France edge five-goal thriller as Holland pays tribute to Cruyff on emotional night at Amsterdam Arena ... and No 14 hits the winner
HOLLAND 2-3 FRANCE: IN AMSTERDAM:
- Atletico Madrid winger Antoine Griezmann gave France an early lead, scoring a stunning free kick on six minutes
- Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud doubled Les Bleus' advantage with a close-range finish shortly after
- Dutch striker Luuk de Jong pulled a goal back early in the second half amid suspicions of handball
- Stoke City's Ibrahim Afellay drew Holland level, converting a clever set piece routine
- Blaise Matuidi scored a late winner for France after latching on to Anthony Martial's through ball
- The friendly was brought to a halt on 14 minutes to stage a 60-second applause for the departed Johan Cruyff
- Former Holland, Ajax and Barcelona star Cruyff passed away on Thursday after a battle with lung cancer
There wasn't a dry eye in the house. Or in the whole of Holland. Or indeed anywhere that appreciates beautiful football. As the clock ticked into the 14th minute, the soon-to-be-renamed Johan Cruyff Arena rose as one and celebrated the great man just departed with all the gusto you'd expect. Everywhere you looked, flags, banners and homemade placards bearing Cruyff's iconic shirt number, 14, were proudly held aloft. The 22 players stood, frozen in time, and applauded a truly blessed footballer they can only ever aspire to be. This fitting tribute during Holland's friendly with France was the most high-profile expression of a nation's outpouring of grief at the loss of its most revered footballing son, who died on Thursday at the age of 68.
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