dutch denied by stubborn scotland published: monday 6 october 2003, 10.30cet
guus hiddink's side enjoyed the better of the chances but scotland showed impressive cohesion to open their group a campaign with a point.
scotland and the netherlands started their group a campaigns with a goalless draw in birmingham.
normally host to the claret and blue of aston villa fc, villa park was on this occasion a wall of altogether different colour and sound, from the bagpipes of 'the tartan army' to the trumpets of the oranje's travelling contingent. the dutch were not at their fluent best but could nevertheless have emerged victorious had they converted one of a series of chances far more presentable than any of those carved out by scotland.
guus hiddink's team were without the suspended danny blind but looked no less threatening going forward in the absence of their captain. they soon made their presence felt and were unfortunate not to go in front early on, andy goram doing superbly to deny clarence seedorf. dennis bergkamp, more advanced than was his wont at the time, spurned two further opportunities before the break as the dutch continued to dominate.
seeford had a splendid chance to earn their just reward eight minutes into the second half but failed to make sufficient contact with gaston taument's cross. though craig brown's side failed to provide edwin van der sar with too stern a test, they displayed impressive resilience and cohesion to leave their opponents frustrated.
