Netherlands beat Canada in quality game

A fiery, physical, high-quality Olympic hockey match ended Wednesday with a 5-2 victory for the Netherlands over Canada.

With Canada fighting for their lives, and the Netherlands fighting to restore credibility, their men's Pool A showdown always promised to be something special and it did not disappoint.

The scoring spree was the perfect tonic for the Dutch, who had been held scoreless by minnows Malaysia in their previous match.

Striker Teun de Nooijer was at his explosive best, taking nine shots on goal and hitting home with two of them, while Bram Lomans, Stephan Veen and Remco van Wijk also scored.

The match featured several tough duels, particularly between Erik Jazet and Scott Mosher, who staged a running battle which typified the intensity of the match.

''This was a must-win game for us and I was happy with the way our players kept their control and self-discipline,'' said Dutch coach Maurits Hendriks.

''We are not in our top form yet, but this was a big improvement. I was pleased with the way we took the match into our hands after Canada drew level at one-all.''

Mail your comments