Hungary need Dzsudzsák's Dutch courage
Friday, March 25, 2011
Article summary
Balázs Dzsudzsák is still smarting from a 6-1 loss to the Netherlands last year but told UEFA.com Hungary should not "be afraid" of the Oranje as they meet twice in the next five days.
Article top media content
Article body
Balázs Dzsudzsák recalls Hungary's last encounter with the Netherlands with "huge shame" but the PSV Eindhoven striker told UEFA.com his side should not fear the Oranje as they meet twice in the next five days.
As Sándor Egervári's team prepare for home and away UEFA EURO 2012 Group E qualifiers against Bert van Maarwijk's men, Dzsudzsák has not forgotten the 6-1 friendly reverse that Hungary suffered in Amsterdam last June. The 24-year-old opened the scoring only for two Arjen Robben goals and one apiece from Robin van Persie, Wesley Sneijder, Mark van Bommel and Eljero Elia to make it a night to forget.
"I still think back with huge shame to that match," said Dzsudzsák, whose 15 goals in 28 league games this season have helped take PSV top of the Dutch Eredivisie. "It was even worse for me than for my team-mates, as we were playing in the country where I play my club football. The game came at a bad time for us. We were all on holiday already, while the Netherlands were preparing for the World Cup."
Hungary are in better shape now, sitting second in Group E, having won three of their four qualifiers. Despite netting in October's victory in Finland and the preceding 8-0 thrashing of San Marino, Dzsudzsák is under no illusions about the challenge the Oranje pose, both in Budapest tonight and in Amsterdam on Tuesday.
"Our biggest group rivals are not the Netherlands but [third-placed] Sweden," Dzsudzsák, who joined PSV from Debreceni VSC in 2007/08, told UEFA.com. "The two finalists at last year's World Cup – Spain and the Netherlands – are in a different league, but that does not mean we should be afraid of them. We are headed in the right direction and we might have a chance of more success in the future, but at the moment the Netherlands would be strong opponents for anyone."
The Dutch will be without the influential Robben as well as their leading Group E marksman, the eight-goal Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, and first-choice goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg. Yet their perfect record so far means Hungary go into both matches as underdogs, a tag that suits Dzsudzsák.
"We are doing well in the group and still have it all in our hands," he said. "Hungary have been getting stronger. Although we are inexperienced, we have a team that fights for each other now. No one really expects us to beat the Netherlands. We might win one out of every ten games against them, but if the Oranje underestimate us then we stand a chance."