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Sweden no match for Oranje

Before the match some Swedish players were full of confidence and Ola Toivonen even dared to state that Sweden were favorites to win it. But words are but words and worth very little out there on the pitch. Holland were all over the Swedes from the start and took the lead after only four minutes when Klaas-Jan Huntelaar finished a Van der Vaart assist.

Van Marwijk: "We left them without chance"

Bert van Marwijk was very satisfied after his team beat Sweden 4-1 in a qualification game for the 2012 European Championships in Poland and Ukraine. "It was more than excellent," Van Marwijk said.

Dirk Kuyt out for months

Dirk Kuyt will most likely be out for the rest of the year. The Dutch international landed awkwardly after he headed a ball. Tests in hospital revealed that he has torn off his ankle ligaments en will be out for months.

"We are prepared for all scenarios"

Holland are up for their first real test tonight. Sweden come to the Amsterdam Arena and the Scandinavians are seen as the strongest opponent in Group E of the qualifications for the 2012 European Championships in Poland and Ukraine.

Minimal but easy win for Holland in Moldavia

The Dutch national team have won their third qualification game in Group E as well, and maintain their perfect record under Bert van Marwijk as far as qualification games are concerned. Visiting a very defensive Moldavia Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was again the matchwinner, scoring his sixth goal of the campaign.

Van Marwijk: "We played very well"

The Netherlands beat Moldavia 0-1 on Friday night. Yet other than the result might indicate Holland manager Bert van Marwijk was happy with the way his team had performed.

Holland want result after tumultuous week

The Dutch national team resume their qualification campaign for the 2012 European Championships tonight with a game against Moldavia. A good result tonight and on Tuesday in Amsterdam against Sweden will set the team well on their way towards Poland and Ukraine.

Van der Vaart to replace De Jong

It is expected that Rafael van der Vaart will replace the suspended Nigel de Jong in tonight's Euro 2012 qualification game in Chisinau against Moldavia. The Tottenham Hotspur-player will be one of two midfielders besides captain Mark van Bommel. De Jong has been dropped from the squad by Van Marwijk for repeated misconduct on the pitch after his rough tackle on Hatem Ben Arfa last weekend.

"This case only has losers"

Right after Bert van Marwijk saw Nigel de Jong's tackle on Hatem Ben Arfa on television he knew he would drop the midfielder for the Euro 2012 qualification games against Moldavia and Sweden. "My first reaction was that with this tackle he crossed a line," van Marwijk said on Wednesday. "But this needn't be the end of his international carreer. I shall sit down and talk with him in the very near future."

Van Marwijk drops Nigel de Jong

Holland boss Bert van Marwijk has dropped Nigel de Jong for the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers against Moldavia and Sweden because of his tough tackle on Hatem Ben Arfa in Saturday's match between De Jong's club Manchester City and Newcastle.

Wisgerhof replaces Maduro

Peter Wisgerhof of FC Twente is the big surprise in the Dutch squad for the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers against Moldavia and Sweden. Hedwiges Maduro (injured) and Wilfred Bouma were dropped by Bert van Marwijk.

Bouma back on the radar

Bondscoach Bert van Marwijk has named 24 players to his preliminary squad for the European qualifiers against Moldavia and Sweden. After Holland won their first two group games against San Marino and Finland, the runners up of the last World Cup will resume their campaign on 8 October (20h30 cet) in the Zimbru Stadium in Chisinau.

Netherlands - Finland 2-1

After the victory over San Marino on Friday Holland have won their second Group E game in the qualification campaign for the 2012 European Championships in Poland & Ukraine as well. Tonight they beat Finland 2-1 in Rotterdam. The victory was far from convincing though. The team of Bert van Marwijk took a 2-0 lead within a quarter of an hour, but then the party was over. Finland pulled one back and Holland were then very fortunate that the visitors didn't score a second.

Van Marwijk: "We were late all over the pitch"

Bondscoach Bert van Marwijk had mixed feelings after his team's victory over Finland on Tuesday. He had seen his team play well in the first 20 minutes of the game. "I was thinking this will be 4-0 at half time." But then he saw how the organization failed. "We were late all over the pitch, the spaces became too big," Van Marwijk said.

Van Bommel: "There wasn't anymore in it"

Holland would have loved to make it a nice show against Finland, Mark van Bommel said after the game against Finland (2-1). But when it turned out that that wasn't possible and the Fins came close to equalizing several times, Holland set the controls to making sure they got three points. "We would have loved to have it any other way, but there wasn't anymore in it."

