World Cup Results 2022: Scores, Updated Quarterfinals Bracket After Friday
Dec 9, 2022
LUSAIL CITY, QATAR - DECEMBER 09: Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates scoring the team's first penalty in the penalty shoot out during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 quarter final match between Netherlands and Argentina at Lusail Stadium on December 09, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Lionel Messi's dream of winning a World Cup is still alive.
Argentina needed an extra 30 minutes and penalties to keep that dream alive, but all that matters is La Albiceleste are on to the 2022 World Cup semifinals.
Argentina knocked out the Netherlands in the second of two penalty shootouts to take place in Qatar on Friday.
Croatia, the penalty shootout kings of the last two World Cups, defeated Brazil to advance to its second straight World Cup semifinal.
Messi and Argentina will meet Luka Modrić and Croatia on Tuesday in the first of two World Cup semifinals.
Argentina 2 (4), Netherlands 2 (3)
Argentina did not like the path it took to the penalty shootout, but it still emerged victorious.
Martínez had not made a save on the two shots on goal he faced over 120 minutes. The Dutch finished their two chances to come back from a deficit forged by Lionel Messi.
Lautaro Martínez finished off the shootout win in the fifth round.
Messi was once again at the center of Argentina's most important moments in a World Cup game.
Messi provided a first-half assist and scored a penalty in the second half to place La Albiceleste in the lead.
Messi produced a brilliant pass into Nahuel Molina in the 35th minute to open the scoring.
Messi set the ball up on a perfect angle from his position outside the box to feed Molina and avoid the handful of Dutch defenders that tried to surround him.
The Argentinian legend scored the crucial second goal in the 73rd minute from the penalty spot. Messi blasted his fourth goal of the 2022 World Cup and 10th career World Cup strike past a diving Andries Noppert.
The Dutch applied pressure for the seven second-half minutes and 10 minutes of stoppage time that followed. They finally broke through in the 101st minute, when Weghorst finished past Emiliano Martínez on a craftily-played free kick that avoided the Argentinian wall.
In penalties, Dominik Livaković made one save to add to his impressive resume in Qatar. He made 10 saves in 120 minutes against Brazil and had multiple denials in the round-of-16 shoutout win over Japan.
Neymar was the orchestrator of a beautiful move that featured two give-and-go pass sequences and a quality finish over Livaković.
Neymar tied Pelé for the most goals in Brazil men's national team history. But that was the only celebratory moment in the Seleção attack.
The Brazilians put one of their 11 shots on target past Livaković. Croatia did not have a shot in target in regulation.
Croatia is now set for its second straight World Cup semifinal appearance on Tuesday against Argentina.
World Cup 2022 Scores: Saturday's Results and Sunday's Round of 16 Schedule
Dec 3, 2022
DOHA, QATAR - DECEMBER 03: Lionel Messi of Argentina runs with the ball during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between Argentina and Australia at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on December 03, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Alex Livesey - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Argentina and the Netherlands finalized the first quarterfinal matchup at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar on Saturday.
The Dutch's 3-1 victory over the United States men's national meant they became the tournament's first quarterfinalist.
Argentina rode goals from Lionel Messi and Julián Álvarez into the final eight, as it eliminated Australia in Saturday's second game.
The quarterfinal showdown between the European and South American sides marks the sixth time they have faced each other in the World Cup. In their last meeting, Argentina eliminated the Dutch in the 2014 semifinals on penalties.
Over the next three days, the Dutch and Argentinians will be joined by six other teams in the final eight. England and France can book their places in the quarterfinals on Sunday.
Saturday's Results
Argentina 2, Australia 1
Argentina methodically put away Australia to earn its fourth quarterfinal berth in the last five World Cups.
Lionel Messi used a moment of magic in the 35th minute to put the Albiceleste in front. Messi continued his run from the left wing after a failed free kick and slotted home through a pair of defenders and into the back of the net.
Messi's 35th-minute tally was his first-ever goal in the World Cup knockout stages. That statistic was hard to believe since he has been an integral part of Argentina's national team for over a decade.
Julián Álvarez padded the lead in the 57th minute after some disastrous decision-making by Matt Ryan in front of the Soccerros goal. Ryan kept the ball at his feet too long and allowed the pressure by Rodrigo De Paul and Álvarez to force him into a mistake.
