NETHERLANDS 2-1 CÔTE D'IVOIRE

16 June 2006

The Netherlands booked their place in the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup™ as goals from Robin van Persie and Ruud van Nistelrooij earned a hard-fought 2-1 win over Côte d'Ivoire in Stuttgart on Friday, 16 June 2006.

Their second win in Group C means the Dutch advanced with a game to spare, along with Argentina who also have six points after beating Serbia and Montenegro 6-0 earlier in the day. Côte d'Ivoire, like the Serbo-Montenegrins, can go no further in this tournament but they certainly pushed the Dutch all the way.

After Van Persie's 23rd-minute free-kick opener, Van Nistelrooij doubled the Dutch lead four minutes later but the Ivorians hit back through a spectacular Bakary Kone effort and threatened an equaliser on more than one occasion.

The match:
1': Before a sea of orange, it was the Netherlands who began the match the brighter. With three points to their name already and two wingers just itching to do something creative, their fans were in full voice as they poured forward.

17': Côte d'Ivoire appeared to settle down and Yaya Toure slipped the ball through to Arouna Kone in the inside-right channel but the striker, who plays his club football in the Netherlands for PSV Eindhoven, allowed the ball to get away from him and his effort from an increasingly tight angle missed the near post.

23': Van Persie ran the ball at the heart of the Ivorian defence before being upended by Arsenal team-mate Kolo Toure. Van Persie picked himself up and thrashed the free-kick past the fingertips of Tizie and into the top corner to give the Dutch the lead. (1-0)

27': Four minutes later and the Oranje were 2-0 up as the Africans paid the penalty for not keeping a tight defensive line. Robben, who was having the better of things against Emmanuel Eboue, tore at the defence from the other wing. He eventually slipped the ball to Van Nistelrooij who, just onside, made no mistake with his right-foot finish. (2-0)

33': Half an hour gone and, as against Argentina, Côte d'Ivoire were again two goals down. They so nearly pulled one back when Didier Zokora, 25 yards out, cut inside onto his right foot and sent a stunning strike crashing against the bar.

38': Henri Michel's disappointed look from the bench had told its own tale up to this point but now the Ivorians did pull one back with a fine goal. The pint-sized Bakary Kone picked up possession midway inside the Dutch half, accelerated past two defenders and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner. (2-1)

42': Minutes later, Didier Drogba stole the ball but could only hit Giovanni van Bronckhorst with the pass with Kone unmarked to his right.

45 +1': Kone, swivelling on the edge of the box, fired over with the last chance of the half.

Holding on:
47' The African side began the second half in the ascendancy with Kolo Toure firing a long-range free-kick into the hands of Edwin van der Sar.

51': With Van Nistelrooij's confidence boosted by the goal the Elephants had to be wary at the back. The Manchester United striker tried his luck from outside the box with a sharp strike that Tizie could only hold at the second attempt.

54': At the other end, the ball fell kindly to Eboue inside the box and for a moment it looked for all the world like the equaliser would arrive but the Arsenal player's goal-bound shot was blocked.

58': Côte d'Ivoire drove forward but a fine four-man move ended with Arouna Kone firing wastefully over from 20 yards.

70': The Netherlands appeared to have weathered the storm and went in search of a third. Robben's pace and skill gave him another shooting chance which Tizie failed to hold and Van Nistelrooij's follow-up was blocked.

77': Switching ends, Drogba nodded a deep corner dangerously back into the goalmouth but there were no Ivorian strikers on hand to apply the finishing touch and Van Persie, positioned on the post, chested clear.

80': Substitute Giles Yapi Yapo cut in well from the left flank only to shoot straight at Van der Sar. Defending resolutely, Marco van Basten's side had chances to make the match safe as the Elephants finally ran out of steam.

In conclusion:
With this second win by the narrowest of margins, the Netherlands advance to the last 16 alongside Argentina. Debutants Côte d'Ivoire put on another fine show but when they travel home after their final match against Serbia and Montenegro they will reflect on the costly goals conceded early in their first two games.