HOLLAND v PORTUGAL - MATCH REPORT
Report by Pez

The scoreline of 1-0 tells little about this match. It was Holland who had the better chances, but the real action came in the second half as chaos descended on this second round match, by full time referee Valentin Ivanov had shown 16 yellow cards, and a record 4 reds.

Dirk Kuyt replaced Ruud Van Nistelrooy in the Dutch starting line up, and it was Kuyt who fed Mark Van Bommel to get an early strike at Ricardo that went just wide. Van Bommel was again involved as he picked up a yellow card within just 90 seconds, Ivanov setting an early precedent for a cynical trip on Ronaldo. Holland had another chance after 15 minutes, Arjen Robben broke the offside trap but was forced wide, and with players from both sides bursting in to the box, his pass to Robin Van Persie was intercepted and cleared to safety.

Despite Holland having more early chances than the Portuguese, it was Maniche who scored the opener for Portugal. When Ronaldo released Deco down the right where there seemed little danger, but his ball found Pauleta in the area, and with his back to goal he laid the ball in to the path of Maniche. He skipped away from one man and powered the ball home, Maniche being the same man whose goal knocked Holland out of Euro 2004.

Holland ended the second half on the up; wonderful skill from Van Persie could have brought a goal, as he twisted and turned in the box. He should have crossed, but his toe-poke went wide of the goal. Portugal's Costinha then took it upon himself to try and derail Portugal's progress. Already with a yellow card for a late tackle on Philip Cocu, he lunged in at Andre Ooijer and could very easily have been sent off. Seemingly dissatisfied with not being dismissed, he flung his arm out at a nothing middle of the park ball, and was rightfully walking.

'Big Phil' Scolari shuffled his back at half time to compensate for being a man short. Surprisingly Pauleta left the field and was replaced by holding midfielder Armando Petit, which left no recognised striker on the pitch, and Luis Figo playing furthest forward. It was no surprise that Holland had the better of the second halves opening, and a better chance could not have fallen to Cocu. Kuyt's cross was sliced by Fernando Meira, and with the goal just 6 yards away, Cocu somehow managed to leather his effort against the bar. Miguel then crashed an effort at Ricardo, and his fumbled saved luckily bounced behind for a corner.

With the game really opening up as Holland pushed on, the two sides exchanged long-range efforts, both forcing good saves from the goalkeepers. Edwin Van Der Sar plucked a Maniche effort out of the air, and Ricardo tipped substitute Van Der Vaart's effort round the post.

Numbers were levelled up with less than half an hour remaining, again for a second yellow card. This time it was Holland's Khalid Boulharouz who was dismissed when his flailing arm caught Luis Figo in the eye, although it seemed accidental. Figo himself should have been dismissed minutes earlier when he offered a head butt to Van Bommel, although he somehow got away with just a yellow card.

Order was then lost as Ivanov lost control of the game. A drop ball seemed simple enough, but Portugal were apparently expecting the ball back, and when Johnny Heitinga simply took the ball and ran with it, and when an outraged Deco committed a horrendous lunge on the defender, a melee broke out. Wesley Sneijder was at the forefront; with a good 10 yard run up he shoved Petit to the floor, whose crime was apparently to show some concern to Heitinga. Somehow Sneijder avoided the red card, he and Van Der Vaart were booked for their part in the fiasco, and Deco was inevitably cautioned for his lunge.

Amongst the mess, Heitinga head wide from Van Persie's free kick, but the referee soon had his cards back out. Ricardo and Valente picked up yellows, and Deco picked up his second. It seems that he was booked for handball, as he picked up the ball when the referee hadn't actually given the free kick, to gift the Holland their 1 man advantage back. Holland should have had their equaliser as the clock ticked away, Kuyt beat the offside trap, but his lack of pace and woeful finish meant the arm was soon back in Ricardo's arms. Jan Vennegoor Of Hesselink was introduced with 6 minutes of normal time left, strangely in preference to Van Nistelrooy, and both he and Dirk Kuyt failed to connect with a wicked cross across the 6 yard box. Tiago hacked a cross away from the area as Portugal began to hang on, but it was back to the cards as a fourth red appeared from Valentin Ivanov's pocket. 2 minutes in to the 6 minutes injury time Gio Van Bronkhorst tripped Tiago in a nothing challenge, to pick up his second yellow card. Tiago now at the heart of the action stabbed wide, and with 97 minutes on the clock, Ivanov blew his whistle to bring down the curtain on a bizarre match.

Portugal now play England in the quarter final's, but the consequences of this match mean there will be no Deco or Costinha, while Cristiano Ronaldo left the pitch with an injury, meaning a whole new midfield could be needed on Saturday.

Man Of The Match: Ricardo Carvalho - Despite Holland's domination it was Portugal's defence that meant they were not often in too much danger, despite often one player light. Carvalho's highlight came as he threw himself in front of Sneijder and the ball to deny him a free strike from the edge of the area, and somehow in this match, avoided a booking.

Referee: Valentin Ivanov
Venue: Frankenstadion
Attendance: 41,000

ENGLAND v PORTUGAL MATCH PROGRAMME HERE

BACK TO WORLD CUP INDEX PAGE