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Important win over Belarus
Saturday 7
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MINSK, June 7 (AFP) - Patrick Kluivert became the Dutch
national team´s all-time leading scorer with his 38th international goal as
Holland beat Belarus 2-0 here on Saturday and moved top of their Euro 2004
qualifying group.
Kluivert lobbed the ball over Belarus keeper Gennady
Tumilovich in the 68th minute to move ahead of Dennis Bergkamp´s 37 goals in the
scoring charts. Second-half substitute Marc Overmars had given Holland the lead
just after the hour mark.
The Dutch now lead Group Three with 13 points
from five matches, three points ahead of second-placed Czech Republic, who have
a game in hand.
Belarus meanwhile slump to the bottom of the group with
just three points from five games.
The Dutch had started the match pinned
into the own half before breaking free after the opening quarter of an hour,
creating several chances but failing to find the net before half
time.
After the interval the Dutch were firmly in command, forcing
Tumilovich into several remarkable saves.
Overmars broke the stalemate
with a 22-yard strike into the left-handed corner and six minutes later Kluivert
met Clarence Seedorf´s cross from the right to find the net and enter the
history books.
Belarus tried in vain to pull a goal back but the Dutch -
still smarting from their failure to qualify for last year´s World Cup finals -
took another step towards next year´s finals in Portugal.
They next face
Austria on September 6.
In Saturday´s other Group Three match Moldova
defeated Austria 1-0 in Tiraspol, chalking up their first points in the
qualifying campaign.
.
|
| |
GP |
W |
D |
L |
PTS |
| Netherland |
5 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
13 |
| Czech R |
4 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
10 |
|
Austria |
5 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
6 |
| Moldova |
6 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
6 |
| Belarus |
4 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
|
