Key facts
• The Netherlands rarely looked in trouble in Group G and qualified with a game to spare.• Romania proved to be the Netherlands’ most serious rivals, holding them to a 0-0 draw in Rotterdam and then progressing to the finals with a 1-0 win against Marco van Basten’s side in challenging conditions in Constanta.• Qualification was assured with a 1-0 home win against Luxembourg. The minnows withstood a Dutch onslaught but went down to a solitary Danny Koevermans goal.• They finished second in the section after an unexpected 2-1 defeat in Belarus in their final qualifier.
• Besides qualification for Austria and Switzerland, another major positive from the Dutch campaign was the opportunity given the stars of their 2006 and 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship winning squads to impress at senior level. Up until the end of EURO 2008 qualifying, the Netherlands had played 117 matches in the UEFA European Championship. Their record read: 72 wins, 22 draws and 23 losses with 241 goals scored and 91 conceded.
• The Dutch did not participate in the 1960 UEFA European Championship.
from: http://en.euro2008.uefa.com
Tags: Euro 2008, screensaver
