Serbia & Montenegro v The Netherlands - Preview

Dutch flair to test iron Serb defence

Dutch forward Arjen Robben controls the ball during a training session in Freiburg, 08 June 2006, ahead of the FIFA World Cup. The Netherlands will face Serbia and Montenegro, Argentina and Ivory Coast in the Group C of the tournament. AFP PHOTO/MARTIN BUREAU

The attacking flair of the Netherlands will come up against the armour-plated defence of Serbia and Montenegro when the two sides meet in their opening Group C game Sunday.

Netherland's player Ruud van Nistelrooy (R) vies with Republic of Ireland's player Alan Maybury (L), during their friendly football match at the Amsterdam Arena, 05 June 2004, one week before the beginning of the European championships in Portugal. AFP PHOTO FRANCOIS GUILLOT

The justly-dubbed "group of death" also includes two-time World Cup winners Argentina and Ivory Coast, and the scap for points should be ruthless.

Dutch coach Marco van Basten has a wealth of attacking options from which to choose.

They include Chelsea's Arjen Robben, Feyenoord's Dirk Kuyt, Arsenal's Robin van Persie and Ruud van Nistlerooy, a feared goal scorer with something to prove given his current state of limbo at Manchester United after falling out with Alex Ferguson.

Dutch history lesson

With van Basten employing a 4-3-3 system with two wingers, the onus will be on the forwards to break down Serbia and Montenegro's teak-tough defence.

Dutch coach Marco van Basten is seen during the friendly test macth Netherlands vs. Mexico, ahead of the 2006 World Cup, 01 june 2006 at the Philips stadium in Eindhoven. Netherlands won 2-1. AFP PHOTO MAARTJE BLIJDENSTEIN

Montenegro might just have voted for independence from larger cousin Serbia, but their defence was united enough to remarkably leak only one goal in 10 qualifying games, that in a 1-1 draw with Spain.

But they too recognise that they will have their work cut out to contain the Dutch, who had the best points-per-game average in qualifying of all of the 32 nations taking part in the World Cup - despite being grouped with the Czech Republic, Romania, Finland and Macedonia in their qualifiers.

"I hope that in effect our performances (in Germany) in 1974 and 1988 are not merely coincidental," said van Basten, who took over the reins from Dick Advocaat following Euro 2004 when the Dutch went out in the semi-finals.

"Instead I would like us to rubberstamp the idea that we feel good when we play in Germany.

"We should benefit from playing so close to home," van Basten said as 15,000 fans turned out to watch the first public Dutch training session in Freiburg on Thursday.

Serbian-Montenegro National soccer team poses during the friendly football match against Tunisia in preparation of the FIFA 2006 World Cup in Germany at Rades Stadium in Tunis 01 March 2006. Serbia won 1-0.

"We sense this enthusiasm. It is now for the players to take that onto the pitch," said the coach who raised some eyebrows before the tournament when he ditched several of the old guard such as midfielders Clarence Seedorf and Edgar Davids, who were often linked with dressing room dissent.

Serb defender Goran Gavrancic, who plays for Dynamo Kiev, said: "It is realistic that we can record a good result against the Netherlands.

"We have the best defence in the qualifiers, and the Netherlands has the best attack. We want to stop them showing it against us."