The Netherlands are via to the quarter-finals at this summer season’s European Championship after beating Romania 3-0 in Munich.
Romania began the sport on the entrance foot however Ronald Koeman’s aspect grew into the sport and deservedly took the lead after 20 minutes through Cody Gakpo’s third purpose of Euro 2024. The Dutch dominated the rest of the half — significantly on the proper flank — however Edward Iordanescu’s aspect, as they’ve all through the event, retained a risk on the break.
Gakpo then assisted a second purpose for the Netherlands within the closing levels, working the ball expertly alongside the goalline and slipping it throughout for Donyell Malen, earlier than Malen added a 3rd (previous a shoe) in harm time to seal a formidable win.
Jacob Whitehead, James McNicholas, Liam Tharme and Seb Stafford-Bloor analyse the important thing speaking factors from the sport.
Was that… a pair of sneakers on the pitch?
It was one of many extra curious sights of this European Championship.
As Donyell Malen slalomed in the direction of the penalty space, defenders furiously backpedalling forward of him, Romania’s goalkeeper Florin Nita ought to have been bracing himself to attempt to preserve the scoreline at 2-0.
As a substitute, Nita was extra involved with kicking away a shoe which was mendacity simply to his proper. He managed it — however solely simply earlier than Malen let fly together with his shot, which duly nestled within the backside of the online.
It was hardly the sport’s defining second, but it surely was a wierd one. The place had the coach — and its associate, mendacity a number of yards additional up the sphere — come from? A toddler fan had invaded the pitch a number of moments earlier however the sneakers mendacity on the turf had been too massive to belong to him. Presumably that they had been thrown from the group, which solely heightens the thriller.
Why did they do it? Solutions are wanted.
Andrew Fifield
Gakpo’s purpose was a beautiful glimpse of Complete Soccer
Ronald Koeman has been questioned from all angles this event. Too conservative. Responsible of favouritism. Ducking press conferences. One of many weightiest criticisms has been one in all model — turgid, uninspired, and unenergetic.
In a rustic with the legacy of Johan Cruyff, that’s fairly the criticism to stage on the nationwide workforce. After the Austria defeat, Koeman was requested whether or not he thought Cruyff’s eyes would have damage watching this iteration of the Oranje.
“It’s a troublesome query,” Koeman mentioned, with uncharacteristic reserve. “I do know he favored attacking soccer very a lot, however I used to be part of his workforce a very long time and we had worse matches than we did in opposition to Austria. In fact, we’re a proud nation; we wish to win, we wish to play good soccer, but it surely’s not at all times occurred.”
Thankfully for Koeman, it occurred via Gakpo’s purpose within the twentieth minute — the Netherlands’ best piece of attacking play thus far.
Dutch use of Cruyff’s ideas
Precept | Achieved? |
---|---|
Compact the pitch |
No |
Counterpressing |
Sure |
Deep earlier than huge |
Sure |
Create an additional man |
Sure |
Third man runs |
No |
Create one-vs-ones |
Sure |
Positional interaction |
No |
Ahead defending |
Sure |
Certainly one of Cruyff’s key footballing ideas was positional rotation, however it’s a precept that the Netherlands had not but exhibited at this event.
But with Denzel Dumfries again after a minor harm and pushing up excessive, he successfully allowed the right-winger to drift inside. On this event that was Steven Bergwijn (extra on him later), who then successfully turned a twin No 10 with Xavi Simons.
Dumfries had been exploiting Romania’s lack of width all sport — and right here they overcompensated, with left-back Vasile Mogos shifting tight on to him and leaving the centre-backs with far an excessive amount of area to cowl. They may not mark each Simons and Bergwijn — plus the area in behind — and a wonderfully weighted move from Simons discovered Cody Gakpo in acres of area. 1-0 to Netherlands with a near-post end — and a few of Koeman’s Cruyffian credibility restored.
Jacob Whitehead
Are the Dutch rising into this event on the preferrred time?
Watching the Oranje in full movement is among the most fascinating sights in worldwide soccer. There have been indicators on this sport that Koeman’s workforce is perhaps discovering their groove.
