Seedorf worry for defeated Dutch

Netherlands 0-1 Republic of Ireland
The Netherlands' suffered another disappointing result in the run-up to their opening UEFA EURO 2004™ game against Germany on Tuesday week with a home defeat by the Republic of Ireland in which Clarence Seedorf was forced off with a suspected hamstring injury.

Keane winner
Having lost to Belgium in Eindhoven last weekend, and disappointed in a 3-0 midweek victory against the Faroe Islands in Switzerland, Robbie Keane's superb goal sent the Dutch to another defeat in Amsterdam in their final warm-up friendly.

Early chances
Keane almost scored in the third minute but missed the target after pouncing on a Giovanni van Bronckhorst header. Then 17 minutes later the Tottenham Hotspur FC striker hit the crossbar with a bicycle kick.

Dutch concede
However, Keane could not be denied for long and just before the break he ran from just inside the Dutch half to the edge of the box and sent a powerful, deflected shot into the net. Dick Advocaaat responded by bringing on Seedorf at the break for Patrick Kluivert and pairing Rafael van der Vaart with Ruud van Nistelrooij up front.

Seedorf blow
But within 18 minutes Seedorf departed. Advocaat revealed after the game: "Seedorf will have an MRI scan tomorrow. He felt something in his hamstring." Substitute Roy Makaay did force a header on goal 15 minutes from time, but Shay Given saved superbly to secure Ireland a victory to add to similar recent single-goals wins against the Czech Republic and Romania.

'Poor match'
Advocaat admitted: "We played a very poor match and it was clear that my team performed not as they were supposed to do. It did not work out with Kluivert and Van Nistelrooij but that is also to do with my midfielders who all gathered on a small area so we hardly had any space to create chances."