Netherlands start countdown against San Marino
Saturday, July 30, 2011
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One more win will guarantee a top-two finish for the Netherlands as they head into their UEFA EURO 2012 Group E meeting with San Marino boasting a 100% record.
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One more win will guarantee a top-two finish for the Netherlands as they head into their UEFA EURO 2012 Group E meeting with San Marino boasting a 100% record.
• Should the Netherlands record a seventh successive win in the section, only Sweden will be able to catch them, with third-ranked Hungary unable to catch Bert van Marwijk's side due to their inferior head-to-head record.
• San Marino are one of four sides yet to pick up a point in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying along with Andorra, Malta and Wales.
• The Netherlands kicked off their Group E campaign with a 5-0 win in San Marino on 3 September last year; Dirk Kuyt made the breakthrough from the penalty spot and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar then helped himself to a hat-trick before Ruud van Nistelrooy rounded off the scoring.
• The Netherlands' record in five games against San Marino reads W5 D0 L0 (W2 D0 L0 at home).
• In their five fixtures against the Oranje, San Marino have yet to score a goal, with the aggregate scoreline a somewhat punishing 28-0 in the Netherlands' favour.
• The sides' first four meetings came in World Cup qualifiers, the sides having been pooled together in the run-up to the 1994 and 1998 finals.
• The 7-0 outcome in Bologna on 22 September 1993 remains the Netherlands' biggest win against San Marino. John Bosman scored a hat-trick in that game.
• Bosman also registered one of the goals when the nations met in Serravalle on 30 April 1997, with his four strikes overall making him the Oranje's most prolific scorer against San Marino, ahead of Frank de Boer and Huntelaar with three.
• The 1998 tournament qualifiers marked an improvement of sorts for San Marino, who managed to keep the half-time deficit down to 1-0 on both occasions.