Steven Berghuis and Luuk de Jong put it all together at half-time as the Netherlands won their World Cup qualification back in the way with a 2-0 home win over plucky Latvia on Saturday.
The Dutch were looking for a strong response after a huge 4-2 loss to Turkey in Istanbul on Wednesday at the start of their Group G campaign.
But despite a brutal attack from the start kick – the Dutchman made 11 tries on target in the first 25 minutes – they gave up half an hour to score when Berghuis, who had been waiting, stopped. to his 23rd cap for his first international home goal from the edge of the area.
Steven Berghuis celebrates breaking down the runway for the Netherlands
Latvia defended valiantly for most of the game, but at a 69-minute corner when De Jong returned home the second.
The match was played in front of 5,000 spectators at the Amsterdam Arena as part of a government-backed study on the level of connectivity in crowded situations.
Meanwhile, Ozan Tufan scored two brilliant goals as Turkey on a cruise to a comfortable 3-0 win over Norway, who substituted substitute Kristian Thorstvedt late in the Group G World Cup qualifying campaign on Saturday.
Playing their home game in Malaga due to coronavirus restrictions in Oslo, the Norwegians complained about the Qatar World Cup for the second time in four days by wearing t-shirts that demanded Respect for human rights.
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Norway ‘s selection against Turkey from the FIFA World Cup European Group G
The players also held up their left hand, as a mirror of the international emblem for human rights.
They collapsed quickly when Yusuf Yazici put down the open defense down the left and put in a low cross for the late Tufan to come home in the fourth minute.
Alexander Sorloth could have put his side down in the 26th minute, but his powerful shot went back from the post and was a costly loss when Caglar Soyuncu was left unmarked to go home at a corner. Yazici two minutes later.
Sorloth and Erling Haaland went close to a corner early in the second half but their night came to an end when Tufan filled third place with Turkey with a glorious curling bullet flying in at the far post to make it 3-0 just before the hour mark.
Haaland got the ball in the net shortly afterwards but his attempt to turn upside down was rejected and Turkey held on for a comfortable win to the top of Group G with six points after two games, ahead of Montenegro on goal difference. The Netherlands, who beat Latvia 2-0 in third place on three points, with Norway in fourth place on goal difference.
Elsewhere, Croatia Their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign got back on track after a first-half goal by Mario Pasalic gave them a 1-0 home win. Cyprus in Group H Saturday with captain Luka Modric celebrating 135th international captaincy.
Modric broke the record set by former Croatia defender Darijo Srna and made a convincing display at the Rujevica stadium as Croatia were made to work hard for their victory.
The result left the Croats on three points from two games after a 1-0 loss at Slovenia while Cyprus are one point after a 0-0 draw with Slovakia. Russia topped the group by six points after beating Slovenia 2-1 earlier on Saturday.
Croatia, the second winner for the 2018 World Cup, besieged the Cypriots from the start but were limited to a flurry of crosses and several half-chances before Pasalic broke the stoppage in the 40th minute.
Mitrovic sets a record for how Serbia earns a draw
Aleksandar Mitrovic extended the deficit 40 seconds into the restart
Serbia Striker Aleksandar Mitrovic became the all-time top winner in his country on 39 goals from 63 international appearances after netting in a 2-2 home draw with Portugal in a fantastic group 2022 World Cup Group Saturday.
The Serbs fought back from two goals down to earn a share of the damage when Fulham striker Mitrovic pulled one goal in the 46th minute and Filip Kostic jumped after Diogo Jota’s double to give Portugal a lead 2 -0 in the first half.
Jota shot forward Liverpool Jota ahead of the European champions with an 11-minute goal from brilliant supporter Bernardo Silva and added another in the 36th when he showed home a Cedric Soares cross from the right.
Diogo Jota marks the first of his goals for Portugal against Serbia
But Serbia moved back at their Rajko Mitic stadium and half-time substitute Nemanja Radonjic, who invented both of their goals, roasted his tokens after the break and drew a good save from Portuguese goalkeeper Anthony Lopes.
Serbian defender Nikola Milenkovic was sent off at stoppage time, after being shown a straight red card for a careless tackle on an opponent and a goal that looked like Cristiano Ronaldo was disallowed seconds later.
Ronaldo defeated Serbian goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic for a long ball and put his foot down against a goal only for Stefan Mitrovic for a clean-up but television remakes suggested he had crossed the line.
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Selection of Serbia against Portugal from the European Accreditation Body FIFA World Cup A.
The result left both sides four points from two games as Serbia beat Ireland 3-2 at home in their opening game on Wednesday while Portugal secured a 1-0 victory. on Azerbaijan.
The result also came as a bittersweet milestone for Portuguese coach Fernando Santos, who reached a rare milestone of 1,000 games as head coach at club and international level together in his 33-year career in the dugout.
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Cristiano Ronaldo went off the pitch and threw his captain’s weapon on the floor after the referee disregarded the winner of extra time against Serbia.
Belgium fights back to pull in Prague
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Selection of the Czech Republic against Belgium from FIFA World Cup European Qualification Group E.
Romelu Lukaku celebrates Timothy Castagne after he scratched the balance
Romelu Lukaku’s strike helped in the second half Belgium draw 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic in a World Cup hosting warrant in which both sides have been rejected by the woodwork several times.
Lukas Provod led the home side with his first international goal just after the break when he collected the ball in space and put a long-legged strike past Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
But Lukaku jumped in the 60th minute when he turned defender Ondrej Celustka and fired a shot that knocked the keeper’s right foot into the net.
Both sides continued to attack in search of a winner with a Kevin De Bruyne shot from the edge of the box hitting the woodwork in the 70th minute with Czech defender Jan Boril doing the same in the 84th minute.