Holland 2, Romania 0


Quick-striking Holland dominate, but Romania aquit themselves well.

Holland charge out and in 40 seconds score a lightning goal. Cocu notches off Robbens corner kick. Romania, despite playing at home, seem flat after the goal. Soon however, the crowd is back into it, and it lifts the Romanians from their funk. Van Der Saar is forced to make a good save in the 11th minute, although he coughs up a rebound but manages to pounce on the ball. Robben, one of the highlights of Holland's Euro 2004 side, is injured and is replaced in the 25th. Holland are not offering up too much, it's hard to say if it's just the lead making them comfortable or if total football is in short supply this year.
The Spanish-language commentators quote Brazilian great Socrates as saying that players today run three times further in a game than in the 1970s. The faster pace reduces the time to think and build creative plays, making the game more boring, Socrates apparently said. I guess I agree with most of that, although it should be said that the faster pace can be vastly entertaining, and it was quite possible to be bored by the older style of play.
One of the elements in football that has changed in recent years is the extremely quick re-starts from throw-ins and goal kicks. I believe this has taken a good ten minutes of rest time out of the game and rewarded fitness disproportionately. As many others have pointed out since Japan Korea 2002, the focus on fitness has been at the expense of football, although I think the combination of more running and ridiculous schedules has squeezed all but the greatest players dry.
Back in Romania, the local side press as the second half starts. Ilie almost scores in the 56th, but is ruled, correctly, just offsides. In the 60th, Romania misses by a few inches on a free kick. Holland has its own chances thwarted in the 73rd following a series of rebounds given up by the Romanian keeper.
Romania, betting everything on attack, gets caught by a quick Dutch counter-attack a few minutes later. Cocu takes the ball on the right, crosses to Van Nistelrooy, who backheels cleverly to Lander, who in turn slides is to Babel, and he slots it perfectly in off the post. 2-0 Holland and the Romanians are done.

Posted: Sat - March 26, 2005 at 08:11 PM          

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