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| June 17, 2006 | Saturday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 20, 1427 |
Netherlands seal Ivory Coast’s fate
Netherlands 2 Ivory Coast 1
STUTTGART, June 16: Netherlands secured their place in the last 16 of the World Cup on Friday, withstanding a powerful Ivory Coast onslaught for a 2-1 victory in Group C.
The Dutch seemed to be cruising after goals from Robin van Persie and Ruud van Nistelrooy put them 2-0 in front by the 26th minute. But they were made to fight all the way by the Africans, who are now eliminated.
A cagey opening barely hinted at the fireworks to follow, with an Ivory Coast penalty claim the main talking point of the first quarter when Giovanni van Bronckhorst wrapped an arm around Emmanuel Eboue.
The Dutch had hardly posed a threat but then produced two moments of quality to leave the Ivorians reeling.
After 23 minutes Van Persie's burst towards the area was brought to a clumsy end by Kolo Toure and the Arsenal striker picked himself up to slam an unstoppable free kick past the flailing arms of goalkeeper Jean-Jacques Tizie.
Worse was to follow for the Africans when Arjen Robben teased the defence before slipping a reverse pass for Van Nistelrooy to curl a first-time shot past Tizie.
The Ivorians refused to let their World Cup hopes sink under the orange tide and rocked the Dutch back on their heels before halftime.
First Didier Zokora shook the frame of the goal with a venomous right-foot blast, then the diminutive Bakary Kone halved the deficit with a contender for goal of the tournament.
Taking the ball off Zokora on the left, Kone raced diagonally towards goal before clipping a rising shot past Edwin Van der Sar after 38 minutes.
It was the first goal the Dutch had conceded in 11 competitive matches, ending Van der Sar's international clean-sheet record at 1,013 minutes.
The Dutch had not let in a goal in their previous 10 non-friendly encounters, an all-time European record.
The halftime interval took the wind out of the sails of the Ivory Coast as the early second-half exchanges were littered with niggly fouls.
But Van Persie came to the rescue for the uncomfortable Dutch after 78 minutes when he cleared off the line following a header from Didier Drogba.
Scorers: Netherlands — Robin van Persie 23, Ruud van Nistelrooy 26; Ivory Coast — Bakary Kone 38.
Halftime: 2-1
Netherlands (4-3-3): 1-Edwin van der Sar; 14-Johnny Heitinga (3-Khalid Boulahrouz 46), 13-Andre Ooijer, 4-Joris Mathijsen, 5-Giovanni van Bronckhorst; 18-Mark van Bommel, 20-Wesley Sneijder (10-Rafael van der Vaart 50), 8-Philip Cocu; 17-Robin van Persie, 9-Ruud van Nistelrooy (6-Denny Landzaat 73), 11-Arjen Robben.
Ivory Coast: (4-4-2): 1-Jean-Jacques Tizie; 21-Emmanuel Eboue, 4-Kolo Toure, 3-Arthur Boka, 12-Abdoulaye Meite; 5-Didier Zokora, 14-Bakary Kone (15-Aruna Dindane 62), 19-Gneri Yaya Toure, 22-Romaric (10-Gilles Yapi Yapo 62); 9-Arouna Kone (2-Kanga Akale 73), 11-Didier Drogba.
Referee: Oscar Ruiz (Colombia).—Reuters
Group C standings
(Tabulated under played won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):
Argentina 2 2 0 0 8 1 6
Netherlands 2 2 0 0 3 1 6
Ivory Coast 2 0 0 2 2 4 0
Serbia &
Montenegro 2 0 0 2 0 7 0
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