Van Bronckhorst thunderbolt sinks Argentina

Holland beat Argentina with an 87th minute thunderbolt from Arsenal midfielder Giovanni Van Bronckhorst in a high-tempo friendly international.

The match appeared to be heading for a goalless draw when Van Bronckhorst hit a powerful 20-yard shot which gave Argentinian goalkeeper Pablo Cavallero no chance.

Cavallero had almost single-handedly kept his country in the match, beginning in the opening minutes when he pushed away Patrick Kluivert's header from a Clarence Seedorf cross.

Argentina hit back in the seventh minute with a shot from Gustavo Lopez that Ronald Waterreus had trouble handling.

Kluivert came close to opening the scoring in the 19th minute but Cavallero pushed the ball away and Ruud Van Nistelrooy narrowly missed the target from the resulting corner.

The Dutch, in a rebuilding phase after failing to qualify for last year's World Cup finals, were on top at the start of the second half.

Seedorf's volley was blocked by Juan Pablo Sorin after 52 minutes and Kluivert, showing the form that has deserted him for Barcelona, was denied again by Cavallero in the 66th minute.

As the minutes ticked away, the clincher for Dick Advocaat's side came when Seedorf picked out Van Bronckhorst on a counter-attack and his shot nestled in the Argentinian net to make it 1-0.