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Barcelona hat trick Netherlands top Denmark 3-0, reach quarterfinals
Posted: Friday June 16, 2000 06:37 PM
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) -- The Dutch survived some early alarms before cruising into the quarterfinals of the European Championship with a 3-0 beating of Denmark on Friday, taking World Cup-holder France with them and knocking the Danes and the Czech Republic out. Patrick Kluivert fired the Dutch ahead in the 58th minute at a time when they showed signs of nerves. Substitute Ronald de Boer added the second in the 66th soon after entering the game, and Boudewijn Zenden made it a hat trick for Barcelona by adding the third with 12 minutes to go to start the Dutch singing in 50,000 Feyenoord's De Kuip Stadium. The Danes, also beaten 3-0 by France, should have pulled a goal back, but Michael Schoenberg fired a penalty wide in the 80th minute. The result put the Dutch and the French jointly top of Group D with six points while the Danes and the Czechs have none and are the first two teams to go out. France and the Netherlands meet in Amsterdam on Wednesday to decide who finishes top of the group and plays the runner up in Group C in the quarterfinal.
"When half time arrived and we were goalless, we weren't very confident that there would be a good result for us," said coach Frank Rijkaard. "We knew we had to give a lot more to make pressure as a collective team. When that happened we started to play better." Rijkaard had been critical of his team's apparent inability to show the same will and determination as other teams in the championship but said he couldn't fault them this time. "When you're 0-0 at half time and you finish 3-0, you can only be complimentary to the players," he said. For the Danes, who had been pegged as the most likely team to get knocked out of the Group of Death, the defeat was still deflating. "It's difficult to smile now," said Danish coach Bo Johansson, visibly crestfallen. "We now know we aren't good enough. "We did not hold up throughout the second half. The Netherlands are better than we are, no doubt." Kluivert, scorer of the opening game, admitted that Rijkaard's pre-match words galvanized the team. "We're very satisfied and the criticism from Rijkaard before the match was a challenge for us," Kluivert said. "It showed we can make it as a team. The 1-0 goal freed us. I hope people won't criticize us anymore after this game. we're improving." The Danes made things difficult for the Dutch in the early stages with crunching tackles and physical play although it was two home players, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Michael Reiziger who were cautioned in the first 10 minutes for fouls. The Danes almost went ahead in the 24th minute when Morten Bisgaard broke down the left, beat Edgar Davids, and crossed low into the area. Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar failed to hold the ball, and Bisgaard's follow up shot was blocked by fellow Dane Allan Nielsen. Then it was Dutch team's turn to miss a chance. Kluivert fired in a left foot volley which Peter Schmeichel blocked diving to his right, and the ball rolled clear. Marc Overmars got to the loose ball but, with the 'keeper grounded, he slid the ball the wrong side the post. Danish forward Jesper Groenjaer was unlucky to fire into the side netting after a determined run three minutes into second half and the Dutch were beginning to look frustrated by the time they went ahead in the 58th minute. Dennis Bergkamp, who had been well policed by the Danish defense, collected the ball on the edge of the area, pushed it past two defenders and chased for it with Schmeichel advancing off his line. The Sporting Lisbon and former Manchester United standout 'keeper did well to block the Arsenal striker's shot. But the ball rolled clear to Kluivert, who aimed the follow-up shot low past Schmeichel from the edge of the area and just inside the post with his left foot. The Dutch sent on Ronald de Boer for Overmars, who is just getting back to fitness after injury, and the midfielder netted the second only five minutes after coming in. Zenden broke down the left and sent over a low cross and De Boer arrived unmarked at the far post to tap in with the Danish defense watching Kluivert. Aron Winter replaced Bergkamp in the 76th minute and the Dutch went further ahead two minutes later, thanks to an amazing burst by right back Michael Reiziger. The powerful defender, who also plays for Barcelona, charged 40 meters with the ball at his feet and past a tiring Danish defender before pulling the ball back to the unmarked Zenden. The midfielder had time to wait for the ball to roll onto his favored left foot before he lifted it into the net. The Danes should have pulled a goal back in the 80th minute when a huge clearance from Schmeichel eluded Dutch defender Bert Konterman. Van der Sar charged off his line to deal with it and clattered into Ebbe Sand, giving away a penalty. Sadly for the Danes, Schjoenberg fired a meter wide of the post from the spot with his left foot. "It was the same against France," Johansson said in reference to his team's dominant performance early in its match against France before surrendering after their opponents opened the scoring. "As long as it was 0-0 we were okay and tried to attack. "But once we were down, the power goes away and you forget to think." Lineups: Netherlands - Edwin Van der Sar (Sander Westerveld 89th); Michael Reiziger, Frank de Boer, Bert Konterman; Boudewijn Zenden, Phillip Cocu, Edgar Davids, Marc Overmars (Ronald de Boer 61st), Giovanni van Bronckhorst; Patrick Kluivert, Dennis Bergkamp (Aron Winter 76th). Denmark - Peter Schmeichel; Michael Schjonberg, Rene Henriksen, Han Heintze, Allan Nielsen (Stig Toefting 61st), Jesper Gronkjaer, Jon-Dahl Tomasson, Ebbe Sand, Soren Colding, Morten Bisgaard, Thomas Gravesen. Referee - Urs Meier, Switzerland.
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