“The disappointment dominates,” Koeman said to the NOS. Just before time happened what the national coach was a bit afraid of. “I was not quiet towards the end of the game. You know that you have to make a second to have that rest. You know that there will be one or two moments. This is painful, especially when you see how it comes about.”
Dutch national team messes up opportunities and gets lid on the nose against Poland in the final phase
“This can happen if you don’t make the second,” Koeman realized too. “At times we could have kept a better position and play a little faster. At phases I felt that we were too busy playing the game.”
The Netherlands does lead in the group
The Netherlands leads in the group with just as many points as Poland but played a match less. “Sure this is a disappointment. You can take a great step and we were the better team. If this happens, then you are not happy with that,” Koeman concluded.
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Dumfries also saw the Orange do many good things
Denzel Dumfries has a nasty taste of the draw. “This is annoying,” he said in the catacombs in De Kuip. “You can call it a damper.”
“We also have to realize that we have done a lot of good,” said the defender. “We have had many opportunities especially before the break. We played very dominant. We just have to continue like this and not let our heads hang. On Sunday we just have to stand against Lithuania again.”
Orange leads group G with 7 points. Poland and Finland also have 7 points, but have played a duel more. The Netherlands has a much better goal difference than the biggest competitors for the profit of the group. “We are still very good, but we had stimulated even better with a victory,” Dumfries concluded. “We have to analyze this competition well.”
Tijjani Reijnders fights for the ball with Nicola Zalewski. © ANP/HH
Reijnders found the Orange to play in too low ball pace after the break
Tijjani Reijnders thought that the Dutch national team played in the second half in a low pace. “The beginning was quite strong in my eyes. We scored a good goal and should have made a second,” said Reijnders.
“We knew that they were lurking on the counter. It is difficult to play against these kinds of teams, but we have done that more often. It was not that they became very dangerous. Things like this should not happen.”
The draw does not cause panic, showed Reijnders. “We have to analyze this competition and then the heads have to go up again. On Sunday we have another competition. But this was unnecessary, yes.”