Álvarez's goal ended up meaning more to Argentina once the Aussies found the back of the net in the 77th minute. Craig Goodwin lashed a shot from outside the box and took a deflection on its way past Emiliano Martinez.
The tally eventually went down as an Enzo Fernandez on goal, but that was all the Aussies could muster, despite some late pressure, against an Argentinian defense that came into Saturday with two straight clean sheets.
Messi and Co. will try to make it back to the semifinals with a win on Friday that could set up an all-South American clash with Brazil in the final four. Brazil plays South Korea and then the Japan-Croatia winner if it wins in the Round of 16.
Netherlands 3, United States 1
The Netherlands ended the United States' run in Qatar with a few attacking moves that capitalized on mistakes by the American back line.
Memphis Depay put the Dutch in front in the 10th minute, when he ran into a pocket of space at the top of the box and easily beat Matt Turner.
The Oranje defended for most of the first half after Memphis' opening strike. They doubled their advantage right before halftime, as Daley Blind beat Sergiño Dest to a ball that came off a Netherlands throw-in.
The Americans controlled the possession battle in the first half, but they only had two significant chances in the first 45 minutes. Christian Pulisic missed a golden opportunity in the opening minutes and Timothy Weah had a shot from distance turned away before the second Dutch goal.
The Americans were more progressive in the final third in the second half thanks to the additions of Gio Reyna, Brenden Aaronson and Haji Wright.
Wright put the Americans on the scoreboard in the 76th minute with a goal off his back heel. The tally came minutes after Wright blew a potential open goal with a poor first touch.
The USMNT's hope did not last long, as Denzel Dumfires scored in the 81st minute on another defensive breakdown by the Americans. Dumfries was one of the best Dutch players on the field inside the Khalifa International Stadium.
The Dutch advanced to at least the semifinals in their last two World Cups in 2010 and 2014. A win over Argentina would get them there for a third straight appearance when qualifying for the World Cup, after shockingly missing out in the 2018 edition.
Sunday Schedule
France vs. Poland (10 a.m. ET, FS1)
England vs. Senegal (2 p.m. ET, FS1)
World Cup 2022 Scores: Tuesday's Results and Wednesday's Schedule
Nov 29, 2022
DOHA, QATAR - NOVEMBER 29: Christian Pulisic of USA gestures during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group B match between IR Iran and USA at Al Thumama Stadium on November 29, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Mohammad Karamali/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
The United States men's national team advanced to the knockout round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup with a 1-0 win over Iran on Tuesday afternoon.
Christian Pulisic's 38th-minute goal was the difference between the Americans finishing in second place in Group B and going home from Qatar.
The Americans took second behind England, who had a much more comfortable day in Qatar by winning 3-0 over Wales.
The wins by the USMNT and England confirmed the first two matches of the knockout round. The Americans take on Group A winner Netherlands on Saturday, while England and Group A runner-up Senegal square off on Sunday.
Netherlands and Senegal had similar experiences on Monday as the two teams in the same positions as them in Group B. The Dutch finished off a miserable home World Cup for Qatar with two goals, while Senegal battled to a 2-1 win over Ecuador.
Group B
1. England - 7 points
2. United States - 5
3. Iran - 3
4. Wales - 1
Tuesday Results
United States 1, Iran 0
England 3, Wales 0
The United States relied on its highest-profile player to advance into the knockout round.
Christian Pulisic connected with a Sergiño Dest cross in the 38th minute to give the Americans the three points required to advance to the round of 16.
Dest and Antonee Robinson challenged the Iranian defense down the flanks for most of the first half, but they were unable to play a perfect ball into the box until Dest's assist on Pulisic's goal.
The Americans appeared to have a second goal in the back of the net right before halftime, but Timothy Weah was ruled narrowly offside.
Iran played much better in the second half, as it had to secure at least a draw to make it out of Group B.
Iran came close on a few occasions, but none of its shots significantly challenged USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner.
The American win set up a round-of-16 clash with the Netherlands. That will be the first of eight round-of-16 matches to be played in Qatar.
England became the fourth European nation to secure safe passage into the round of 16, and the Three Lions confirmed that UEFA had the first two group winners in Qatar.
Marcus Rashford brought the English attack to life five minutes into the second half with a stunning free-kick goal.
