Holland 3-0 Latvia

Wednesday 23 June 2004
7.45 - Porto (Bessa)

Holland claimed their place in the quarter-finals, as a comfortable win against Latvia was combined with a German defeat by the Czech Republic.

Qualification confirmed
Ruud van Nistelrooij scored twice and Roy Makaay added a third six minutes from time, by which time the Czechs were beating Germany. The Netherlands finish second in Group D, two points ahead of Germany, and meet Sweden on Saturday. Latvia's debut ends with a single point.

De Boer in
As expected, Dutch coach Dick Advocaat made two changes from the side that lost 3-2 against the Czech Republic, bringing in Michael Reiziger at right-back to replace the suspended John Heitinga, while Frank De Boer made his first start of the tournament for the injured Wilfred Bouma, his 111th cap. Aleksandrs Starkovs kept faith with the same Latvia eleven who started the draw against Germany on Saturday.

Lively start
It was the first time these two countries had met and the Netherlands went on the offensive straight from the kick-off. Within a minute Van Nistelrooij headed a Giovanni van Bronckhorst throw-in into the path of Clarence Seedorf on the edge of the Latvian penalty box, but the shot was high. Maris Verpakovskis demonstrated his lightning pace at the other end, outstripping De Boer and Jaap Stam before firing a shot into the side-netting.

Kolinko saves
Phillip Cocu tested Latvia goalkeeper Aleksandrs Kolinko on 12 minutes with a powerful shot from just outside the area, but the FC Rostov man got down smartly to turn the ball round the post. A minute later, Van Nistelrooij should have opened the scoring after a sumptuous pass from Arjen Robben had put him straight through on goal, but having rounded Kolinko he somehow contrived to hit his shot back into the goalkeeper's chest.

Netherlands ahead
His next opportunity was altogether easier to convert when on 26 minutes Vitalis Astafjevs was adjudged to have tripped Edgar Davids in the box. Van Nistelrooij stepped up and coolly slotted the ball low into the corner of the net for his third goal of the tournament.

Van Nistelrooij again
With news filtering from the stands that the Czech Republic had equalised against Germany, the Dutch players gained even more zip and doubled their lead. A free-kick from Seedorf wide on the left was met by Cocu at the back-post and his downward header was nodded over the line by Van Nistelrooij, who joined Wayne Rooney as joint top scorer in the finals so far.

Latvian chances
Latvia came out of their defensive shell at start of the second half and went close on two occasions. On 47 minutes, Andrejs Prohorenkovs combined well with Verpakovskis, but his shot was comfortably saved by Edwin van der Sar. Rubins went close again two minutes later when he cut in from the right but his effort deflected wide.

Celebrations begin
Van Nistelrooij could have had his hat-trick just after the hour mark but his low shot was saved by Kolinko. His team then thought they had scored a third on 73 minutes when Seedorf tapped the ball over the line after Kolinko had failed to deal with a Cocu free-kick, but the referee ruled that an infringement had taken place before the ball crossed the line. Not that it mattered. By now everyone in the stadium knew that Milan Baroš had put the Czech Republic ahead against Germany and the icing on the cake came with Makaay's goal six minutes from time after a superb jinking run by Robben.

Goals: van Nistelrooy 27(p), van Nistelrooy 35, Makaay 84

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