Holland 2-0 Latvia: Hosts kickstart World Cup qualifying campaign

Holland 2-0 Latvia: Frank de Boer’s team return to winning ways to kickstart their World Cup qualifying campaign with Steven Berghuis and Luuk de Jong on target

  • Holland bounced back from their Turkey loss with a comfortable win over Latvia 
  • Steven Berghuis netted the first goal with a fine strike from the edge of the box
  • The hosts later edged further in front after Luuk de Jong converted the second 
  • The display has prevented further blushes for Frank de Boer after blunt displays 

Steven Berghuis and Luuk de Jong scored either side of halftime as the Netherlands got their World Cup qualifying back on track with a 2-0 home win over plucky Latvia on Saturday.

The Dutch were looking for a strong response after a shock 4-2 loss to Turkey in Istanbul on Wednesday at the start of their Group G campaign.

Yet despite a ferocious onslaught from kick-off – the Dutch had 11 attempts on target in the first 25 minutes – they took until past the half hour to score.

Holland kickstarted their World Cup qualifying campaign with a comfortable win over Latvia

Steven Berghuis fired in the opener from the edge of the area for a dominant Holland team

Berghuis, who had waited until his 23rd cap for his first international goal, lashed home from the edge of the area.

Latvia defended heroically for most of the match, except at a 69th-minute corner when De Jong headed home the second.

The match was played in front of 5,000 spectators in the Amsterdam Arena as part of a government-supported study into the amount of contact in crowd situations.

MATCH FACTS

Holland: Krul, Dumfries, de Ligt, Blind, Wijndal, Wijnaldum (van de Beek 79), Klaassen (Gravenberch 79), F. de Jong, Berghuis (Stengs 84), L. de Jong (Babel 79), Depay (Bergwijn 89)

Subs not used: Tete, Veltman, van Aanholt, Stekelenburg, de Roon, Malen, Bizot

Goals: Berghuis 32, L. de Jong 69

Booked: L. de Jong, Blind

Manager: Frank de Boer

Latvia: Ozols, Fjodorovs, Cernomordijs, Tarasovs, Jurkovskis, Zjuzins (Karklins 46), Tobers, Kamess (Savalnieks 79), J. Ikaunieks (Krollis 88), Ciganiks (Solovjovs 85), Uldrikis (Gutkovskis 46)

Subs not used: Steinbors, Maksimenko, Oss, Emsis, D. Ikaunieks, Jaunzems

Booked: J. Ikaunieks, Karklins

Manager: Dainis Kazakevics 

Berghuis picked his spot and converted to help his nation respond to their defeat by Turkey 

Winger Berghuis was congratulated by team-mates as Holland pressed on in search of goals

The second came from Luuk de Jong to cap off a comfortable evening for Frank de Boer’s team

De Boer has come under fire for Holland’s mixed record after he took charge last September

De Jong cracked away a powerful effort from close range with Latvia’s defence scrambling 

Stephanie Frappart is the first female match official to oversee to a men’s World Cup qualifier

Around 5,000 spectators were allowed into the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam on Saturday




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