Van Basten: It wasn't easy
11 Jun 2006 - 17:35:57
Holland coach Marco van Basten was relieved to see his side emerge from their opening World Cup match against Serbia Montenegro with a 1-0 victory.
A first-half strike from man of the match Arjen Robben settled the hard-fought contest, which was played out in sweltering conditions in Leipzig on Sunday.
"It was not easy but the most important thing was to start with a win," said Van Basten.
"Robben's strike gave us breathing space although afterwards we still had a few good chances."
Before the tournament began the Oranje coach tipped Robben to make a real impact and the Chelsea forward went some way towards fulfilling the prediction with an outstanding display.
"I'm happy with the way I played," said Robben.
"I know I can play even better but, especially in the second half, it was so hot.
"Getting three points in the first game was important. We succeeded in that and we're very satisfied."