The Manchester United forward has three goals in Qatar. He added to his World Cup tally with a goal in the 68th minute.
Phil Foden became the sixth player to find the back of the net for England just a minute after Rashford opened the scoring. Foden knocked in a brilliant cross from the right wing off Harry Kane's boot.
England advanced to the knockout round without Kane, who is the reigning Golden Boot winner at the World Cup, finding the back of the net.
The well-rounded English attack will take on Senegal in the round of 16. The Three Lions are trying to reach the semifinals of their third straight major tournament. They finished in fourth place at the 2018 World Cup and were the runner-up at UEFA Euro 2020.
Group A
1. Netherlands - 7 points
2. Senegal - 6
3. Ecuador - 4
4. Qatar - 0
Tuesday Results
Netherlands 2, Qatar 0
Senegal 2, Ecuador 1
A three-minute stretch in the second half was the turning point in the fight for second place in Group A.
Senegal came out of that stretch on top through Kalidou Koulibaly's 70th-minute strike, which was his first-ever international goal.
Caicedo's strike appeared to give Ecuador the result it needed to go through with the Netherlands, but Senegal came up huge in a must-win spot to answer the goal from the Brighton and Hove Albion player.
Senegal is through to the knockout round for the second time in national team history. The Lions of Teranga made it to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
The Netherlands cruised into the knockout round as the Group A winner with a 2-0 win over Qatar.
Cody Gakpo continued to make his case as the breakout player of the tournament. as he netted his third goal of the competition in the first half.
The 23-year-old PSV Eindhoven player scored three of the five Dutch goals in the group stage. He will likely will not remain at PSV much longer after the World Cup. He was already on the radars of Europe's top clubs and his transfer value may be at its highest in January.
Qatar finished the group stage with zero points and a single goal. Qatar became the first host nation to lose all three games at the World Cup.
Wednesday Schedule
Group D: Tunisia vs. France (10 a.m. ET, FS1)
Group D: Australia vs. Denmark (10 a.m. ET, FS1)
Group C: Poland vs. Argentina (2 p.m. ET, Fox)
Group C: Saudi Arabia vs. Mexico (2 p.m. ET, FS1)
2022 Men’s World Cup Power Players: Breaking Down Virgil van Dijk's Game
Nov 17, 2022
Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk, centre, controls the ball during the Champions League Group A soccer match between Liverpool and Rangers at Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Tuesday Oct. 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
Virgil van Dijk will add "World Cup participant" to his lengthy resume in Qatar.
The 31-year-old center back has won seven different club competitions with English Premier League side Liverpool and two more in Scotland with Celtic.
Van Dijk's experience at the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be with a Netherlands side that finished in third place the last time it appeared on world football's biggest stage.
The Reds defender has been a vital part of the Oranje's resurgence. He and his Dutch teammates hope recent results translate into a successful run in late November and early December.
This article was produced in partnership with Prada Luna Rossa.
Top Club Highlights
Van Dijk hasn't scored a ton of goals in the Premier League for Liverpool, but when he does show up on highlight reels for hitting the back of the net, it's often a reminder of how dangerous he can be on set pieces.
He scored two goals with his head last season for the Anfield side, and he has nine other headed goals in league play since joining Liverpool from Southampton in January 2018.
Van Dijk has shown up on a few defensive highlight reels as well, including for a perfectly timed tackle against Tottenham Hotspur in 2020.
He typically does not have to make the lunging tackles because he is in great position in front of the Liverpool net. When he is uncomfortable, he can make up for mistakes with his tackling ability.
Van Dijk has been a crucial part of this current Liverpool era that includes both a Premier League and Champions League title.
Top Netherlands Highlights
Virgil Van Dijk took advantage of the mismatch in the box and headed home the winner for the Netherlands! 😤 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/gQLi0Mv2ac
Van Dijk's first appearance in Qatar will mark his 50th game on the international stage.
The center back has been a fixture of the Dutch national team setup since 2015, and he has made at least five appearance for the Oranje in every year dating back to 2018.
Five of his six goals have come in some type of international competition. His most recent occurred in September in the UEFA Nations League against Belgium.
Van Dijk has two career goals against Germany, one against Belgium and another versus Portugal. The others came against Gibraltar and Belarus.
