The Netherlands answered head coach Guus Hiddink's challenge Sunday, hammering Lativa, 6-0, in Amsterdam. Arjen Robben scored twice to lead the way as the Dutch picked up a much needed three points in their pursuit of a place in the Euro 2016 finals.
Netherlands vs. Latvia: Final score 6-0, Dutch hammer Latvia behind an Arjen Robben brace
The Dutch looked like their old selves in a rout of Latvia.
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The Dutch came out as if shot out of a cannon, putting Latvia under immediate pressure and nearly taking the lead just two minutes in when Ibrahim Affalay put a shot off the post.
Four minutes later though, the goal did come.
Robin van Persie made the initial pass, threading the ball through to Arjen Robben on the right side of the box as he made a run past his marker. Robben turned and floated a cross back to the middle and found van Persie in between two defenders, who’d completely missed his run, for a reasonably simple header he put past Aleksandrs Kolinko.
Robben doubled the Dutch lead 10 minutes before halftime with a superb bit of individual play and a bit of help from van Persie. The Bayern Munich striker picked up the ball in his own half and made a penetrating run into the Latvia attacking third before playing a quick one-two with RVP. The United striker’s run helped pull the defenders apart, creating a gap for Robben to exploit. He cut inside after getting the ball back from RVP and beat Kolinko to the top right corner.
Six minutes later Klass Jan Huntelaar added a third goal after he simply out hustled two Latvian defenders, splitting between them and getting his boot on an Afellay cross and touching it past Kolinko.
The Dutch weren’t nearly as impressive in the second half, but, to be fair, they didn’t need to be. They did get a fourth goal thanks to Jeffrey Bruma in the 78th minute, ending any slim hopes of a Latvian comeback. Robben scored his second goal of the match in the 82nd and Huntelaar got a second as well in the 89th to complete the rout.
Netherlands: Cillessen, Van Der Wiel, Bruma, de Vrij, Willems, Blind (Clasie 20’), Afellay (Depay 69’), Sneijder, Huntelaar, van Persie (Wijnaldum 78’), Robben
Goals: van Persie (6’), Robben (35’, 82’), Huntelaar (42’, 89’), Bruma (78’)
Latvia: Kolinko, Dubra, Gabovs, Gorkss, Kirakins, Ikaunieks (Laizans 46’), Zjuzins (Cauna 54’), Fertovs, Visnakovs, Sabala, Visnakovs (Rudnev 70’)
Goals: None
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