Van Nistelrooy has scored 14 goals for the Netherlands. Story Tools
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AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -- Ruud van Nistelrooy fired a hat-trick as the Dutch destroyed Scotland's dream of a trip to next year's Euro 2004 finals with a ruthless display.
It finished 6-0, but the painful reality for the Scots, who scored a memorable 1-0 first leg triumph, was that it could easily have been far worse.
Manchester United striker Van Nistelrooy ensured he took the headlines with goals after 37, 51 and 67 minutes.
But 19-year-old Ajax midfielder Wesley Sneijder, one of four changes made by Dick Advocaat from the team beaten in Glasgow, was every bit as much the architect of victory.
After settling nerves with a superbly struck shot for a 14th minute opener, the teenager went on to deliver two perfect free-kicks which Andre Ooijer and van Nistelrooy finished to ensure the Dutch could start booking their ticket for Portugal by half-time.
A header from Frank de Boer after 65 minutes and two more from van Nistelrooy completed the rout after the break and left Scotland in disarray.
Having held out so resolutely on Saturday, the limitations of Scotland's defenders were cruelly exposed in the absence of the suspended Christian Dailly.
A nervous open ten minutes, in which Slovakian referee Lubos Michel dished out three yellow cards, soon gave way to a period of sustained Dutch pressure.
Still gasping for breath, the Scots defense was caught lying too deep to defend the move that led to Holland's opening goal.
Taking possession in the center circle, Sneijder turned effortlessly away from Neil McCann's challenge and advanced to within 25 yards of goal before unleashing an impeccable right-foot drive that skidded into the bottom corner.
Holland's tempo briefly eased in the aftermath of the goal and Scotland might have been able to make a match of it if Lee Wilkie had been able to make more of the Darren Fletcher free-kick that found him unmarked beyond the back post in the 25th minute.
As it was, the Dundee defender could only hit the side-netting and seven minutes later the Dutch claimed the second goal they needed to get them to Portugal.
Jackie McNamara's block on Marc Overmars gave the Dutch a free-kick on the left of the penalty area and Sneijder's whipped delivery was flicked past Rab Douglas by PSV Eindhoven defender Ooijer.
Van Nistelrooy's second came with a deft chip over Douglas six minutes after the restart.
Frank de Boer made it five with a near post header van der Meyde's 65th minute corner and van Nistelrooy completed his hat-trick two minutes later.
Van Nistelrooy's departure a quarter of an hour from the end deprived him of the chance to add to his tally of 14 goals in 29 international appearances.
