Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored a hat trick Friday as the Netherlands overpowered San Marino 5-0 in the World Cup finalists' opening qualifier for the 2012 European Championship.
Huntelaar scored once in the first half and twice after the break. Dirk Kuyt opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 16th minute.
Veteran striker Ruud van Nistelrooy scored the fifth goal in the 90th minute after coming on as a substitute for his first international since the quarterfinals of Euro 2008.
The Netherlands was playing without injured striker Robin van Persie and winger Arjen Robben, but didn't need them against the largely amateur outfit from the tiny republic in central Italy.
Despite the dominant scoreline, coach Bert van Marwijk was not happy about his team's sluggish start.
''We created too few chances in the first half,'' he said.
Midfield enforcer Mark van Bommel was playing his first match as captain after having taken over from Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who retired after the 1-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup final in Johannesburg.
''I'm very proud to be wearing this arm band,'' Van Bommel said. ''These are tricky nights. In the first half, we had good intentions but missed the final pass.''
What chances there were fell to Huntelaar, who brought his international tally to 19 goals in 37 appearances.
After having a goal disallowed for offside in the 13th minute, he won the penalty that Kuyt converted three minutes later when he was pulled down by Alessandro Della Valle.
Andy Selva, San Marino's all-time scorer with eight goals, almost snatched a shock equalizer in the 28th minute when he unleashed a looping 40-meter volley that just cleared the bar as goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg scrambled backward.
But the Netherlands made it 2-0 in the 38th when a quickly taken free kick found Kuyt on the right, and he crossed for Huntelaar to slide the ball under goalkeeper Aldo Simoncini from close range.
Wesley Sneijder twice hit free kicks over the bar in first-half injury time.
Van Marwijk signaled more attacking intent in the second half by bringing on new Tottenham signing Rafael van der Vaart as an extra attacking midfielder in place of the more defensive Nigel de Jong.
The move paid nearly immediate dividends when Van der Vaart picked up a pass from Kuyt and calmly slipped the ball to an unmarked Huntelaar, who fired home from near the penalty spot to make it 3-0 in the 48th minute.
Huntelaar scored his hat trick in the 67th courtesy of a nice buildup, again instigated by Van der Vaart. The midfielder backheeled the ball to Kuyt, who found Huntelaar in a crowded area.
Van Nistelrooy rounded off the scoring by volleying home Gregory van der Wiel's cross from the right.
''It was great to be back on the pitch,'' Van Nistelrooy said. ''It was a nothing match, but a nice goal.''
Van Marwijk's team returns home to face Finland on Tuesday in Rotterdam, while San Marino travels to Malmo to take on Sweden in Group e.
San Marino could at least take some consolation from doing better against the World Cup runner-up than it did when it opened Euro 2006 qualifying with a 13-0 defeat to Germany.
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Lineups:
San Marino: Aldo Simoncini, Fabio Vitaioli, Damiano Vannucci, Maicol Berretti, Alessandro Della Valle, Davide Simoncini (Simone Bacciocchi, 61), Carlo Valentini, Pier Filippo Mazza, Manuel Marani (Alex Gasperoni, 76), Andy Selva, Matteo Vitaioli (Nicola Ciacci, 82).
Netherlands: Maarten Stekelenburg, Gregory van der Wiel, Hedwiges Maduro, Joris Mathijsen, Erik Pieters, Nigel de Jong (Rafael van der Vaart, 45), Mark van Bommel, Wesley Sneijder, Eljero Elia (Ibrahim Afellay, 59), Dirk Kuyt (Ruud van Nistelrooy, 68), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.
