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European Qualifiers Group 1 - Netherlands Looking To Keep Top-Spot For Good!

Submitted by Scott Harkness on Wed, 07/09/2005 - 03:16.

Group 1 Overview:

With the Netherlands in pole-position in Group 1, the Dutch team will be looking to consolidate their position with a win against Andorra later today. Second place team Romania, currently with 22 points with only one game left to play, are three points behind the leaders Holland, but having played two games more than any other of the top team's, are being chased down by the Czech Republic (21 points).

The Netherlands are also still to play FYR Macedonia, and their fellow group rivals, the Czech Republic in October, so the Dutch will be wanting to win their games against both Andorra, and the FYR Macedonia to totally guarantee their berth in next summer's finals in Germany.

Currently in third place in Group 1 on 21 points, the Czech Republic have it all to play for. With today's game against bottom-placed Armenia, they will have a chance to increase their goal-tally against a team who have managed only one win, one draw, and with eight losses to date, with a concession of 21 goals.

With the next hurdle for the Czech's being Finland, who are now without chance of qualification, a win is a necessity, and the hope that, somehow, they are given a lifeline by one of the teams playing the "Men in Orange".

If the Netherlands are to slip up however, in what may be prove to be the deciding game of the group, the Czech Republic host the Netherlands on the 8th of October, who, without a win against the Czech's, will still be looking to seal their place in the final's against FYR Macedonia on the 12th October.

Even though a play-off place for the Czech Republic is almost a definite, the Czech team will be looking to take this to the wire, and with the game against the Dutch having so much gravitas, it will no doubt be an epic contest to watch.


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