To contend with the “total football” squad of the 1970s or even against the more offensive “Oranje” sides that made the World Cup final in 2010 and placed third in 2014, the Netherlands still has a long road ahead.
However, a 2-0 victory over Qatar on Tuesday assured that the Netherlands would move to the round of 16, finishing first in Group A, while Qatar, who were already out of the game and eliminated, made history by becoming the first World Cup hosts to end up losing all three of their group games.
Davy Klaassen of the Netherlands, named player of the match, stated through an interpreter, “If you play against Qatar, everyone will think and hope that you’ll win 5-0 or more, but this match has demonstrated that it’s very difficult.”
Klaassen continued, “We’re really hard on ourselves, and we need to improve. However, we have made progress and will go on.
Cody Gakpo got the Netherlands the lead halfway through the 1st half with his third goal in as many games. Frenkie de Jong widened the lead five minutes into the second half.
The United States will be the next opponent for the Netherlands, a three-time World Cup runner-up, as they play for a place in the quarterfinals.
The 2019 Asian Cup was won by Qatar, competing in its first tournament. The Asian Cup, however, cannot be compared to the World Cup, according to the team’s Spanish coach, Félix Sánchez.
Sánchez remarked, “We came here aiming to compete, and we managed to do that. I’m not sure about my future standing with the squad.
According to Sánchez, one of the things about their national team is that they have a long-term strategy that is independent of themselves or anyone else. “We’re going to take a few days off, but we’ll keep working and making plans,” he added.
The Netherlands triumphed with seven points at the group’s top spot but failed to qualify and did not make it for the 2018 World Cup. Senegal progressed to second place with six points after defeating Ecuador 2-1 in the other group match. With four points, Ecuador was eliminated, while Qatar received none.
It was reported that 66,784 people were present at Al Bayt Stadium, which also served as the venue for Qatar’s defeat against Ecuador in the tournament’s opening round. There were a few isolated clusters of orange-clad Netherlands supporters, and Qatar supporters chanted and bounced around behind one of the goals.
Fans of Qatar raised a giant Palestinian flag with the words “Free Palestine” on it at one point in the second half.
Gakpo gained control outside the area in the 26th minute, advanced, and fired a potent side-footed shot between two defenders that went inside the right post.
Gakpo became the fourth Dutch player, following Wesley Sneijder (1994), Dennis Bergkamp (1994), and Johan Neeskens (1974), to score in three straight World Cup contests (2010). He also joined Alessandro Altobelli of Italy in 1986 as the only player to start three goals for his team in the same group stage.
Coach Louis van Gaal of the Netherlands said, “Cody Gakpo has everything it takes to succeed as a star.” Van Gaal is 71 years old. Additionally, he has a great personality. He has an open mind about everything.
De Jong scored by sprinting forward unopposed after Memphis Depay’s shot and putting in a close-range rebound.
After a replay review for a handball in the setup, Steven Berghuis’ potential third goal for the Netherlands was disallowed.
In extra time, Berghuis then smacked the bar.
The Netherlands enjoyed the most of the possession and the better opportunities; Qatar did make some attempts to get into the game. After Gakpo’s goal, the Dutch were a little uneasy as goalkeeper Andries Noppert struggled to stop a long-range shot from Ismael Mohamed.