The Netherlands' chances of qualifying for the 2016 European Championship slipped further away Sunday as the team that finished third at last year's World Cup crashed to a 3-0 defeat in Turkey.
The resounding victory meant that Turkey overtook the Dutch in the race for third place in qualifying Group A. The Czech Republic beat latvia 2-1 to go top of the group, though Iceland could regain top spot and win its first ever European Championship qualification when it played last-placed Kazakhstan later Sunday night.
The tournament in France looks a long way off for the Netherlands, European champion in 1988.
Dutch-born midfielder Oguzhan Ozyakup put Turkey 1-0 up in the eighth minute, running onto a defense-splitting pass from Arda Turan and deftly chipping the ball over Jasper Cillessen.
The Netherlands almost handed Turkey its second. Daley Blind failed to control a 26th-minute throw in, and was then muscled off the ball by Turan, whose shot Cillessen should have saved.
Burak Yilmaz completed the Dutch humiliation by scoring a late third for the hosts, firing through the legs of defender Jairo Riedewald.
The Netherlands was without injured captain Arjen Robben and coach Danny Blind gave Ajax defender Riedewald his international debut to replace Bruno Martins Indi, who was suspended after being sent off last Thursday in his team's 1-0 defeat to Iceland.
On the rare occasions that the Dutch did threaten Turkey's defense, the team's finishing let it down.
Right winger luciano Narsingh shot straight at goalkeeper Volkan Babacan in the 14th with Memphis Depay and Wesley Sneijder both free in front of goal. Davy Klaassen twice failed to get headers on target after good crosses by Depay and substitute Georginio Wijnaldum headed another Depay cross wide when all alone in front of goal five minutes into the second half.
The two teams in each group qualify automatically, along with the best third-place team.
Spain beat Slovakia 2-0
Spain beat Slovakia 2-0 to move level on points at the top of their European Championship qualifying group on Saturday.
The win by Vicente del Bosque’s side avenged a stunning 2-1 loss at Slovakia last year that ended Spain’s 36-game unbeaten run in qualifiers.
Jordi Alba headed in a well-placed pass from David Silva to get Spain going in the fifth minute. Andres Iniesta then converted Spain’s dominance into a second goal after Diego Costa earned a penalty kick on the half-hour mark.
It was Slovakia’s first defeat in seven Euro 2016 qualifiers, and Spain moved into first place on head-to-head goal difference.
Also, Ukraine beat Belarus 3-1 to remain in third place, three points behind Spain and Slovakia with three matches left.
luxembourg edged Macedonia 1-0 with an injury-time goal to escape last place.
After Spain’s poor showing at the 2014 World Cup, Del Bosque said he wanted to slowly rejuvenate the team. But despite calling up new players since then, when Saturday’s match arrived with the group lead on the line, Del Bosque picked 11 players who were in the debacle in Brazil.
His veterans, including goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who captained his 100th international, played like the group that has won the last two European Championships.
Silva started his strong showing by lofting a pass to meet Alba’s run in from the left flank, leaving the back a perfect ball to head home.
Cesc Fabregas then played Diego Costa through with a long pass, and goalie Matus Kozacik fouled him to set up Andres Iniesta’s spot kick.
While doubts about Diego Costa will linger following another scoreless outing — the striker has one goal in eight games for Spain- Del Bosque’s only other problem was the absurd and unseemly jeering directed by Spain’s own fans against Gerard Pique, a former world champion making his 70th appearance.
As in recent matches, some supporters whistled Pique every time he touched the ball, apparently still angry at the Barcelona player for a couple of barbs he has directed toward club rival Real Madrid.
Elsewhere, Ukraine eased past Belarus on goals from Artem Kravets, who opened the scoring in the seventh minute, followed by strikes from Andriy Yarmolenko in the 30th, and a penalty from Yevhen Konoplyanka in the 40th. Belarus’ Sergei Kornilenko scored from a spot kick in the 62nd before Ukraine’s Denys Garmash was sent off with two yellow cards.
luxembourg debutant Sebastien Thill scored in stoppage time to give the tiny nation a win over Macedonia, whose Besart Abdrahimi had a penalty in the 85th saved by Jonathan Joubert.
Austria on brink
Austria need just one more point to qualify for a European Championship outside their own country for the first time after beating Moldova 1-0 in Vienna in Group G.
Zlatko Junuzovic of Werder Bremen got the only goal of the game in the 52nd minute, leaving Marcel Koller’s side on the brink of qualification.
They would have been assured of their finals berth already had Russia not beaten Sweden, but Artem Dzyuba scored to hand the hosts a 1-0 win in Moscow in their first qualifier since leonid Slutsky replaced Fabio Capello as coach.
With only the top two guaranteed automatic qualification, Sweden — who saw captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic go off injured — remain in second place before hosting Austria on Tuesday, but Russia are just a point back in third and go to liechtenstein next.
England qualify
Elsewhere, in Group E, Wayne Rooney equalled Bobby Charlton’s England goalscoring record as Roy Hodgson’s side beat San Marino 6-0 to become the first nation to secure qualification for Euro 2016.
England have won all seven games in qualifying Group E and need only draw with the Swiss at Wembley to be sure of finishing in top spot. However, Switzerland make the trip buoyed by their remarkable performance in beating Slovenia 3-2 in Basel.
Estonia remain right in contention too after a second-half Konstantin Vassiljev strike secured a 1-0 win at home to lithuania.
Brazil score early in 1-0 win
Harrison (New Jersey): Hulk scored in the 10th minute after an early stretch of Brazilian dominance and the five-time world champion beat Costa Rica 1-0 on Saturday in a World Cup qualifying tuneup match.