Thursday Sep 29 2005 21:13
Holland produced a dazzling display as they thrashed Scotland 6-0 in Amsterdam to qualify for next summer's Euro 2004 finals in Portugal 6-1 on aggregate.
Berti Vogts' side were outclassed from start to finish as Saturday's fine result at Hampden Park in the first leg was banished from the memory.
After a bad-tempered opening spell, the Dutch almost took the lead in the 11th minute when Rafael van der Vaart headed Andy van der Meyde's cross just over the crossbar.
However, Dick Advocaat's side did take the lead three minutes later when Ajax midfielder Wesley Sneijder turned smartly and ran towards goal before firing a shot past Rab Douglas.
Scotland tried their best to take the sting out of the game but two goals in six minutes put Holland in control.
In the 32nd minute Sneijder's perfectly judged free-kick was headed home by Andre Ooijer before Ruud van Nistelrooy added a third with a similar goal from another Sneijder free-kick as the Scottish defence went to sleep.
Six minutes after the break van Nistelrooy broke clear and coolly lobbed Douglas to make it 4-0 as Scotland threatened to capitulate.
The fifth goal duly arrived in the 65th minute as substitute Frank de Boer headed yet another pinpoint cross from Sneijder past the hapless Douglas.
Two minutes later van Nistelrooy completed his hat-trick when he turned van der Meyde's cross home.
That seemed to be enough for the Dutch as they strolled through the rest of the game although the outstanding Sneijder did hit the crossbar as Scotland counted down the seconds for the mercy of the final whistle.
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