Arjen Robben limps off in Netherlands' 6-1 win
Netherlands winger Arjen Robben injured his left hamstring Saturday and will undergo scans to determine if he will recover in time to play at the World Cup.
The injury to one of the Netherlands' most dangerous forwards came after he scored two goals as a second-half substitute in a 6-1 rout of Hungary in a friendly at Amsterdam Arena.
``He felt a sharp pain. That can't be good,'' Netherlands coach Bert Van Marwijk said. ``Treatment for these injuries has improved hugely, so I'm not giving up hope yet.''
The Netherlands' first match at the World Cup is against Denmark on June 14.
Robben, an injury-prone Bayern Munich winger, fell awkwardly after cutting inside from the right and trying to deliver a deft pass to the right with his left foot. He immediately clutched his left leg just above the knee and grimaced in pain.
After treatment on the field, he limped off and made his way slowly to the changing rooms.
The Netherlands squad was flying to South Africa on Saturday night without Robben. Van Marwijk said Robben would head to the hospital for scans on Sunday to establish the seriousness of the injury.
Robben's was the latest in a string of injuries to top players at the World Cup. It came a day after England captain Rio Ferdinand and Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba were hurt.
Robben has been in the form of his life this season, and his goals helped Bayern reach the Champions League final.
Saturday's second-half appearance was Robben's first in three World Cup warmups for the Dutch because he had been nursing a hip injury.
Replacing Dirk Kuyt, Robben's impact was immediate. He provided dangerous passes from the right as well as repeatedly cutting inside with the ball and unleashing curling left foot shots - one of them providing his second goal. He tapped in his first goal at the far post after a cross from Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
``I hope he's OK, because he's a very important player for us,'' Robin van Persie said. ``Everyone is down now.''
Van Marwijk said he would await the results of tests before considering a possible replacement.
Dutch preparations for the World Cup had been going smoothly, with all players fit and in form. The team scored 12 goals and conceded three in three straight warmup victories over Mexico, Ghana and Hungary.
But that was all overshadowed Saturday as a disconsolate Robben hobbled off the field.
``I would rather have lost the game and had a fit Robben,'' Van Marwijk said.
Van Persie, Wesley Sneijder, Mark van Bommel and Eljero Elia also scored for the Netherlands against an outclassed Hungary.
Balazs Dzudzsak had given Hungary the lead in the sixth minute after Van Bronckhorst gave him too much room.
But the Netherlands dominated the rest of the match, with Van Bommel, Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart controlling the midfield and releasing repeated attacks down both flanks.
Elia scored the best Dutch goal of the match just a minute after coming on in the 73rd as a substitute. The left winger beat three defenders and sent a shot through the legs of a fourth to make it 5-1 before Robben scored his second and then got injured.
But Elia said Robben's injury cast a shadow over post-match celebrations.
``In the changing room you saw everybody thinking about it. Nobody talked about our victory,'' Elia said. ``I couldn't care less about my goal. Arjen is very important for us.''
Robben was not the only Dutch injury worry. Center back John Heitinga was substituted after about an hour and his ankle was immediately wrapped in ice.
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Lineups:
Netherlands: Maarten Stekelenburg, Gregory van der Wiel, John Heitinga (Andre Ooijer, 61), Joris Mathijsen, Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Demy de Zeeuw, 78), Mark van Bommel, Dirk Kuyt (Arjen Robben, 46), Nigel de Jong, Robin van Persie (Klaas Jan Huntelaar, 68), Wesley Sneijder (Eljero Elia, 73), Rafael van der Vaart (Ibrahim Afellay, 78).
Hungary: Marton Fulop, Laszlo Bodnar (Zsolt Laczko, 75), Vilmos Vanczak, Roland Juhasz, Zoltan Szelesi, Boldizsar Bodor, Balazs Dzudzsak, Gabor Horvath (Krisztian Vadocz, 78), Sandor Torghelle (Akos Elek, 58), Tamas Priskin, Szabolcs Huszti (Janos Lazok, 68).