Allgemeines » the busy Victor Wanyama in midfield.But a m

A sea of bright Netherlands orange illuminated a most unlikely place.Back in 2008, the nation with about 16 million people at the time, in an area roughly half the size of Indiana, played for the Olympic gold medal in womens field hockey. Its opponent was the host nation, China, which boasted a population of about 1.3 billion.One would never have guessed those numbers, judging by the crowd. It was largely filled with orange, the standout color on the Netherlands uniforms. The Dutch won, and Beijing seemed more like Amsterdam, Rotterdam or The Hague.There was orange everywhere, said Max Caldas, an assistant coach for that team who now is the mens head coach. We are very proud about our colors and very proud to represent the country.The small nation between Belgium and Germany has put up big field hockey results for nearly a century, and the sport holds a significant place in its culture. The Oranje men have won two Olympic gold medals and three World Cups. They won their first Olympic medal, a silver, in 1928 in Amsterdam. The womens team is ranked No. 1 in the world and is seeking its third consecutive gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. It has won the World Cup a record seven times, with the first title coming in the inaugural event in 1974. No other nation has won more than twice.Field hockey trails only soccer in interest in the Netherlands. The nations hockey federation said some 253,000 people play club hockey there -- roughly one in 67 residents.They see the national teams playing up close, they can mimic and copy, and you see a huge amount of success from that model, said Craig Parnham, the U.S. womens coach who lived in the Netherlands and speaks Dutch. Success breeds success.Several factors have helped the nation overcome its small population.The Netherlands, among the worlds wealthiest nations per capita, has committed significant resources to the advancement of the game, starting at the youth level. Australia mens coach Graham Reid remembers playing in the Netherlands, back when there were about 40 artificial surfaces in the country, a huge number at the time. Now, the nations hockey federation said the country has 880 artificial surfaces -- a massive number for such a small nation, and important because of the way the sport beats up grass fields.Theres a lot of money in the sport over there, which allows them to develop training programs, to develop things that help develop players and the player base, participation numbers, Reid said.The way the teams play grab attention, too. Their aggressive style of play influenced the total football style the Dutch soccer team used to finish second at the 1974 mens World Cup. In total football, versatile players seamlessly switch positions, allowing the team to maintain its organizational structure.The nations mens and womens sides are known for successful penalty corners and well-placed passes. For example, in the 2008 Olympics, Maartje Paumen led the womens tournament with 11 goals, all on penalty corners. No other player scored more than five goals in the tournament.Reid used fanatical, almost to describe the way the nation develops technical skills.Dutch hockey are trailblazers in the way they play, said Caldas, who coached the Netherlands women to gold in 2012. Always had very creative players. We always had a great penalty corners, best in the world for men and the women. Thats a part of our DNA.Four former womens International Hockey Federation (FIH) players of the year -- Naomi van As (2009), Paumen (2011, 2012), Ellen Hoog (2014) and Lidewij Welten (2015) -- are on the current roster for a nation that has had six different winners. Even with the individual success, the teams rich tradition keeps the stars focused on the big picture.Each player has a different ability, Netherlands womens coach Alyson Annan said. Each player can do something that some girls cant. They learn and identify and share with each other, and when someone is weaker at something than another, they fill the gaps for each other.On the mens side, Robert van der Horst was the FIH player of the year last year. In the past, Teun de Nooijer won three times and Stephan Veen won twice for the Dutch.To have a nation like that produce so many great hockey players is quite phenomenal, Reid said.---Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter (at)CliffBruntAP Fake Adidas NHL Jerseys . -- Devin Hester is done returning kicks in Chicago. Authentic NHL Jerseys Cheap http://www.cheapnhlcustomjerseys.com/ . Andreas Johnson had a goal and two assists while Jacob de la Rose also scored for Sweden (2-0-0). Esa Lindell and Rasmus Ristolainen replied for Finland (1-1-0) Lindell opened the scoring for Finland just 41 seconds into the game, but the hosts quickly regained their composure and tied the score less than four minutes later on Wennbergs first of the game. Stitched NHL Jerseys .com) - The Montreal Canadiens embark on their first road trip of the season as they head out west to battle the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. NHL Jerseys From China . The team said Saturday that Lopez was hurt during its 121-120 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Friday. The Nets said they would issue another update next week after consultation with their doctors. An early Juventus blitz has given the Italian champions a winning end to their tour of Australia, defeating Tottenham 2-1 at the MCG.Golden boy Paulo Dybala was in the thick of Tuesday nights action, scoring the opener and looking a class above in an extended run for the Argentine international.Despite substitute Erik Lamelas 67th-minute strike, Medhi Benatias header after a quarter-hour proved to be the the winner.Tottenham unveiled new signings Vincent Janssen, who made little impact in his hour-long debut, and the busy Victor Wanyama in midfield.But a makeshift defence was Spurs undoing, with both Juventus goals coming from calamities at the back.Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino fielded an inexperienced back four, with only right-back Kieran Trippier boasting English Premier League minutes.They were ruthlessly exposed inside the opening 14 minutes, with England youth international centre-back Dominic Ball melting down.Roberto Pereyra caught the 20-year-old in possession, playing in countryman Dybala who emphatically finished a one-on-one chance against Michel Vorm after five minutes.ddddddddddddDybala was in the mood, troubling Vorm with a swerving shot shortly after.When the resulting corner wasnt cleared, Ball hesitated before clearing straight to new signing Miralem Pjanic.The Bosnian internationals chip-cross found fellow new boy Benatia, meeting the ball with a looping header that gave Vorm no chance.In contrast to the Spurs shambles, Benatia composed the Juventus defence magnificently in his first outing for his new club.After the break, it was Juventus turn to stumble.Wanyama won the ball from a dithering Hernandes, setting up Lamela who fired past Neto for the consolation.A combined total of 17 second-half substitutes opened the match up but the EPL side could not find a second, despite late chances falling to Lamela and Shayon Harrison.Juventus will head to Hong Kong for another friendly, while Tottenham will end their International Champions Cup campaign on Friday against Spanish side Atletico Madrid. 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