Heitinga: "That can not happen"

Rarely have Holland allowed so many chances in recent years as they did on Tuesday against Finland. In the last 25 minutes of the first half the visitors had four open chances. Much to Holland's relief they squandered all, yet John Heitinga is ringing the alarm bell.

Van der Vaart unhappy with role on the side

At the start of this new qualification campaign Rafael van der Vaart hoped he would be a regular in the starting line up of the team of Bert van Marwijk. But on Friday against San Marino he was on the bench. "It's always hard to swallow when you're not in the starting lineup for Holland. Also in a game against San Marino," says the Spurs-player.

Kuyt and Boulahrouz out with injury

Dirk Kuyt and Khalid Boulahrouz are not available for tonight's Euro 2012 qualification game against Finland in Rotterdam. Both players got injured during the last training session. Especially Kuyt's injury looks serious.

"It all revolves around Jari Litmanen"

He may be 39 years of age, but in the national team of Finland everything still revolves around Jari Litmanen.

Sneijder: "Don't tinker with it"

Wesley Sneijder was one of the main players for Holland during the World Cup in South Africa. But he can charge himself up for games against San Marino and Finland as well. Turning the switch, he calls it. "That's how it is in life. We have a new goal now. We can't just replay the World Cup."

Alonso: "No hard feelings"

In an interview with Dutch daily Algemeen Dagblad Alonso says he has no hard feeling towards Holland because of the rock hard final of the World Cup in Johannesburg. "The final sadly wasn't a good one, it was a hard one. But why all the fuzz? Come on, this was about the biggest prize."

Van Marwijk: "Second half was better"

According to Bert van Marwijk Holland played a decent second half, whereas in the first half they failed to "find the spare man".

San Marino-Netherlands 0-5

An easy victory with a hattrick of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

Oranje: a new mission

In a scene that does not bring back any memories of the World Cup the Dutch national football team embark on their new mission tonight. The game against San Marino in the cozy Olimpico Stadium in Serravalle is the first leg of a tour that should end with Holland lifting their second European Cup at the European Championships 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.

Van Nistelrooy: "This is a reward"

Two months after the World Cup he would have loved to be part of Ruud van Nistelrooy is back with the Dutch team. He calls it "the tragedy of the moment", but he has overcome the disappointment. "This great, isn't it? I hadn't reckoned with this anymore. I'm having great fun."

Van Marwijk counters Cruyff criticism

Dutch Bondscoach Bert van Marwijk respects the opinion of Johan Cruyff, but at the same time disagrees with him. The Dutch legend on Monday wrote in his weekly column that his eyes hurt from watching Holland play, that the team doesn't master position play and that it's all wrong tactically. Cruyff also wondered whether or not Van Marwijk will continue along these lines in the Euro 2012 qualification campaign.

Kuyt: "Spanish have a lot of respect for us"

Dirk Kuyt knows there has been, and still is, a lot of criticism on the way the Dutch national team played in the final of the World Cup in South Africa this summer. But the Dutch forward says that his Spanish team mates in fact had a lot of respect for the way Holland played.

Van Nistelrooy back with a smile

Receiving a loud round of applause from his team mates Ruud van Nistelrooy stepped onto the training pitch in Katwijk yesterday. The striker laughed and put his hands in the air. So there he was, after two years, back with his beloved Oranje.

Van Marwijk: "First I talk to Van Nistelrooy"

Holland manager Bert van Marwijk will soon sit down and talk with Ruud van Nistelrooy, now that he has invited the Hamburg-striker back on the Dutch national team. The coach was happy with the way the player reacted to his selection.

Van Nistelrooy back in Dutch team

Dutch Bondscoach Bert van Marwijk has called Hamburg-striker Ruud van Nistelrooy to the training camp of the Dutch national team, where they are preparing for the first Euro 2012 qualifiers against San Marino (Friday) and Finland Tuesday).

Cruyff: "My eyes hurt from the way Oranje played"

Johan Cruyff recognizes the fact that Holland's result based football went a long way (to the final) during the World Cup in South Africa, but he also admitted that his eyes hurt from the way Holland played.

Wesley Sneijder looking forward to new faces on the team

Wesley Sneijder is looking forward to seeing some new faces in the Dutch national team, as they start their qualification campaign for the 2012 European Championships. The Inter Milan-midfielder is ready for a new chapter for Oranje after the World Cup.