Straight
Hardly defended by the Hernández brothers, led with mastery and rhythm by Griezmann and Rabiot, animated by the imagination of Coman on the right wing and brutally decisive in the boots of Mbappé, the French team qualified for the Euro 2024. They succeeded with difficulty every opponent, this Friday in Amsterdam, against a team from the Netherlands that has been decimated by an epidemic of casualties.
1
Bart Verbruggen, Aké (Mickey van de Ven, min. 80), Virgil Van Dijk, Quilindschy Hartman, Lutsharel Geertruida, Xavi Simons (Steven Bergwijn, min. 80), Marten de Roon (Mats Wieffer, min. 45), Tijani Reijnders , Denzel Dumfries (Jeremie Frimpong, Min. 62), Joey Veerman and Wouter Weghorst (Painting, Min. 38)
2
Mike Maignan, Ibrahima Konate, Theo Hernández, Lucas, Jonathan Clauss (Malo Gusto, min. 79), Aurelien Tchouameni, Rabiot, Griezmann (Youssouf Fofana, min. 86), Kingsley Coman (Giroud, min. 70), Randal Kolo Muani (Marcus Thuram, Min. 79) and Kylian Mbappe
Goals 0-1 min 7: Kylian Mbappé. 0-2 min 52: Kylian Mbappé. 1-2 min. 83: Quilindschy Hartman.
referee Felix Zwayer
Yellow cards Joey Veerman (min. 28), Denzel Dumfries (min. 50), Aurelien Tchouameni (min. 93) and Kylian Mbappe (min. 95)
“Come on, guys!” Virgil van Dijk’s bass voice encouraged them. The captain saw it coming. The faces of the young Reijndeers, Veerman, Simons and De Vrij showed fear in the changing room tunnel of the Johan Cruyff Arena, the temple of Dutch football. Outside, the crowd crowded the stands. The expectation was maximum. Ahead of them was France, the strongest team in Europe, an undefeated Group B team that came to the event having won five games in five games, conceding 12 goals and conceding no goals. A relentless intruder in the imagination of the Dutch boys, forced to rise to the bar and overcome his team’s injury crisis.
The list was impressive: Gakpo, Depay, Luuk de Jong, Frenkie de Jong, Klaassen, Timber, Berghuis, Cillessen, De Ligt and Koopmeiners. Too big a move in a country with limited resources. Absences that cannot be covered against France without showing serious problems. Difficulties from the first to the last round. Although Koeman organized his players to simplify the transitions as much as possible – constantly changing orientation, looking for the nine with 40-meter balls jumping over the lines and trying to close the inside game at all costs avoid – the circulation of the ball was lost the first few touches. Only a few wanted the ball at the beginning and only a few got it over time in the last few meters. The Dutch public, so demanding, so voracious, begged for a little play of mercy without receiving any more concessions than those of its rival, Deschamps’ France, always inclined to allow itself to be a little dominated. But not like this. Van Dijk and his boys had nothing to exploit. At times the dominance of the guests became overwhelming.
Seven minutes into the game, Coman dismantled the left bastion of the Orange defense, lined up in a line of five but unable to foresee the impact of a dizzying maneuver. Griezmann looked at the climax of the game, supporting the winger, and Mbappé took advantage of the resulting confusion, outside Geertruida’s radar and well away from Vab Dijk’s goal, who took care of Kolo Muano, the PSG striker. Appearance, volley and goal.
Bad taste and Quilindschy
When the score was 0-1, France retreated a few steps and Holland was unable to penetrate the spaces that Tchouameni and the line-up accompanying him in midfield were closing. The Madrid spinner just had to sit on the sofa and spread his legs on the living room table. They took great care of him. Rabiot is generous. In all directions, including to support Mbappé with a majestic wall, before the 0-2.
The game appeared to be close as the hour passed. Deschamps decided to give the starters a break. The changes trickled down. Clauss came out and a boy with an ominous name sat down on the right: Malo Gusto. Enough for a beardless Feyenoord winger named Quilindschy, surnamed Hartman, to claim glory on his debut with a handful of tricks, one of which ended in a goal.
Portugal and Belgium are taking a decisive step
In the other Group B game, Greece beat Ireland away (0-2) and moved ahead of the Netherlands in the table. In the day’s other important games, Portugal defeated Slovakia (3-2) to take the lead in Group J; Belgium won on its visit to Austria in Vienna (2:3) and thus secured participation in the tournament that will take place in Germany next year.
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