Kluivert primed for challenge

By Iain Spragg

Patrick Kluivert knows Dutch hopes of qualifying automatically for the finals of UEFA EURO 2004™ are at stake when his side face the Czech Republic tonight.

Good results
The Netherlands' record goalscorer increased his international tally to 39 with a 60th-minute strike in the 3-1 victory over Austria in Rotterdam on Saturday. Meanwhile, a 3-1 win for the Czechs in Belarus ensured that Wednesday's rivals are both guaranteed top-two finishes.

Decisive tie
Now, the 26-year-old FC Barcelona striker knows that Wednesday's game will almost certainly decide which side can book their hotels in Portugal and which will face a play-off. "I believe we have the firepower necessary to beat them, and if we can score some goals in Prague then we can overtake them in the group," Kluivert told uefa.com. "This will not be easy but we showed against the Austrians that we are prepared to fight hard to win automatic qualification."

National humiliation
Passions have been running high in the Dutch squad ever since their failure to qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals. The humiliation left a deep mark and their determination to succeed since has brought about a run of form that has pushed them up to fourth in the most recent FIFA rankings.

Proving a point
"Failing to qualify for EURO 2004 is not an option," said Kluivert. "It was a big disappointment for the whole country that we didn't make it to the World Cup and the team felt that we had let the fans down by our performances. When something like this happens it makes you stronger and we have responded well."

Davids doubtful
Edgar Davids looks doubtful for Wednesday's game after picking up a groin injury against Austria, but Kluivert insisted that his team remained focused on victory. "We all know how important this game is and if we can stay cool then I believe we can win. The Czechs held us to a draw in Holland last March, but I think we deserved to beat them. A defensive error cost us in that game and we have to make sure there are no silly mistakes this time."

Strong squad
Czech coach Karel Brückner is also in no mood to concede defeat, and having had the privilege of selecting his strongest squad for the games against Belarus and the Netherlands, he is not about to give ground. "There is no time for experimentation," he said. "The home match against the Netherlands will be our toughest test of all."

Unassailable lead
A win against the Netherlands would see the Czech Republic take an unassailable three-point lead over their opponents ahead of their final game away against Austria. A win for the Netherlands would see them qualify regardless of their result at home against Moldova on 11 October.

Draw possibilities
A draw would complicate matters. A 0-0 draw would give the Czechs a head-to-head advantage, while a draw with both sides scoring two goals or more would favour the Netherlands if the two teams finished level on points. Another 1-1 draw would even up the head-to-head coefficients, but with the Czechs currently enjoying a better goal difference and goals scored record, this could be to their advantage.

Other game
Moldova can climb off the foot of the table if they can overcome Belarus in Wednesday's other Group 3 tie.

Patrick Kluivert's personal website is at www.icons.com