Biggest Strengths
Van Dijk is a three-time honoree in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League teams of the season and won Player of the Year Awards from the Premier League and UEFA for his efforts in the 2018-19 campaign with Liverpool.
It is difficult for any opposing attacker to work their way past the defender over a 90-minute stretch. He is coming into better form with Liverpool as the World Cup approaches. He has been a part of a defense that has conceded the fewest goals in the Premier League in three of the past four seasons.
Van Dijk can take away a team's top attacker with his strong positioning on and off the ball, as well as his precise tackling ability. He is an asset on set pieces on both sides of the field because of his aerial prowess.
World Cup Outlook
The Netherlands are the most recognizable nation in Group A alongside host Qatar, Ecuador and Senegal.
Van Dijk will take on former Liverpool teammate and Senegal international Sadio Mané in his first Group A match on November 21.
The Dutch are expected to get out of the group and make an attempt at a long run in the knockout round.
They advanced to the semifinal round at least in their last two World Cup appearances in 2010 and 2014, and even though they missed out on the finals in 2018, the high standard to advance that far is still in place.
Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk Leaves Netherlands Squad for Personal Reasons
Nov 17, 2019
Netherlands' Virgil Van Dijk controls the ball during the Euro 2020 group C qualifying soccer match between Northern Ireland and the Netherlands at Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk will not take part in Tuesday's UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier between the Netherlands and Estonia, pulling out of the squad because of personal reasons.
The Dutch FA announced the news on Sunday (h/t Liverpool Echo's Paul Gorst). Per the report, Van Dijk has left the Dutch training camp.
The 28-year-old and his team-mates secured a Euro 2020 ticket with a goalless draw against Northern Ireland on Saturday. Tuesday's match is no dead rubber, as the top spot in Group C is still up for grabs, but Van Dijk may have been rested against the last-place Estonians. The visitors have won just a single point in their campaign.
PerJack Lusbyof This Is Anfield, Van Dijk is the latest in a long line of Liverpool players who dropped out of international duty during this break. He joins Joe Gomez,Andy Robertson,Jordan Henderson, Mohamed SalahandCaoimhin Kelleher in cutting short their spells or not travelling at all because of illness or injury.
The Reds will face Crystal Palace on Saturday and face a busy festive period. Per Gorst, they could play as many as 12 matches before New Year's Day.
The first crucial outing will come on the Wednesday following the Palace match, when Liverpool host Napoli in the UEFA Champions League. The Partenopei sit just one point behind the Reds in the battle for the top spot in Group E.
In Van Dijk's absence, the Dutch could turn to Inter Milan's Stefan de Vrij on Tuesday. Ajax's Daley Blind is another veteran option, and with Bournemouth's Nathan Ake also in the squad, the Oranje will not have to worry about depth.
Ronald Koeman: Sergino Dest Has Netherlands 'Future' Amid USMNT Switch Rumours
Oct 8, 2019
Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman believes Ajax starlet Sergino Dest has a future with the Oranje, amid rumours he could switch his international allegiance away from the U.S. men's national team.
Koeman told NOS (h/t Goal's Ryan Tolmich) he won't make any promises to the teenager but sees him as a potential part of his side: "Nico-Jan Hoogma (technical director of the KNVB) and I have spoken with him. We have sketched the picture about his future with the Oranje. I don't promise anyone, but I told him that I see a future for him at the Dutch national team."
USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter previously said talks with Dest were "positive," but he did not join up with the Stars and Stripes for the upcoming matches against Cuba and Canada.
Per Yahoo Sports' Leander Schaerlaeckens, Dest turned down call-ups from both sides, stating he needs more time to make a decision:
The 18-year-old has already played twice for the USMNT, starting against Mexico and Uruguay. Those two contests were friendlies, however, making him eligible for a one-time switch to the Netherlands if he desires.
Dest was born in the Netherlands to a Surinamese-American father and a Dutch mother, and he has been part of the USMNT's setup since making his debut for the under-17 side. His sensational start to the 2019-20 campaign has put him on the map for the Oranje.
The right-back only made his senior Ajax debut in July but has come on strongly since, making seven Eredivisie starts and two in the UEFA Champions League.
