Reuters, UK
March 30 2005
Dutch stay on course after 2-0 win over Armenia
Wed Mar 30, 2005 9:47 PM GMT
EINDHOVEN, Netherlands, March 30 (Reuters) – The Netherlands stayed
on course for the World Cup with a 2-0 defeat of Armenia in a Group
One qualifier on Wednesday.
Romeo Castelen opened the scoring after three minutes and Manchester
United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy sealed the win with the second
from a tight angle after 34 minutes.
The Dutch remain top of Group One with 16 points after six matches,
one point clear of the Czech Republic following their 4-0 win in
Andorra. Romania are third with 13 points from seven games.
As in their 2-0 win in Romania on Saturday, when Philip Cocu opened
the scoring after 38 seconds, the Dutch made a fast start.
This time the Armenian defence blocked Cocu’s header but winger
Castelen netted from close range, his first international goal.
Dutch coach Marco van Basten was forced to change his team shortly
before the match when Hamburg SV defender Khalid Boulahrouz pulled
out with a hamstring injury.
However the Dutch failed to control the match totally and after 11
minutes Armen Shahgeldyan forced Edwin van der Sar to save with his
feet with a shot from outside the penalty area.
Eleven minutes before the break Van Nistelrooy picked up a pass by
Mark van Bommel, rounded goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky and scored his
first Dutch goal since his long injury layoff.
In the second half the Netherlands went close to adding to their
tally when a Joris Mathijsen header was cleared off the goal line and
Giovanni van Bronckhorst struck the crossbar.