Cocu praises Dutch defensive strength

FREIBURG, Germany, June 12 (Reuters) Dutch midfielder Phillip Cocu said his team showed the defensive strength needed for a successful World Cup in the 1-0 win over Serbia&Montenegro in Group C.

Winger Arjen Robben sealed the win with a goal after 17 minutes and received all the plaudits for a dazzling display. But Cocu said the overall performance was very satisfying.

''We played with a man in front of our defence and that gave us the advantage that when we recovered possession of the ball we always had a free man,'' Cocu told Reuters.

''That system means our central defenders were often in one- on-one situations but they handled them very well.'' The Dutch defence has been coach Marco van Basten's main concern in preparations after selecting an inexperienced squad for the tournament.

The Dutch reached the final in 1974, the last time the World Cup was staged in Germany. They were also beaten finalists in 1978 and reached the semifinals 20 years later.

Cocu believes there is still room for improvement if the new generation is to match those feats.

''We gave the ball away too much and should have scored the second goal to make it all easier,'' he added.

With the opening win the Netherlands stretched their unbeaten streak in competitive matches to 13.

Argentina beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in the other Group C match on Saturday night. The Dutch play Ivory Coast in Stuttgart on Friday.

REUTERS PDS ND1822