1-0: Koeman wins Netherlands ticket for Germany

Ronald Koeman achieved this. Without much brilliance, but he fulfilled the goal of leading the Netherlands to Euro 2024 in a practical game because of the defeats that reduced his performance in the final stage of the qualification stage.

Without Frenkie de Jong or Memphis Depay, its leader and its scorer, among many other absences, the Netherlands, the champion of the Euro Cup in 1988, achieved a victory against Ireland that was enough to get its ticket to Germany thanks to a single goal from in Wout Weghorst at the beginning of the match (1-0).

In his second term in office, Koeman reclassified the ‘Oranje’ team for a Euro Cup. He made it to the 2020 edition but is not in the final stage, played in 2021 due to the pandemic, since he signed for FC Barcelona. Next summer Yes, he will participate in the big tournament, now as a coach, after winning it as a player in 1988.

The match began with a first-time Irish star Alan Brownewho took advantage of the loss of Quilindschy Hartman to try Bart Verbruggen with a centered shot (5′).

Weghorst escaped and shot

But the response was overwhelming. ‘Oranje’ does not like surprises and on his first arrival he opened the scoring. Stefan de Vrij dropped a nice long pass, Weghorst went to speed Nathan Collins and, after going right, he finished his drive with a high shot to that short post defeat Gavin Bazunu (12′).

With a light advantage, the Netherlands did not look for a second goal and devoted themselves to sleeping in the game with long possessions until the ball fell at the feet of Xavi Simons, the most unbalanced player of this choice for its quality and speed.

A defeat that could have cost Ireland

Ireland did not fully react and for several moments seemed to settle for a defeat that, on the contrary, could have benefited them to enter the play-offs due to the very complicated system created by UEFA.

As the minutes ticked away, the Netherlands took a step forward, restricting the Irish’s release of the ball and forcing a few turnovers in compromised areas of the field, but chances were still conspicuously absent.

‘Oranje’ pushes but without final success

Before the break Simons connected with Weghorst and he extended it with a great drop shot. Cody Gakpo but Bazunu fell at his feet and arrived first. Two shots of Tijani Reijnders, rub against the pole, and from its own Gakpowhich was deflected into a corner by Bazunu, the last attempts before the break for an ‘oranje’ that went further after the goal.

In the second half Denzel Dumfries woke up, which in its attacks on the right caused danger. Right after the restart of the game, Inter’s right winger put in a good ball on the counterattack Xavi Simons that the shot was taken between Bazunu and, incidentally, Gakpo.

Reijnders, in the post

Immediately after another Dumfries cross was finished by Weghorst and Bazunu stopped the goal. Reijnders tried again from distance and Bazunu deflected the ball just enough for it to deflect off the post.

They are the best minutes of the Netherlands, that is He gave many colorful combinations, although without success in the last meters. The fight is still open, the boy Evan FergusonBrighton’s promising striker, still showed no signs of life but instead Adam Idah, who jumped onto the field at half-time, gave the Dutch a big scare on a separate play.

Idah gave great fear

Idah got away with a long ball and his shot, after taking on Virgil van Dijk, slipped under his body. Verbruggen, who reacted late as the ball narrowly crossed the goal line. The goal did not increase the score because Idah was offside to relieve the fans.

In the end Weghorst’s goal was decisive as the Netherlands no longer had the freshness to create chances or a limited Ireland was easier to surprise. ‘Oranje’ took second place in group B, after France, because it won the particular ‘average’ against Greece, third with three points less.

NETHERLANDS

10

IRELAND

Netherlands: Verbruggen; De Vrij, Van Dijk, Blind; Dumfries, Schouten (De Roon, m.90), Reijnders (Koopmeiners, m.90), Hartman; Simons (Malen, d.80); Weghorst and Gakpo (Veerman, m.69).

Ireland: Bazunu; Collins, O’Shea, Scales; Doherty (Johnston, d.77), Browne, Cullen, Manning; Robinson (Idah, m.46), Ferguson (McGrath, m.55) and Knight (Molumby, m.77).

Goal: 1-0, m.12: Weghorst.

Referee: Marco Di Bello (ITA). Idah is shown a yellow card for Ireland.

Incidents: Match corresponding to the ninth day of group B of the qualifying phase for the German Euro Cup played at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam. Before the start of the match, a minute’s silence was observed in memory of former Dutch international striker Rudd Geels.

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