Ibrahim Ayyub gives his opinion on what went right and what went wrong during Netherlands 5-1 win over Sweden.
- Follow Ibrahim on X
Greetings from Mexico City. The Oranje are back at the World Cup for the 12th time. Well, after the bitter 2-2 draw against Japan which felt more like a defeat, the Oranje rebounded with a strong performance in a 5-1 victory over Sweden. They ensured qualification in the knockout stages and continue their impressive unbeaten streaks in both group stages and last actual loss in regulation.
THE GOOD
If Koeman is going to be blamed for the poor decisions that cost the Oranje against Japan, then he deserves the praise for getting things right against Sweden. The idea to start Brian Brobbey up front paid off when the young striker muscled his way to score the opener just after six minutes. Brobbey continued to have his way with the Swedish back four. Cody Gakpo was the star at the last World Cup and he continued his fine performance with a brace and an assist against Sweden.
Just like Gakpo was the rising star of the team back in 2022, this time Crysencio Summerville is the one who has shined with goals in the first two matches of this World Cup. Once again, the Oranje will be participating in the knockout stages yet again. The Oranje have never failed to make it out of the group stages in every World Cup appearance since 1974 (The 1930 and 1934 World Cups had no group stages; just knock-out stages). Furthermore, their last loss in regulation time was almost 20 years ago, when they lost, in the Battle of Nuremberg, against Portugal at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The last time the Dutch had lost in the group stages at the World Cup was when the tournament was held in the United States back in 1994. The Oranje lost 1-0 to Belgium in sunny Orlando, Florida.
THE BAD
It’s hard to criticize a team when they score five goals but there are still doubts on the back four. They conceded twice against Japan, especially the late equalizer when they had to nail it down for the victory. Perhaps it is easy to lose your focus when leading by many goals, but Elanga’s goal should serve as a warning when the Oranje face stronger opposition.
The contrast in speed was alarming. Elanga was Sonic the Hedgehog while Virgil van Dijk and company ran in slow-motion. The appearance of a back five was disappointing again. It sends a message of retreat and concedes possession to the opponents. It’s a great plan when the Oranje can strike on the counter, but dreadful if it’s a repeat of the Japan equalizer.
The UGLY
Summerville getting a knee to the head right before the final whistle was an ugly sight and fortunately, he will be fine to face Tunisia. Besides that, those ridiculous ticket prices are an ugly sight. However, those hydration breaks are an ugly reminder of how FIFA is milking this event for every penny. Hydration breaks are understandable when played outdoors under the scorching sun, like when the Oranje faced Brazil in the 1994 World Cup Quarterfinals in Dallas, Texas, where Ronald Koeman was just as orange as those shorts they had worn that day.
However, playing inside an airconditioned domed stadium, just makes the whole hydration break farcical. It won’t be long before we get players getting tequila shots during these breaks. It’s understandable that all teams should be given the same treatment, such as VAR reviews, but the fans, managers and players agree that the hydration breaks are not needed when the situation does not call for it.
No comments:
Post a Comment