Arjen Robben is congratulated by Wesley Sneijder after his wonderful goal. Photograph: Ian Walton/Getty Images
Euro 2008 is Holland's playground. For everyone who has to meet them, the tournament is more of a torture chamber. After this merry and inspired performance the Dutch have now administered drubbings to each of the teams that contested the World Cup final two years ago, running up a tally of seven goals. France and Italy each have the nervy ambition to creep into the one quarter-final place on offer. Both, in theory, could be eliminated by Romania.
Holland are the winners of Group C and may well meet Sweden in the last eight. Marco van Basten's side had a reputation for dourness in the qualifiers but it has been not so much shed as incinerated with this blazing football. Wesley Sneijder typified the team's transformation, particularly with a lovely 20-yard shot which dipped over the leaping France goalkeeper, Grégory Coupet, in stoppage-time for the fourth goal.
France might have shipped a few more. A veteran centre-half such as the great Lilian Thuram forlornly looked his age. Though such factors count, it would be an injustice to do anything other than celebrate Holland and pray that they can continue in this vein. Apart from innate talent, they possess a sense of adventure that has no equivalent in any other team at this tournament.
Van Basten had demanded that fearlessness. He himself must have been liberated by the knowledge that these weeks at Euro 2008 had to be a culmination. Next season he will be in charge of Ajax. Wherever he goes now he will carry with him the memories of these uncanny days. All the boldness of forthright predecessors from the age of total football resides in Van Basten. Those critics who thought him drab are now running for cover.
With a 1-0 lead at the interval, his instinct was to take off the holding midfielder Orlando Engelaar and introduce a devastating Arjen Robben. Compromises and precautions have been expelled from Dutch minds. France doggedly went in search of a comeback and made some inroads against a defence which might be unhappy if anyone ever succeeds in putting it under stress for long.
Holland would not allow that here and when France and Italy restage the World Cup final on Tuesday the prize they strive for will be humble survival. Both would be eliminated if Van Basten's squad took it easy and were beaten by Romania. Bullishness surely will not permit that. Technique and flair have set the Dutch above all others for the present but those qualities rest on a bedrock of confidence. There was no tentativeness when a reaction was essential against a France side who tried to rally.
Holland's opener against France came from a set piece rather than fluid invention but they are most likely convinced that everything will now work for them. A corner was swung over in the 10th minute and, with Florent Malouda a bystander, Dirk Kuyt headed past Coupet.
It looked for a moment as if Kuyt would capitalise on a further French error when an off-balance Thuram inadvertently glanced the ball towards him in the 20th minute, but the Liverpool forward, stretching to connect, could not hit the target. There was a trace of fractiousness then and Claude Makelele got a yellow card for swinging an arm to shake off Rafael van der Vaart.
Sidney Govou shot against the legs of Edwin van der Sar after 23 minutes and with half an hour gone France had a rapid series of drives, with the Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribéry responsible for the best of them as the Holland goalkeeper grasped the ball at the second attempt. It was telling that much depended on Ribéry because the French line-up did not constitute a well integrated unit.
Thierry Henry compensated as he began to come to terms with his role as an isolated striker. At the outset of the second half his rising influence was reflected in a foul on him that brought a booking for Andre Ooijer. France had woe to endure in a revival that would falter. A Govou effort deflected to Henry and his shot struck the arm of Ooijer, but the contact was accidental and pleas were disregarded by the German referee, Herbert Fandel.
It was Holland who re-emerged to punish France with their accuracy. After 59 minutes a fine flick by Ruud van Nistelrooy unleashed Robben on the left and the substitute Robin van Persie's shot from an impeccable cutback rolled into the net despite brushing the hand of Coupet on the way.
Robben was so irrepressible that he smothered a French revival sparked by Henry, who had touched home a low ball from Willy Sagnol to score. Within seconds Van der Vaart freed Robben to score with a rising drive. It looks as if neither he nor his side can be held in check for long.
No comments:
Post a Comment