Advocaat asks Dutch to deliver

Cause for concern
That the Netherlands did neither in Tuesday's 1-1 draw with Germany has been a cause for some concern back home, but Advocaat insisted that positives could be taken from the game.

'Not so bad'
"I read in the German media that they felt good about the result and had played their best match for a few years," he said. "I couldn't understand why the Dutch media said we played so poorly. If they played that well, we couldn't have been that bad."

Late equaliser
A lethargic Dutch performance was saved by Ruud van Nistelrooij's late strike after Torsten Frings had given Germany a first-half lead. But the Netherlands only really roused themselves after the late introduction of Pierre van Hooijdonk as a target man alongside the Manchester United FC forward.

Formation debate
Advocaat, however, refused to disclose whether he would be making changes for the fixture in Aveiro, as debate continues to rage in Holland as to whether room should be made in the side for a second striker - notably Patrick Kluivert.

'More guts'
"I cannot say whether I'll select the side that played well in the second half against Germany because I have to take the whole match into account," Advocaat said. "The team didn't get better because of the substitutions but because they showed more guts. They also showed more aggression when they were 1-0 down."

Seedorf fit
One option could be the introduction of midfield player Clarence Seedorf, who has declared himself fit after a hamstring strain. Arjen Robben is also available after a similar problem, but Advocaat argued that the winger needed more time. "After watching him in training I don't think he's sharp enough," he said.

Qualifying defeat
Advocaat's worries are not confined to his own team. The Czech Republic may have struggled to break down Latvia in their opener, but the Netherlands will need no reminding of their 3-1 defeat by Karel Brückner's side in qualifying last September.

Stam versus Koller
Colossus Jan Koller scored the opening goal that night, and defender Jaap Stam knows he will have another battle on his hands at the Estádio Municipal de Aveiro. "I'm looking forward to playing against him because that kind of physical duel is enjoyable," he said.

'Wide open'
It is a duel that could make or break Advocaat's team, but the coach goes into the game with confidence. "We may not have the best team in the championship, so we have to be realistic," he said. "But we always enter a tournament with intentions of winning it. We've only played one game, one draw, so everything is still open for us."