Dutch suffer shock, Ronaldo in 70-goal landmark

THE NETHERLANDS’ hopes of reaching the World Cup finals suffered a major setback yesterday when the three-time runners-up slumped to a shock 2-0 defeat to Bulgaria.

The loss left the Dutch six points behind Group A leaders France, who beat Luxembourg 3-1, and down in fourth spot, three back from Sweden and two off Bulgaria with just the group winners guaranteed a place in the 2018 finals in Russia.

“The blame is on me. It falls firmly on my roof. I must now think about it and my employer will be doing the same,” coach Danny Blind told reporters.

“I’ve worked long enough in football to understand how it works. I must now look at myself in the mirror. It can’t carry on like this.”

Blind has won seven and lost seven of his 17 games in charge since taking over in 2015.

“I must be truthful to myself and to the KNVB (the Dutch football association),” he said.

“I must be convinced that I can get things right but we must also be honest and say that getting to Russia is now going to be a lot more difficult.

Elsewhere, Cristiano Ronaldo took his international tally to 70 goals as European champions Portugal beat Hungary 3-0 to stay in second spot behind Switzerland in Group B.

Belgium needed a goal two minutes from time by Romelu Lukaku to salvage a 1-1 draw against nine-man Greece as they stayed two points clear in Group H, although Roberto Martinez’s team lost their 100 percent record in the process.

In Sofia, Bulgaria stunned the Dutch with two goals in the first 20 minutes, both coming from Spas Delev.

Delev pounced on a mistake by 17-year-old Matthijs De Ligt, Holland’s youngest debutant since 1931, who misjudged a pass and allowed the striker to slot the ball past Jeroen Zoet.

Delev then made it 2-0 when he unleashed a stinging right-foot drive past Zoet.

The Dutch dominated large parts of the rest of the game but were thwarted by a solid Bulgarian defence while goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov pulled off a super save in the second period to deny Davy Klaassen.

Group A table-toppers France, the 1998 champions and last year’s Euro 2016 runners-up, saw Olivier Giroud open the scoring in Luxembourg just before the halfhour mark.

Luxembourg levelled after 34 minutes thanks to Aurelien Joachim’s penalty, his country’s first goal against France in 39 years.

But the minnows’ joy was short-lived as Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann restored France’s lead, also from the spot, just four minutes later.

Arsenal star Giroud scored his second of the evening after 77 minutes after being set up by Benjamin Mendy.

In Lisbon, Portugal saw off Hungary, a team they shared six goals with at Euro 2016.

The win kept Portugal in second place in Group B, three points behind Switzerland, who earlier preserved their 100% record with a fifth win in five games, a 1-0 home victory against Latvia.

Porto striker Andre Silva opened the scoring after 30 minutes and skipper Ronaldo doubled the lead six minutes later with a superb left-footed finish. The Real Madrid superstar made it 3-0 on 65 minutes with a clever freekick for his 70th international goal.

“We want to go the World Cup so we have to win our next five matches, they are all finals,” said Portugal coach Fernando Santos.

Belgium stayed top of Group H but only after struggling to a 1-1 draw with Greece. – AFP