Easy Match Tough Victory for Dutch Side

The easiest matches on paper are always the toughest for the Dutch national side. The match against Armenia in Jerevan was no exception. Coach Marco van Basten said afterwards the first half was abominable, while it looked as if the Dutch side was actually playing football in the second half.

The appearance of playing football in the second half did result in one brilliant play. On a pass from central defender Boulahrouz striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink headed the ball before the feet of Manchester United’s striker Ruud van Nistelrooy who turned away from his defender and in one stroke put the ball past the goalkeeper Berezovski of Armenia.

At halftime, however, Van Basten, the former striker for Ajax Amsterdam and AC Milan who made a fabulous goal in the 1988 European Football Championship in Germany, told the side, “…I also have gone through badly-played games. Of course, that created irritations and led to mutual support. You have to light a flame as that can help from time-to-time”.

The Dutch side entered the match on the assumptioun the Czech Republic would not have much trouble in their qualifying match against Rumania for the World Football Championship next year in Germany. The poor performance, however, was easily shrugged off upon learning of the 2 to 0 defeat of the Czech side by Rumanians.

That meant with three matches left in qualifying play, the Dutch side will also have to win two to qualify and that should be possible given their upcoming matches on Wednesday the 7th of September against Andorra and against Macedonia on 12 October. In that case, the side would end up in first place even if they lost to the Czech Republic on 8 October.

The Netherlands is first in Group 1 with 25 points in nine matches, while Rumania is second with 22 points in 11 games, the Czech Republic third with 21 points in 9 games, Finland fourth with 13 points in 9 games, Macedonia fifth with 8 points in 10 games, Andorra sixth with 5 points from 10 matches and Armenia last with 4 points from 10 matches.

European Champion Holland Off
To Good Start in World Baseball Championship

After defeating in eight innings the People’s Republic of China by 13 to 3 in the opening game on Friday of the World Baseball Championship and Sweden on Saturday by 18 to nothing in their second game, the national Dutch baseball team under Robert Eenhoorn faced on Sunday a formidable opponent in South Korea.

Playing in Rotterdam, the South Koreans got off to an early 1 to lead in the first half of the first inning. The South Koreans scored a second run in the top of the fourth and it seemed the fastball of pitcher Choi Sung Hun had the Dutch side under control. He made a fatal mistake in the bottom half of the fourth by throwing a curve which hung too long above the plate giving the Dutch batter enough time to pound out a double at the beginning of a short rally which resulted in one run.

Choi Sung Hun was then followed by nearly the whole pitching staff of the Korean team in an effort to withstand the slugging power of the Dutch, but to no avail as the Dutch went on to win 6 to 2 in nine innings. The winning pitcher was Diegomar Markwell who lasted seven innings giving up seven hits and two runs.

The Dutch will face Brazil on Tuesday. Pool A is led by the Netherlands with six points in three games followed by Cuba with two points in one game, Canada with two points in one game, Panama with two points in one game, Brazil with two points in two games, China with two points in two games and South Korea, South Africa and Sweden have yet to win. 5 September 2005