[NETHERLANDS-ITALY REPORT CARD] Spurred by a controversial Ruud van Nistelrooy goal scored while opposing defender Christian Panucci lay just off the field after a collision, the Netherlands added breathtaking counterattack goals by Wesley Sneijder and Giovanni van Bronckhorst while thrashing four-time world champion Italy, 3-0. The Dutch thus take control of Group C. The Italians must climb out of the basement with no points and a minus-3 goal difference. Soccer America's Ridge Mahoney grades the players.

Netherlands Player Ratings
GRADE PLAYER (CLUB) GP/G
7 Edwin van der Sar (Man. United) 126/0
7 Andre Ooijer (Blackburn Rovers) 38/2
6 Khalid Boulahrouz (Sevilla) 23/0
7 Joris Mathijsen (Hamburg) 33/2
9 Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord) 79/5
6 Nigel de Jong (Hamburg) 24/0
7 Orlando Engelaar (Twente) 7/0
8 Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool) 39/7
7 Rafael van der Vaart (Hamburg) 56/10
8 Wesley Sneijder (Real Madrid) 46/10
7 Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid) 62/32
Subs:
nr John Heitinga (Ajax) 37/5
4 Robin van Persie (Arsenal) 25/7
6 Ibrahim Afellay (PSV) 6/0

Italy Player Ratings
GRADE PLAYER (CLUB) GP/G
7 Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus) 83/0
4 Christian Panucci (Roma) 54/3
3 Andrea Barzagli (Palermo) 23/0
2 Marco Materazzi (Inter Milan) 41/2
4 Gianluca Zambrotta (Barcelona) 72/2
3 Massimo Ambrosini (AC Milan) 32/0
4 Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan) 47/6
4 Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan) 59/1
2 Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus) 36/4
4 Luca Toni (Bayern Munich) 35/15
3 Antonio Di Natale (Udinese) 19/7

Subs:
6 Fabio Grosso (Lyon) 32/3
5 Antonio Cassano (Sampdoria) 12/3
5 Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus) 87/27