Netherlands, one of the main favourites for Euro 2012, stumbled to a shock 2-1 defeat by Bulgaria at the Amsterdam Arena in Saturday`s international friendly.
|Last Updated: May 27, 2012, 08:22 AM IST|Source: Bureau
Amsterdam: Netherlands, one of the main favourites for Euro 2012, stumbled to a shock 2-1 defeat by Bulgaria at the Amsterdam Arena in Saturday`s international friendly.
Robin van Persie gave the Dutch side the lead shortly before the half-time whistle, only for Ivelin Popov to restore parity from the spot in the second half. Iliyan Mitsanski then stunned the home crowd when he netted a dramatic winner well into stoppage time.
The hosts started the match by showing their attacking intentions, and produced their first chance after nine minutes of play. Wesley Sneijder set up Rafael van der Vaart inside the area, but the Spurs star attempted to pick out Klaas-Jan Huntelaar rather than fire a shot towards the Bulgaria goal, and the opportunity dissipated.
Oranje came close to opening the scoring midway through the first half after a corner from Sneijder, but John Heitinga failed to tap home from close range.
Bulgaria then gave the Dutch side a scare in the 44th minute when Valeri Bojinov rattled the crossbar with a well taken free kick from the edge of the box.
But right on the stroke of half-time, Van Persie handed Netherlands the lead after a brilliant pass from Sneijder. The Inter playmaker spotted the forward`s run cutting inside from the right, before chipping the ball over the Bulgarian defence. The Arsenal striker couldn`t miss from 10 yards out as calmly placed his shot past the goalkeeper.
Bulgaria restored parity shortly after the interval. A cross from the right hit the sliding Van der Vaart on his arm, prompting the referee to point to the spot. Ivelin Popov stepped up for the penalty, and beat Tim Krul with a low shot down the middle.
Bert van Marwijk`s men went in search for another goal as young defender Jetro Willems caused the Bulgarian defence countless problems with his runs forward, and in one instance, his superb cross saw Huntelaar flash his header just marginally wide.
The Lions occasionally threatened on the counterattack, and Stanislav Manolev almost made it 2-1 for the away side in the 70th minute. However, his right-footed volley from 20 yards out just missed the target at the far post.
Bulgaria did get their second goal well into stoppage time to complete an upset. Manolev sent in a perfect cross for Mitsanski, who found the net with a precise header from a narrow angle.
Netherlands take on Slovakia on Wednesday as they continue their preparations for Euro 2012. Bulgaria`s next game is the friendly at home against Turkey on May 29.
Goal.com
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.