will never be sold unless there is a truly exorbitant amount of money involved. What if Ajax had the power Barça had to hold on to everyone they produce? How strong would the squad, as a culmination from the past 5, 6, or 7 years be? Here is what Babette came up with:

(bold are still at club, italics are who would be in my personal starting XI. Van der Vaart would be winger in 4-3-3.)

Forwards: Luis Suarez, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar

Midfielders: Rafael Van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder, Ryan Babel, Steven Pienaar, Nigel De Jong, Christian Eriksen, Lorenzo Ebecilio

Defenders: Maxwell, Thomas Vermaelen, Cristian Chivu, Zdenek Grygera, John Heitinga, Hedwiges Maduro, Urby Emanuelson, Gregory Van der Wiel, Jan Vertonghen 

Goalkeepers: Maarten Stekelenburg

Not to open pandora's box with countless hypothetical situations, but when Ajax's squad is put into this sort of perspective, not even some of the best clubs in the world could compete. Ajax's role in modern football is now as a club that consistently creates the next generation. The future. 200 players, ages 7-19, make up Ajax's academy. Their youth system, though criticized by many for targeting players as young as 5, is undeniably the most effective in the world.

The system itself, as you can imagine, is all about technique. The little things. As Gregory Van der Wiel put it, “You do things again and again and again, then you repeat it some more times.” Johan Cruyff famously said, "Don’t run so much. You have to be in the right place at the right moment, not too early, not too late.”

Currently in Ajax's first team are 8 players (Stekelenburg, Van der Wiel, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Blind, Anita, De Jong, Eriksen, Ebecilio) who came through the academy. Some played there longer than others. Aras Özbiliz is another talent that's often included in the squad. The biggest talents coming through the ranks in the academy are Davy Klaassen (center attacking midfielder, U19's), Sneijder's little brother Rodney who plays for the Reserves, and the talented but not mentally strong striker Castillion. Others that will likely make the first team in the future are Jody Lukoki (made his debut already) (right winger), Ruben Ligeon (left back), Nicolai Boilesen (defender).

The signs of the academy are everywhere, even in the Amsterdam ArenA itself. Before the match, on the screens highlights of the youth and reserve teams are displayed. At halftime, the academy boys that help with the balls during the match play on a small 5-a-side pitch behind the goal in front of the Ultras, trying all sorts of skills that are applauded by the hundreds cheering them on. Just before the players walk out of the dressing room, one 9, 10, or 11-year-old in the academy juggles as many times as he can in front of the thousands supporting him in attendance. The kid that juggles the most at the end of the season gets to hang out with all of the first team players.

We were lucky enough to see a little 10-year-old Dutch boy juggle 436 times... his first try. Only Ajax.