Netherlands efficient against Senegal – saved by two late goals

The Netherlands did not score until the 84th minute was played. Then Cody Gakpo rose into the air and sent the man in orange leading the way. Nine minutes into extra time, Davy Klaassen doubled the lead to 2-0 by finishing both teams on target in the game.

The Netherlands had to follow the previous World Cup from the couch. Hence, they reinstated the man who led the country to bronze in 2014, Louis van Gaal. The eccentric veteran had a rocky year when he was diagnosed with cancer in April, but has led his home country with a steady hand.

“Oranje” was unbeaten in the last 15 matches before the World Cup, and came confidently to Qatar and the meeting with Senegal. There they almost started a dream.

The game was only four minutes old when Steven Bergwijn slid on his toes to a cross from Gakpo. But he’s a bit too short of internet knowledge.

Shoe size was not a problem for Frenke de Jong when he was played alone against the keeper moments later. The Barcelona star hesitated instead of finishing, giving the Senegal defense a chance to parry.

Senegal has taken big strides at previous World Cups, such as when France were shocked and eliminated 20 years ago. Team coach Aliou Cissé was a player at the time, but his students were also capable of causing trouble for big countries.

The “Lions” have sometimes caused big problems for opponents, even without their big star Sadio Mané.

Their biggest chance came a quarter of an hour from the end. Idrissa Gueye had time to load the cannon, and his shots were hard, but unfortunately for them they were almost straight at the keeper.

Instead, it ends up hitting the opposite end of the track. The scores of Gakpo and Klaasen made the Netherlands joint leaders of the group with Ecuador.

In the second half, Cheikhou Kouyaté was carried off on a stretcher due to injury. Senegalese blow hard. But it’s a long championship, and just a few hours before the start of the match against the Netherlands, they also got a strong push.

Namely, Ismail Jakobs received a thumbs up from FIFA for his newly acquired citizenship. Backen was born in Cologne in Germany but is now able to represent his father’s homeland in Qatar.