SofiaEcho.com: Netherlands, Italy go through from Euro 2008 "group of death"

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Netherlands, Italy go through from Euro 2008 "group of death"

World champions Italy and the Netherlands won their final matches in group C at the European championship finals on June 17 by the same scoreline, 2:0, to progress to the quarterfinals. The Dutch had secured their spot at the top of the group even before their match with Romania and fielded a team filled with reserves, which nevertheless included players that can single-handedly win a match on their night, such as Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben. For Romania, a win would have guaranteed progressing at the expense of Italy and France, the two teams that played in the last World Cup final. But instead of adopting a more swashbuckling attitude, as they did against Italy, Romania looked for the larger part of the match as a collection of individuals who were playing together for the first time, struggling to string along more than three passes going forward. The Netherlands enjoyed the lion's share of the possession, aided by Romanian players, who appeared unable to stop themselves from giving the ball away. Expertly stretching their opponents' defence on the wings, the Dutch looked more likely to score and in the 36th minute Robben missed the first clear-cut chance, stabbing his shot just inches wide of goal. One of Romania's rare forays saw Razvan Cocis shoot over the crossbar when he was left alone at the edge of the Dutch penalty area just before half-time.

Within ten minutes of the restart, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, the Ajax striker rumoured to be a transfer target for a host of big clubs, who has looked largely ineffective until then, finally scored his first goal of the tournament with an easy-looking tap-in from Ibrahim Afellay's cross.At the other end, the Netherlands continued to patiently test Romania, but their second goal came from a counter-attack in the dying minutes of the half, van Persie beating his market to thump his shot into the near corner.Italy received an unexpected boost eight minutes into the match, when Franck Ribery, France's most dangerous player so far this tournament, was stretchered off with an apparent hamstring injury.Luck was on Italy's side throughout the match, but it remains to be seen whether it will hold against Spain when the two teams play each other in the quarterfinal on June 22. The last time they met, in March, Spain won 1:0.