Stuttgart, Germany (My Sportsbook) - The Netherlands advanced to the Round of 16 and knocked out Group C contender Cote d'Ivoire Friday after defeating the African nation, 2-1, at the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadion. The Netherlands arrived in Stuttgart with confidence after defeating Serbia & Montenegro, 1-0, in its opening match. The Ivory Coast, however, came into the game after suffering a 2-1 loss last Saturday to Argentina. The Dutch opened the scoring in the 23rd minute as striker Robin van Persie curled the ball into the top corner from 22 yards out. Minutes later, Ruud Van Nistelrooij doubled the Netherlands' lead as he rifled Arjen Robben's assist past Ivory Coast goalkeeper Jean-Jacques Tizie. Refusing a shutout, Cote d'Ivoire rallied in the 38th minute as forward Bakari Kone slid past the Dutch defense and fired into Edwin van der Sar's top corner to cut the Netherlands lead to one. Despite their few scoring opportunities in the second half, the Africans ultimately could not find the equalizer to stay in Group C contention. The Netherlands will look to clinch the top spot in Group C when it faces Argentina Wednesday in Frankfurt. The South Americans devastated Serbia and Montenegro, 6-0, Friday in Gelsenkirchen to capture their second win. |
