Katwijk, Aug 19: The Netherlands' team of soccer all-stars need no motivating for Wednesday's friendly international against historic rivals Belgium. Dick Advokaat's impressive squad, which includes strikers Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Patrick Kluivert , Roy Makaay and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink are in confident mood following an impressive run in Euro 2004 qualifying. Manchester United's Van Nistelrooy, who set a new Premiership record of scoring in nine successive games on Saturday, can still see room for improvement. He said : " I think we need to be a little bit more direct, I think we get a lot of posssession but we don't really get enough chances. " Fellow striker Roy Makaay, who joined Bayern Munich from Deportivo La Coruna for a club record 18.75 euros (21.12 millian US dollars) in the close season confirmed he was still not fully fit. He said his aim was " to get fit as quick as possible, to get a lot of games, because that's the problem at the moment I didn't make a lot of games, just two with Bayern so that's why it's important with the national team so I get a little bit of rhythm and I can be fit as soon as possible." The Netherlands, who provided one of the recent shocks in world football when they failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, have had far more improved Euro 2004 campaign, with four wins and one draw out of five matches.



It is a record which leaves them equal on points with the Czech Republic at the top of Group three.


Bureau Report