First-half strikes satisfy Dutch
Wednesday, 30 March 2005
First-half goals from Romeo Castelen and Ruud van
Nistelrooij earned a 2-0 win against Armenia that kept
the Netherlands at the top of FIFA World Cup
qualifying Group 1.
Netherlands players celebrate scoring against Armenia
Czech challenge
With the Czech Republic temporarily moving above the
Dutch thanks to their 4-0 victory in Andorra earlier
in the day, Marco van Basten’s team knew that only
three points at the Philips stadium in Eindhoven would
be enough to return them to the summit. The home team
made the perfect start as Castelen gave them an early
lead, before Manchester United FC striker Van
Nistelrooij effectively sealed the win just past the
half-hour.
Late adjustment
Van Basten was forced to change his team shortly
before the match when Hamburger SV defender Khalid
Boulahrouz pulled out with a hamstring injury.
However, the Dutch scored after 38 seconds in
Saturday’s 2-0 win away to Romania, and also began at
breakneck speed tonight, with the breakthrough not
long delayed again.
Castelen celebrations
To the delight of the home PSV Eindhoven captain Mark
van Bommel was heavily involved as, from his
third-minute corner, club-mate Philip Cocu –
Saturday’s early scorer – had a header blocked but
Castelen was on hand to bundle in his first
international goal from close range.
Shahgeldyan shot
Undaunted, the visitors rallied and might have drawn
level in the eleventh minute as Armen Shahgeldyan’s
shot from outside the penalty area was blocked by the
legs of Netherlands goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.
Cool finish
However, visiting goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky was by
far the busier of the two custodians, but was
powerless to prevent Van Nistelrooij doubling the
advantage in the 34th minute. Again Van Bommel was at
the heart of the move, Van Nistelrooij collecting his
pass before rounding Berezovsky and rolling the ball
into the empty net.
Further chances
The Dutch might have increased their advantage in the
second 45 minutes, Berezovsky doing well to deny Van
Nistelrooij his second and the home side’s third,
while a Joris Mathijsen header was cleared off the
goalline and Giovanni van Bronckhorst struck the
crossbar with a long-range strike.
Romanian test
The win was already assured, however, and Van Basten’s
players moved on to 16 points from five games,
maintaining their one-point lead over the Czechs.
Third-placed Romania are the Netherlands’ next
visitors, on 4 June, when Armenia – who stayed sixth –
play F.Y.R. Macedonia, the side immediately above
them.
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