Netherlands, France Reach the Semifinals
Patrick Kluivert scored a record four goals Sunday to lead the Netherlands into the semifinals of the European Championship.
Kluivert’s four goals in a 6-1 victory over Yugoslavia in Rotterdam was the greatest individual scoring performance in European Championship history.
Raul Gonzalez, meanwhile, couldn’t manage to score on a penalty kick for Spain, which was eliminated in an agonizing loss to World Cup champion France. Raul--the star of the Spanish team--sailed his penalty kick over the bar in the last minute, allowing the World Cup champion French to hang on for a 2-1 victory in Bruges, Belgium. He covered his face with his shirt while leaving the field.
In the semifinals, France plays Portugal Wednesday in Brussels and the Netherlands takes on Italy Thursday in Amsterdam. The championship is Sunday in Rotterdam.
The Netherlands had the most goals by one team in a game in tournament history.
“It was incredible and no one could ever have thought this,” Kluivert said. “We were the masters of this match.”
Kluivert became the tournament’s top scorer with six goals, surpassing Yugoslavia’s Savo Milosevic. Milosevic scored Yugoslavia’s lone goal in injury time to give him five for the tournament.
Before a crowd of singing and dancing fans dressed in orange, the Netherlands took a 2-0 lead at the half on goals by Kluivert in the 24th and 38th minutes. His other goals came in the 51st and 54th minutes before Coach Frank Rijkaard removed him in the 60th minute.
All of the scoring in the France-Spain match came in the first half. France took a 2-1 lead on a goal by Youri Djorkaeff in the 44th minute off a pass from Patrick Vieira. Earlier, Zinedine Zidane of France curled in a free kick in the 33rd minute and Gaizka Mendieta of Spain converted a penalty kick in the 38th.
The play that decided Spain’s fate--Raul’s missed penalty kick--came after French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez pulled down Abelardo Fernandez in the 90th minute. Raul took the shot because Mendieta--the regular penalty-kick taker--had been substituted, and he sent the ball way over the bar.
