Depay hits brace in Holland win
Paris, Sept. 7: World Cup winners France were held to a 0- 0 draw by Germany in Munich in a flat start to the new Uefa Nations League on Thursday, as Gareth Bale starred in a big win for Wales.
The heavyweight showdown at the Allianz Arena between the last two winners of the World Cup looked like the perfect game to mark the opening night of the new international competition.
However, on a rainy night in Bavaria, the meeting of the last two world champions never really sparked into life, although the French were grateful to goalkee per A l p h o n s e Areola for a Amsterdam, Sept. 7: Wesley Sneijder turned out for the Netherlands for the 134th and final time on Thursday as Memphis Depay’s brace secured a 21 friendly win over Peru here.
On an emotional night at the Johan Cruyff Arena, Dutch coach Ronald Koeman handed over the captain’s armband to Sneijder, who is now 34.
Sneijder, the former Real Madrid and Inter Milan playmaker who moved to Al Gharafa of Qatar earlier this year, took the microphone and encouraged fans to join him for a beer on their way out of the stadium.
A star of the Dutch team that got to the 2010 World Cup final, Sneijder received a warm ovation from the 50,000 fans at the home of Ajax, the club where he began his career.
The most- capped Dutch player of all time, who won his first cap in 2003, leaves behind a team trying to rebuild after failing couple of fine saves in the second half.
Areola was starting in goal in place of the injured Hugo Lloris, winning his first cap in the only change made by France coach Didier Deschamps compared to the side that started the World Cup final win over Croatia in July.
The Paris SaintGermain goalkeeper intervened brilliantly to deny Marco Reus and keep out a Matthias Ginter header, while Antoine Griezmann’s well- struck shot that was saved by Manuel Neuer was as close as France came.
The Netherlands are the other team in Group 1 of League A, and Ronald Koeman’s team travel to Paris on Sunday, when to qualiy for Euro 2016 or the last World Cup.
Koeman is trying to build a side capable of making it to Euro 2020 built around Liverpool centre- back Virgil van Dijk and also featuring young Ajax starlet Matthijs de Ligt.
They fell behind against the Peruvians through a Pedro Aquino goal early on, but Lyon forward Depay equalised on the hour mark before netting the winner seven minutes from time.
PORTUGAL HOLD
CROATIA
In Faro, Portugal, stand- in captain Pepe delivered to level for Portugal in a 1- 1 draw against World Cup finalists Croatia.
European champions Portugal had to do without their usual captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, after his decision to pull out of the squad to concentrate on making an impact at new club Juventus, where he has yet to find the net.
Croatia, beaten 4- 2 by France in the World Cup final in July, were given the perfect start after Ivan Perisic volleyed home in the 18th minute. The Inter Milan winger, one of the stars of the World Cup in Russia, left Portugal ‘ keeper Rui Patricio with no chance with a fiercelystruck volley.