<p>Louis van Gaal has restored his reputation by leading the Netherlands into the World Cup finals, a decade after failing in the same competition with a highly-rated team. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The 62-year-old coach delivered the Dutch to next year’s finals in Brazil on Tuesday when they made sure of top place in Group D with a 2-0 win in Andorra -- their seventh triumph in eight qualifiers. <br /><br />The success puts Van Gaal back among the coaching elite after he had to spend years rebuilding his reputation following the failure to qualify for the 2002 finals. <br /><br />Van Gaal had been expected to deliver for the Dutch in 2002 with a talent-laden team at the peak of their powers. <br /><br />They had been European Championship semifinalists in 2000 and included Edgar Davids, Patrick Kluivert, Clarence Seedorf, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Edwin van der Sar. <br /><br />The team finished behind Portugal and the Republic of Ireland in their qualifying group, however, to tumble out in disappointing fashion. <br /><br />Van Gaal, who had built his name on multiple successes at Ajax Amsterdam and Barcelona, resigned after less than two years in the national team job. <br /><br />His long path to redemption came via a spell at provincial club AZ Alkmaar whom he led to the Dutch title in 2009, breaking a 27-year monopoly on the championship held by the country’s trio of top teams -- Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven. <br /><br />He went on to win the Bundesliga in a colourful spell at Bayern Munich before making a surprise return to the Dutch job last year, after the team had lost all three matches at Euro 2012 in Ukraine.</p>
<p>Louis van Gaal has restored his reputation by leading the Netherlands into the World Cup finals, a decade after failing in the same competition with a highly-rated team. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The 62-year-old coach delivered the Dutch to next year’s finals in Brazil on Tuesday when they made sure of top place in Group D with a 2-0 win in Andorra -- their seventh triumph in eight qualifiers. <br /><br />The success puts Van Gaal back among the coaching elite after he had to spend years rebuilding his reputation following the failure to qualify for the 2002 finals. <br /><br />Van Gaal had been expected to deliver for the Dutch in 2002 with a talent-laden team at the peak of their powers. <br /><br />They had been European Championship semifinalists in 2000 and included Edgar Davids, Patrick Kluivert, Clarence Seedorf, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Edwin van der Sar. <br /><br />The team finished behind Portugal and the Republic of Ireland in their qualifying group, however, to tumble out in disappointing fashion. <br /><br />Van Gaal, who had built his name on multiple successes at Ajax Amsterdam and Barcelona, resigned after less than two years in the national team job. <br /><br />His long path to redemption came via a spell at provincial club AZ Alkmaar whom he led to the Dutch title in 2009, breaking a 27-year monopoly on the championship held by the country’s trio of top teams -- Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven. <br /><br />He went on to win the Bundesliga in a colourful spell at Bayern Munich before making a surprise return to the Dutch job last year, after the team had lost all three matches at Euro 2012 in Ukraine.</p>