His USMNT debut came in the 3-0 defeat to Mexico in September. The team's showings against El Tri and Uruguay may not have helped their bid to keep him around:
lmao Sergiño Dest played two games with the US and bounced because the team was so garbage
Like the USMNT, Netherlands failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but their future is bright. Established talents like Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong form a strong foundation, while rising stars like Donyell Malen and Calvin Stengs have the potential to match that duo soon.
The USMNT's main selling points are a lack of top-end competition for playing time and the fact they have invested a lot of time into him. They also have a solid collection of talents in Christian Pulisic, Timothy Weah, Weston McKennie and Josh Sargent, but they can't match the sheer depth of the Netherlands.
Virgil van Dijk Says 'Great' Portugal Team Are 'Not Only Cristiano Ronaldo'
Jun 7, 2019
GUIMARAES, PORTUGAL - JUNE 06: Virgil van Dijk of Netherlands in action during the UEFA Nations League Semi-Final match between the Netherlands and England at Estadio D. Afonso Henriques on June 06, 2019 in Guimaraes, Portugal. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
Netherlands defender Virgil van Dijk has warned his team-mates not to focus solely on the threat of Cristiano Ronaldo when his side face Portugal in the UEFA Nations League final on Sunday.
The Dutch made it to the showpiece of the inaugural competition on Thursday, as they came from behind against England to win 3-1 after extra time. They will now be seeking to win the competition against the host nation.
If they are to be victorious, the Dutch will need to find a way to limit the influence of Ronaldo, who scored a brilliant hat-trick against Switzerland in Portugal's semi-final success. However, Van Dijk has said the Oranje must be wary of other threats their opponents possess, per Dejan Kalinic of Goal.
"We'll see," he said. "It's not only Cristiano Ronaldo we're going to face. We face a great Portugal. We will see what's going to happen. I'm looking forward to playing this final with this team, and we're going to give everything that we can to hopefully hold that trophy in the end and do everyone proud."
The match will be intriguing for a number of reasons, although the battle between Ronaldo and Van Dijk—arguably the best centre-forward and best defender in the game, respectively—will be a fascinating subplot:
While a number of players in the two semi-finals appeared a little jaded at the end of a long season, Ronaldo was incredibly sharp in the win over Switzerland.
He opened the scoring with a fantastic free-kick and then rounded off his hat-trick in trademark style in the second half:
GOAL FOR PORTUGAL 🇵🇹
It's that man again, Cristiano Ronaldo. He strikes it clean and hard, comfortably beating Sommer.
In recent years, Ronaldo has has adapted his game to become more of a penalty-box player, but for Portugal he seems to have more freedom under manager Fernando Santos.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how the Dutch look to combat the Juventus star, as he roamed across the front line in the win over Switzerland. As a result, there may be spells in the game when Van Dijk and his defensive partner Matthijs de Ligt aren't directly up against the 34-year-old.
As Van Dijk notes, there are other quality operators in the Portugal team, with Bernardo Silva, Joao Felix and Bruno Fernandes all in the starting XI against the Swiss.
But as ESPN FC's Liam Twomey noted, those stars struggled to stamp their authority on the game in the semi-final:
Why do Portugal always seem incapable of controlling matches despite having some of the best midfield talent in international football?
In Van Dijk, the Netherlands have a player who is at the peak of his powers, having shone for Liverpool in their successful UEFA Champions League push. For his country, Van Dijk has developed into a tremendous leader since being handed the captain's armband too.
With talismanic figures in exceptional form on both sides, Sunday's final is set to be a treat. For Van Dijk, getting the better of Ronaldo in a high-profile game would be a fitting way to cap an exceptional season.
Ajax, Koeman and Learning to Love Memphis: How the Netherlands Got Back on Track
Jun 6, 2019
ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - NOVEMBER 16: Georginio Wijnaldum of Holland celebrates 1-0 with Marten de Roon of Holland, Matthijs de Ligt of Holland, Frenkie de Jong of Holland, Memphis Depay of Holland, Virgil van Dijk of Holland, Denzel Dumfries of Holland, Daley Blind of Holland during the UEFA Nations league match between Holland v France at the Feyenoord Stadium on November 16, 2018 in Rotterdam Netherlands (Photo by Peter Lous/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Amsterdam, March 2018. Two former international centre-backs sit back in their red dugout seats and try to assess how their respective teams are faring with the tactical systems they are testing out.
