The Hindu : Sport : Do-or-die battle for impressive Ivory Coast

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Friday, Jun 16, 2006

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Do-or-die battle for impressive Ivory Coast

STUTTGART: Ruud van Nistelrooy vs. Didier Drogba is a battle between two of the game's best power forwards. Friday's Group C encounter could also decide whether the Netherlands goes into the second round and Ivory Coast heads home.

Van Nistelrooy had a bad opening game but the Dutch relied instead on the skills of Arjen Robben to get past Serbia & Montenegro 1-0. Drogba scored his country's only goal in the match against Argentina, a 2-1 loss that leaves it facing early elimination from the tournament.

Drogba continued to tend to his injured right knee on Wednesday but Ivory Coast was expected to have a fully-fit squad available, a daunting prospect for Dutch coach Marco van Basten who admires the team's depth. "A lot of them play in the big leagues in Europe, so they are strong. They have a lot of experience," he said.

Most eyes though will be on the 28-year-old Drogba, who earlier this year won the English Premier League title with Chelsea and reached the final of the African Nations Cup.

The Drogba mystique

Van Basten has enough confidence in his defence to withstand the Drogba mystique. "He can score. But we have to worry about the team and won't change everything for one player," he said.

He knows that Ivory Coast has a knack of often changing tactical systems and players, making adaptation plans futile. "They change a lot of players and they also change the system often, and I think what we can do is just focus on ourselves, give attention to our players and also to our type of play. What they do, we cannot tell," he said.

One thing he apparently is not considering is sacrificing Robben and Robin van Persie on the offensive wings to contain the African lateral backs. "No, the other nine players have to help Robben and van Persie as a team to resolve a problem like that," he said.

The Dutch coach is not expected to change his line-up and keep midfielder Rafael van der Vaart on the bench even though he has fully recovered from an ankle injury. His last competitive game was two months ago.

Special attention

The African team has revealed that it will pay special attention to van Nistelrooy and Robben, in essence bolstering its defence. "We are very strong in the attack, but we can't forget that you have to defend, too," warned midfielder Didier Zokora.

Even though van Nistelrooy did not score in the opener, Ivorians realise that he represents a danger. "We know his qualities. He can always score if the ball comes near his feet, so we just have to make sure he doesn't get the ball," said manager Henri Michel.

While a victory would likely propel the Dutch into the next round, the game is critical for Ivory Coast's survival in the tournament. The Elephants could stay alive with a draw but would be finished with a loss. A victory, however, would put Ivory Coast virtually in control of its own destiny entering its final match against Serbia & Montenegro.

Striker Bonaventure Kalou, who spent six years playing in the Netherlands, notably alongside current van Persie and Dirk Kuyt before moving to France with PSG, said the expectations of his country weighed heavy.

Likely line-ups:

The Netherlands: 1-Edwin van der Sar, 14-Johnny Heitinga, 13-Andre Ooijer, 4-Joris Mathijsen, 5-Giovanni van Bronckhorst, 18-Mark van Bommel, 20-Wesley Sneijder, 8-Philip Cocu, 17-Robin van Persie, 9-Ruud van Nistelrooy, 11-Arjen Robben. Coach: Marco van Basten.

Ivory Coast: 1-Jean-Jacques Tizie, 21-Emmanuel Eboue, 4-Kolo Toure, 3-Arthur Boka, 12-Abdoulaye Meite, 5-Didier Zokora, 2-Kanga Akale, 19-Yaya Toure, 15-Aruna Dindane, 18-Abdelkader Keita, 11-Didier Drogba. Coach: Henri Michel.

Referee: Oscar Ruiz (Colombia). — AP

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