Netherlands vs. Colombia: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

With World Cup bids already sealed, two of the top teams in the world will meet in an international friendly on Tuesday when the Netherlands host Colombia. 

Colombia comes into this matched ranked No. 4 in the world in FIFA's rankings, while the Netherlands aren't far behind at No. 8. Both teams cruised in qualifying, with the Netherlands winning their group by nine points—winning nine and drawing one—while Colombia finished second in South America's qualifying, with only Argentina ahead of them.

This game has star power, two exciting brands of football and a bit of international intrigue. Let's break down this tasty friendly. 

When: Tuesday, November 19 at 2:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. GMT)

Where: Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Watch: WatchESPN

Key Storylines

The major disappointment in this contest is that Holland's star striker, Robin van Persie, had to withdraw due to injury. Van Persie already has 10 goals in 14 games across all competitions for Manchester United, so his loss is obviously a big one for the Netherlands.

Even at home, the Netherlands will be tested by a skilled and aggressive Colombia attack headed by world-class striker Radamel Falcao. The Colombians are fresh off of an impressive 2-0 friendly win over Belgium in Brussels, so the road trip shouldn't faze them. 

Falcao is the big name here, but Colombia is oozing with talent, as the team can also turn to James Rodriguez, Juan Cuadrado, Christian Zapata, Freddy Guarin and Jackson Martinez, among others, for moments of brilliance. 

Both of these clubs will fancy themselves as major contenders at this year's World Cup in Brazil, so this game should provide an interesting litmus test for where each country stands. 

Prediction

On one hand, the absence of van Persie will hurt. On the other, the Netherlands don't have to travel, and any team featuring Arjen Robben, Rafael van der Vaart and Kevin Strootman isn't to be taken lightly. 

There will be goals in this one, but in the end the home side will do enough to preserve the draw. Look for this game to end in a 2-2 draw.