Van driving force.Holland frontman front·mann. 1. also front man A man who serves as a nominal leader but who lacks real authority. 2. Music A leading singer with a group. Ruud van Nistelrooy Rutgerus Johannes Martinius van Nistelrooy (originally spelled Van Nistelrooij) (born 1 July 1976 in Oss, North Brabant) is a Dutch footballer who plays as a centre forward for Real Madrid and the Dutch national team. is determined to maintain his sizzling form throughout the Euro 2004 tournament. The Manchester United striker scored two goals in last night's Group D decider against Latvia, where a 3-0 win earned his side qualification to the quarter-final stages. It was no surprise the 27-year-old was voted man of the match by UEFA UEFA Union of European Football Associations UEFA n abbr (= Union of European Football Associations) → U.E.F.A. , an honour few would dispute. Van Nistelrooy said: "This is definitely my best spell with the national team." There was an added satisfaction for the Dutchman as he is now the leading scorer in the tournament with four goals alongside England's young star Wayne Rooney. "Scoring four goals in the European Championships is fantastic. I hope I can go on like this," said van Nistelrooy, who has scored in all of his side's group stage games. Holland's number 10 admitted the hard work was starting to pay off. He said: "I always prepare myself very well. I train hard and I focus on what I want to achieve." It was the focus on getting the all-important win last night, following the disappointing draw against Germany and their dramatic 3-2 loss against the Czechs, which allowed them to progress. Van Nistelrooy added: "The defeat against the Czechs was a big blow but we reacted well and that's what football is all about." Holland now travel to Faro Faro, town, Portugal Faro (fä`rō), town (1991 pop. 31,966), capital of Faro dist. and of Algarve, S Portugal. The southernmost town in Portugal, it is a seaport from which fish, fruit (especially dried figs), wine, and cork are to meet Sweden in the knockout stages on Saturday night. |
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