Strootman hails collective effort

8 September 2012 18:37

Netherlands midfielder Kevin Strootman believes his side's 2-0 win over Turkey was the result of a resolute team performance.

The Dutch were made to work hard to secure their first victory under Louis van Gaal as the visitors created several chances, only to squander them.

"It wasn't about me, but the team as a whole," Strootman told Goal.com.

"You help each other. The beginning of the second half didn't go too well, but we picked ourselves back up after that. We're starting over with a lot of new faces, so when you win right away, it is relieving.

"You need to win the first game against one of the group's better teams, especially at home. Of course it wasn't a perfect performance.

"We gave away some chances in the beginning, but we recovered and our character got us the win. Everyone wanted to fight for each other.

"A team needs that, especially when things aren't really going well in a footballing sense."

The Netherlands will be looking to build on their opening win when they travel to Hungary on Tuesday.