The Netherlands dominated possession in opposition to Romania, and as they grew in confidence produced various eye-catching flicks and tips. Till now, Spain have been the competitors’s most aesthetically pleasing workforce. Given the person expertise and aptitude at Koeman’s disposal, the Netherlands will be the solely workforce able to rivalling them for sheer leisure.
If there’s something lacking from this squad, it’s arguably a scientific centre-forward. For a nation with a wealthy historical past of sensible goalscorers, that’s uncommon. Gakpo will be the joint-top scorer within the competitors, but when he was complemented by a ruthless central attacker, the Netherlands would absolutely have had this sport sewn up significantly earlier.
James McNicholas
Romania’s defending was heroic — but it surely wanted to be
There are two methods of judging the Romanian defensive efficiency. In remoted moments, it was dramatic and spectacular. Radu Dragusin made an impressive clearance from beneath his personal crossbar within the first half. Andrei Ratiu made one other excellent sort out to disclaim a sure Xavi Simons purpose within the second. Two highlights amongst many different blocks and tackles.
So wonderful — but additionally damning in its method, as a result of it was heroic out of necessity, describing how little safety that again 4 was afforded and the way uncovered it usually was to the Netherlands’ fast, penetrative ball motion.
Romania didn’t press excessive by design. However in addition they didn’t exert any actual strain in midfield, both. Tijjani Reijnders particularly was in a position to obtain the ball in yards of area, flip, carry, and discover telling gaps together with his passing.
That it remained 1-0 for thus lengthy was credit score to a few of these Romania defenders. That extra Dutch targets appeared inevitable for thus lengthy prompt a sport plan that didn’t actually work.
Seb Stafford-Bloor
Bergwijn unlocks the Dutch assault… for 45 minutes
Beneath rising strain in his homeland, Ronald Koeman made three adjustments to his workforce for the last-16 tie with Romania.
Certainly one of his simplest adjustments was giving Steven Bergwijn his first begin of the event. Though Gakpo scored the opener reducing in from the left, a lot of the Netherlands’ most spectacular play got here down the proper — the place Bergwijn was deployed.
With Denzel Dumfries making overlapping runs outdoors him, Bergwijn was in a position to take up extra central positions. He has featured as a centre-forward and second striker for Ajax this season, and his potential to pop up in half-spaces helped unlock what has till now been a considerably turgid Dutch assault.
Bergwijn has good shut management and consciousness, so is efficient in small areas. That allowed him to show an efficient foil for each Dumfries and Memphis Depay.
Sadly for Koeman, Bergwijn’s spectacular efficiency was minimize brief. After choosing up an harm he was changed by Donyell Malen at half-time. Koeman’s resolution to carry on Malen over Jeremie Frimpong indicated that he wished to proceed enjoying with a right-sided attacker who performs in central areas greater than driving to the touchline.
James McNicholas
The event of early targets continues
Cody Gakpo put the Netherlands forward after 20 minutes. By event requirements, that’s a reasonably early purpose, particularly within the spherical of 16 the place knockout video games make issues cagey. Besides by Euro 2024 requirements, it’s a late purpose. This event has been all about video games damaged open early: the Netherlands conceded after six minutes on matchday three in opposition to Austria and 16 minutes on matchday one in opposition to Poland. That is the primary time on the event they’ve scored first.
Even with eight video games to play, Euro 2024 has already seen extra targets within the first half-hour of video games (33) than Euro 2020 (29). It’s throwing up some bizarre sport states, with inferior groups taking shock leads in opposition to higher sides and in a position to sit again for longer, or possession-heavy groups scoring sooner than they could anticipate and having to determine whether or not to attempt to play keep-ball or sit again extra.
The Netherlands opted to push ahead extra within the first half in search of a second purpose, however had been confronted with a wave of Romania assaults and set items on the finish of the primary half.
As Belgium head coach Domenico Tedesco and Slovakia head coach Francesco Calzona have famous, the extent of ‘lesser’ European nations has risen this event, significantly close to their out-of-possession sport plan, with Romania proving this — robust defenders from a 4-4-2 mid/low-block. It signifies that comebacks are at all times potential in video games, with the win price for groups scoring first solely 55 per cent at this event, method down on the 71.4 per cent at Euro 2020.
If targets change video games, then early targets actually change video games.
Liam Tharme
Advisable studying
(Prime photograph: Getty Photographs)