Euro 2008: Netherland Clobbers Italy 3-0

They called it the "Group of Death," but after Monday's first match, it was clear who the best team in Group C was.

The Netherlands destroyed the Italian team, scoring three goals in remarkable fashion.

The first goal, somewhat disputed, saw Dutch veteran Ruud van Nistelrooy place home a garbage goal for the 1-0 lead.

Then the Dutch turned on the jets. With a stadium clad in orange, Van Nistelrooy and Co. went to work. A beautiful goal from Wesley Sneijder was placed right out of the reach of Italian captain Gianluigi Buffon to make the score two-nil at halftime.

The key to the game was the counterattacks from the Dutch. It was almost a theme throughout the game, as the Azzurri's defense and midfield was simply lost at every opportunity.

One of the best defenders in the world, Gianluca Zambrotta, looked clueless going up for a header against forward Dirk Kuyt, which led to the second Dutch goal.

The unsung hero of this game, however, was Giovanni van Bronckhorst. He was everywhere on the field today, whether he was making slide tackles, challenging for the ball, or even scoring a goal. The Feyenoord club member showed that his skills could take on some of the top players in the world for the Italians.

Admittedly, the Azzurri simply aren't a complete team without defender Fabio Cannavaro. He is the glue that holds the defensive line together, which was horribly exposed today.

Today proved something, though. The Dutch are for real. Many experts predicted the Italians to finish on top of the table with Romania coming in a surprise second, but now the Netherlands have taken a commanding lead on the rest of the group, securing the only victory in the group thus far.

This game may have serious implications as the Euro 2008 competition goes forward, because Germany looms in the distance for the Dutchmen. That would be a classic match-up of two astute offensive squads.