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Dutch deliver at the death
Traditionally blessed with individual talent, it could be
argued that it took until their final EURO 2004 qualifier
for the Netherlands to finally show the potential of their
current crop of stars.
Van Nistelrooij hat-trick
Having been pipped to automatic qualification from Group 3
by the Czech Republic, following on from failure to make the
2002 FIFA World Cup, Dick Advocaat's side then found themselves
beaten 1-0 by Scotland in Glasgow in the first leg of their
play-off. But it was a different story four days later in
Amsterdam as Wesley Sneijder and André Ooijer quickly
put the Dutch ahead, and a Ruud van Nistelrooij hat-trick
and Frank de Boer header sealed a 6-0 victory that suggested
the 1988 winners could repeat that triumph in Portugal.
Fluid lineup
Edwin van der Sar was the regular goalkeeper for Advocaat,
but in front of him was a fluid lineup, Either a 3-5-2 or
4-4-2 could be used - in Scotland they started with the latter
and switched to the former- but with touches of the 'total
football' that is a national trademark. At right-back, Michael
Reiziger, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and André Ooijer
were all used, with the experienced Frank de Boer and Jaap
Stam in the middle, sometimes with Reiziger. Phillip Cocu
and Boudewijn Zenden were used as left-backs.
Midfield talent
Edgar Davids, Andy van der Meyde, Mark van Bommel and Cocu
and wingers Clarence Seedorf, Zenden and Marc Overmars were
all among midfield players used from an enviable pool of options
available to Advocaat, with Welsey Sneijder also forcing his
way in late in the qualifiers to fine effect. Rafael van der
Vaart, who was still a teenager when the qualifying campaign
began, also forced his way in, and was even used as an attacker.
Striking options
That promotion was impressive, as the Dutch were able to call
on Ruud van Nistelrooij, Patrick Kluivert, Roy Makaay and
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink as striking options. Van Nistelrooij
and Kluivert led the line most commonly, though both found
themselves dropped at points during the campaign as tensions
became strained during the occasional setbacks.
Prague defeat
Indeed it all went wrong in Prague against the Czech Republic,
as on the quarter-hour Davids was dismissed for fouling Karel
Poborský and Koller converted the resultant penalty.
Poborský doubled the lead before the break, and although
Van der Vaart pulled one back on 60 minutes, Milan Baroš
scored in the final seconds to condemn the Dutch to the play-offs,
regardless of their 5-0 win at home to Moldova.
Back in form
Alarm bells then rang when losing 1-0 to a James McFadden
goal in Scotland, but the second leg was a different matter,
and Van Nistelrooij's hat-trick was proof positive than when
on form, there are few nations that can match the Netherlands.
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