Canadian-born midfielder Jonathan de Guzman plays for the Netherlands in 5-1 rout of Spain, doesn’t really shine, takes Twitter criticism

While Canada isn't in this World Cup (and hasn't made it to any World Cup since 1986), there are still plenty of players with Canadian connections competing. Some, like Iranian defender Steven Beitashour, play for Canadian-based clubs; others, like Bosnia and Herzegovina goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, spent time in Canada and played for Canadian teams at times, but chose the country of their birth instead. The players who stir the most controversy are those who were born and raised in Canada but opted to play elsewhere, though, and Dutch midfielder Jonathan de Guzman (who originally hails from Scarborough) is one of those. de Guzman started for the Netherlands in their 5-1 destruction of Spain Friday, but wasn't terribly effective, notching just 20 passes while flying into numerous tackles dangerously, conceding two fouls, earning a yellow card and being replaced in the 62nd minute. That led to plenty of Twitter criticism of him, especially in Canadian soccer circles:

It wasn't just Canadians less than thrilled with de Guzman, though:

So, we'll see how much playing time de Guzman gets going forward. It's interesting that three of the five Dutch goals came after he came off; substitute Georginio Wijnaldum wasn't necessarily much better, though, recording 11 passes and one shot but not really creating a ton of chances. Still, this was less than a stellar World Cup debut for de Guzman. He's impressed at other levels, though, finding success with Feyenoord in the Netherlands, Mallorca and Villareal in Spain and Swansea in the Barclays' Premier League (where he currently plays), and he is coming off a hamstring injury from a training session in early June. He's far from an established regular in the Dutch side, though, making his debut for them just in 2013 and earning only 11 caps for them thus far. A less-than-stellar showing like this might persuade them to go in a different direction.

How did de Guzman wind up playing for the Netherlands, especially with his older brother Julian playing for Canada? Well, the younger de Guzman went to train at Dutch club Feyenoord in 1999 when he was 12, and stayed there through 2010. Both Canada and the Netherlands courted him, and he initially vacillated, but chose to make himself available for the Dutch U21 side in 2008 shortly after gaining citizenship there. (This went over poorly in Canada, especially as he appeared on national TV shortly before that and said he hadn't decided yet; it also reflects some of the challenges Canada faces in developing elite soccer players, as even success doesn't mean they'll necessarily play for your country.) de Guzman played for the Netherlands at the U21 championships that year, but didn't receive a call-up to the full side until last year. Now he's playing in the World Cup. We'll see if he's able to maintain his spot in the Dutch side, but if he is, their performance today suggests they could go far. Further success for de Guzman isn't going to be met with cheers from many Canadian soccer fans, though.