Dutch date for Argentina

The Netherlands will play Argentina in a friendly international on 12 February.

Useful preparation
The date had originally been set aside for Dick Advocaat's side to play Italy on the same date, but the two national associations failed to agree terms. A venue has not been decided but the game is set to provide useful preparation for the Netherlands' subsequent UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifier against the Czech Republic.

Famous meetings
The Netherlands have faced the South American side on six previous occasions, three of them at the FIFA World Cup finals. The Dutch came out on top on the last occasion, beating Argentina in the quarter-finals of France '98. However, Argentina won the big one, winning 3-1 when the teams met in the final of the 1978 World Cup.