Euro 2016 qualifier: Hiddink furious with last-minute Dutch loss

Draw would have been better than 2-1 defeat against Czechs, says coach.

THE HAGUE:

The Netherlands’ coach Guus Hiddink was so enraged after his team’s last-minute loss to the Czech Republic on Tuesday that he had to take time to calm down ahead of a television interview.

The newly-appointed Hiddink’s emotional outburst followed Holland’s stoppage-time 2-1 defeat in their opening Euro 2016 qualifying Group A fixture.

“I was raging with anger. I needed to calm down,” said Hiddink, after arriving more than half-an-hour late for an interview with Dutch public broadcaster NOS.

“You can’t lose like this in the last second. That’s why I’ve stayed away a bit longer. Surely you can go home with a 1-1 score. But we stupidly gave it away. I’m seething with anger again.”

In a heated exchange with NOS presenter Jack van Gelder why the ‘Oranjes’ started with a 5-3-2 system and not a more attacking 4-3-3 formation, Hiddink angrily retorted, “You yourself this week told me: ‘perhaps we should fall back in our formation’.”

Conte happy with ‘great’ performance

Simone Zaza and Leonardo Bonucci were on target as Italy eased to a 2-0 win to the liking of their new coach Antonio Conte in their opening Euro 2016 qualifying Group H fixture away to Norway in Oslo.

“In nine days we have already done great things,” said Conte, whose reign began with a 2-0 friendly win against the Netherlands last Thursday.

“It will not be easy for anyone to come and play in Norway. And I don’t remember [goalkeeper Gianluigi] Buffon getting his gloves dirty, while we created numerous chances.”

Striker Zaza, winning just his second cap, opened the scoring before defender Bonucci headed home just after the hour mark as the Azzurri marked Antonio Conte’s first competitive game as coach with a victory to launch their bid to reach the European Championship finals in France.

“It has been a dream week for me,” said Zaza. “Now my objective is to keep my place in the team. The work of a striker is tiring, but if you want to play in this side you need to run.”

In another Euro 2016 qualifier, Real Madrid star Gareth Bale’s scored in the 22nd and the 81st minute to save Wales’s blushes  as they came from 1-0 down to beat minnows Andorra 2-1 in their opening Euro 2016 qualifier.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 11^th, 2014.

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