In the away dugout sits England manager Gareth Southgate. He has chosen this friendly fixture to premiere an eyebrow-raising 3-5-2 formation in which Kyle Walker has been redeployed as a right-sided centre-back.
His opposite number is Ronald Koeman, who is taking charge of the Netherlands national team for the first time. He, too, opts for a back three, but the experiment proves underwhelming. England dominate proceedings and win 1-0 courtesy of Jesse Lingard's first international goal.
The two teams look to be on very different trajectories. Adopting the same system that Southgate first tried out in Amsterdam, England travel to the World Cup on a wave of positivity and make it all the way to the semi-finals. Koeman's players watch events in Russia from afar, having failed to qualify for a second major tournament in succession.
But a spectacular turnaround in Dutch fortunes means that when Southgate and Koeman shake hands at Estadio D. Afonso Henriques in the Portuguese city of Guimaraes on Thursday ahead of the UEFA Nations League semi-final between their teams, they will do so on an equal footing. The Netherlands' resurgence, which saw them top their Nations League group above France and Germany, has taken even Koeman himself by surprise.
The Netherlands' failure to qualify for last year's World Cup left football in the country at what was seen as a historic low ebb. Newspaper headlines at home and abroad spoke of a "crisis" in the Dutch game.
By the time Koeman took up his role in February last year, Robin van Persie—the Netherlands' all-time leading scorer—was already fading from view on the international scene. With Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben choosing to retire from international football in the aftermath of the World Cup qualifying failure, Koeman found himself in charge of a squad that had suddenly become 332 caps and 118 international goals lighter.
Any changing room would have felt the absence of three such experienced and decorated footballers, but Koeman saw it as an opportunity.
"With the big lads gone, there is space for the younger players to step into that space and show what they are made of," he said in a December 2018 interview with Dutch Soccer Site.
Koeman continued to road-test a back three in friendly games, but he abandoned the system after his side lost 2-1 to world champions France in their opening Nations League group game in September.
The Netherlands' next fixture, at home to Germany in October, was when everything clicked into place. Aligned in a classic Dutch 4-3-3, with Frenkie de Jong running the midfield and Memphis Depay leading the line, Koeman's side took a 30th-minute lead when Virgil van Dijk headed in from close range.
ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - MARCH 21: (L-R) Virgil van Dijk of Holland Celebrates 4-0 with Memphis Depay of Holland, Frenkie de Jong of Holland during the EURO Qualifier match between Holland v Belarus at the Feyenoord Stadium on March 21, 2019 in Rotte
After riding their luck at times in the second half, the Netherlands killed off Germany in the latter stages; Depay smuggled a shot past Manuel Neuer from Quincy Promes' pass before Georginio Wijnaldum waltzed through a dispirited back line to set the seal on a 3-0 success.
Joachim Low's Germany were going through a crisis of their own, having lost six times in 10 matches, but nothing could take the shine off the Netherlands' win. They had not beaten their old rivals since 2002 and had never previously defeated them by a three-goal margin.
"It's like Scotland getting a big win against England—imagine what that does to the mood of Scottish football," said Jan-Hermen de Bruijn, editor-in-chief of Dutch football magazine ELF Voetbal. "The same thing happened to Dutch football. That game changed everything."
As the official UEFA interpreter for the game, De Bruijn was able to keep a close eye on the Netherlands' players during the build-up. He detected within the squad a renewed sense of confidence, which he attributed to the fact that both Ajax and PSV Eindhoven had made positive starts to the season.
PSV had a perfect record in the Eredivisie after eight games, while Ajax had impressed in the UEFA Champions League, breezing past Sturm Graz, Standard Liege and Dynamo Kiev in the qualifying rounds and then gaining a creditable 1-1 draw away to Bayern Munich in the group phase.
"Ajax were winning games in a way that looked like Dutch football from some time ago: with dominating, attacking football, skilful football," De Bruijn told Bleacher Report.
"PSV had lost to Barcelona [4-0 in the Champions League], but they'd played well for the first 75 minutes. Ajax and, to a lesser extent, PSV had shown that in international games, Dutch teams weren't automatically pushovers."
