Netherlands stomp over lowly Hungary
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP)
Jeremain Lens scored twice to lead the Netherlands to a 4-1 win over Hungary in a qualifier for the 2014 World Cup on Tuesday.
Lens scored his first in the third minute, heading in a pass from the right side by Luciano Narsingh, only for Hungary to equalize four minutes later through a penalty by Balazs Dzsudzsak after Jordy Clasie fouled Zoltan Gera.
The Dutch regained the lead for good in the 19th when Bruno Martens headed in a free kick by Wesley Sneijder.
Serious defensive lapses by Hungary led to the visiting team's last two goals.
Lens scored again in the 53rd when he capitalized on a clearing attempt by midfielder Akos Elek which landed in the middle of the penalty box, while a quickly taken free kick by Clasie caught the Hungary backline flat-footed and allowed Klaas Jan Huntelaar to easily net the fourth goal in the 74th.
''We truly committed some gross individual mistakes but we have to recognize that we were up against a better team,'' Hungary coach Sandor Egervari said.
Hungary's best efforts in the second came near the 60-minute mark, when Tamas Priskin was unable to lift a pass from Vilmos Vanczak over Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg from five meters out and Tamas Hajnal's shot from 20 meters deflected away off a Dutch defender.
The Dutch could have also scored in the 63rd, when Sneijder's kick from 30 meters hit the crossbar.
After two matches, the Netherlands had six points and was second on goal difference in Group D, behind Romania. Hungary wa third ahead of Turkey.
The Netherlands next host Andorra on Oct. 12, when Hungary plays in Estonia and Romania in Turkey.
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