"We’re going to be facing three sides – Turkey, Hungary and Romania – with different styles. They’ll be our main rivals, with Turkey looking like the biggest danger in terms of beating us to top spot." Netherlands coach Bert ...
Favourites in a group featuring “four genuine football nations” according to coach Bert van Marwijk, the Netherlands cannot expect to have everything their own way.
The draw for the European zone yielded some potentially thrilling sections, with local rivalries set to be stirred and the world champions left to do battle with another winner of football's ultimate prize.
Goals from Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey gave the US a 2-1 come-from-behind win over Turkey as the team prepare to depart for South Africa.
Switzerland and Slovakia seized Europe's last two automatic berths in South Africa, while Portugal, Greece, Slovenia and Ukraine made the play-offs.
Fatih Terim's second reign as Turkey boss came to an end with a comfortable, if unspectacular, ten-man victory over Group 5's basement side Armenia.