As Ajax advanced unbeaten through the Champions League group stage and continued to rack up thumping wins in the Eredivisie, the idea took hold that classic, proactive Dutch-style football might still have a place at the very highest level. In Van Dijk's eyes, Ajax's run to the Champions League semi-finals "put Ajax and Dutch football back on the map."
(L-R) Frenkie de Jong of Ajax, Denzel Dumfries of PSV during the Dutch Eredivisie match between Ajax Amsterdam and PSV Eindhoven at the Johan Cruijff Arena on March 31, 2019 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images)
Confirmation that the Netherlands were back arrived in mid-November, when France were beaten 2-0 in Rotterdam, with Wijnaldum breaking the deadlock shortly before half-time and Depay adding a second with a delightful stoppage-time Panenka. Had it not been for France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, the visitors might have taken a battering.
Three days later, in Gelsenkirchen, Koeman's men showed there was steel to go with the silk. Trailing 2-0 to Germany with five minutes remaining, the Netherlands hit back through Promes before emergency striker Van Dijk volleyed home an equaliser in added time to send his side to the finals.
Just as with Ajax, the poster boys for the new-look Netherlands team are the preternaturally gifted duo of the 19-year-old centre-back Matthijs de Ligt and the 22-year-old De Jong. But not all Koeman's players are youthful newcomers.
Of the eight players who started all four of the Netherlands' Nations League group games, De Ligt and De Jong are the only ones aged under 25. Goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen is 30, Liverpool pair Van Dijk and Wijnaldum (who have brought their own Champions League-generated momentum to the squad) are 27 and 28, respectively, while Daley Blind is 29, Depay 25 and the rejuvenated Ryan Babel 32.
The artistry that runs throughout the team is offset by the industry supplied by players such as PSV right-back Denzel Dumfries, who made his debut in the 3-0 win over Germany, and Atalanta midfielder Marten de Roon.
No player symbolises the Netherlands' transformation better than Depay. Dismissed as a flop after his disappointing spell at Manchester United and occasionally mocked for his prodigious Instagram output, the Lyon forward has benefited from the lack of competition for places at centre-forward to become a roving attacking figurehead for the national team.
"Depay loves to be made [to feel] important and Ronald Koeman has done that," explained De Bruijn.
"He man-managed Depay from the first moment in a very special way: travelling to Lyon several times and spending time with him, giving him self-confidence and convincing the other players that when he loses the ball in a silly way, they have to do extra work to win it back. In almost every game, he's repaid them by scoring goals."
Koeman revealed to Dutch Soccer Site that having children of Depay's age has changed his view of the former PSV player's activities on social media. "I see the Instagram clips and think, oh well...That cigar wasn't needed for me, but at the same time, I think, 'So what?'" he said. "If Memphis enjoys doing those little clips: fine. Let him."
Depay, who has scored eight goals in 12 games under Koeman, provided an image that encapsulated the Netherlands' renaissance when he was pictured being swamped by beaming team-mates while celebrating his impudent penalty against France in November.
(L-R) Memphis Depay of Holland, Holland coach Ronald Koeman during the UEFA EURO 2020 qualifier group C qualifying match between The Netherlands and Germany at the Johan Cruijff Arena on March 24, 2019 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands(Photo by VI Images via
Koeman credits the move to the Royal Dutch Football Association's new, more intimate training base in Zeist, east of Utrecht, with helping to facilitate "more bonding" within the squad. Whereas previous Dutch squads have been riven by personality clashes, the current cohort seems to be a more cohesive unit.
When Germany claimed a measure of revenge for their Nations League relegation by beating the Netherlands 3-2 in Euro 2020 qualifying in March, there was no handwringing in the Dutch sports press. Koeman held his hands up after the game and admitted that, after once again seeing his team come from 2-0 down to level against Germany, he should have shut up shop and settled for a point.
Having finished the season with five goals in 12 games for Ajax, Donny van de Beek is pushing hard for a starting spot in Portugal, with Koeman saying the blond midfielder is "knocking on the door...much louder than before."
But in the main, the former Everton manager has indicated that he intends to keep faith with the men who proved themselves during the group phase, which helps to explain why players such as Wout Weghorst, the prolific Wolfsburg striker who scored 17 goals in the Bundesliga, failed to make the final cut.
Southgate might not have things all his own way when Koeman next crosses his path. The Dutch have rediscovered their soul.
