The advantage of a 2-1 defeat is that this time the Dutch team had the prospect of a result against France, the formidable world champions of 2018, until the last minute of extra time. Players and the public actually still believed in it towards the end. of a performance in which the Dutch team was powerless for a long time. A late goal gave hope, but ultimately no more than that.
The harsh reality is that the Netherlands – after an entertaining evening of football – is under great pressure in qualifying pool B for the 2024 European Football Championship. France is assured of qualification for the tournament. For second place in the group, which also provides a European Championship ticket, the Netherlands must battle it out with competitor Greece. That is now second, after a win against Ireland on Friday. The Dutch team will play in Athens on Monday evening – if the Netherlands loses, it is no longer in their own hands.
National coach Ronald Koeman made a substitution on Friday evening in the Johan Cruijff Arena with a view to that crucial match against Greece. Denzel Dumfries, who has become the most important player of the Dutch team with his goals and assists, is replaced after sixty minutes by Jeremie Frimpong so that he is fresh on Monday. Ten minutes before the end, more basic players were called in for that reason.
The biggest difference with the confrontation this spring in Paris, when the Dutch team was blown away, was that the Netherlands now looked less naive. At times there were glimpses of class from a renewed Orange team. With a selection that started the evening badly damaged, due to the absence of many injured internationals, including playmaker Frenkie de Jong, and attackers Memphis Depay and Cody Gakpo.
No risk in the construction
Four players made their starting debut, in what is considered one of the most difficult matches in international football. That honor went to goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, left back Quilindschy Hartman and midfielders Joey Veerman and Tijjani Reijnders. As if it wasn’t enough for Koeman, striker Wout Weghorst also fell injured in the first half after a collision with Antoine Griezmann
Koeman had clearly instructed not to take any risks in the build-up. After all, things went wrong in the March match in Paris, which led to a humiliating 4-0. Now the Dutch team already plays three wild balls forward within the first minute – safety first, is the motto. Although it also comes out well over the flanks twice in the initial phase, via the attacking backs Hartman and Dumfries, it does not yet pose a great danger. “Finding behind against France is the worst thing that can happen, then they will gain even more strength,” said midfielder Marten de Roon this week in Zeist. Then you have to move forward more, he said, and the French can strike in transition. That is precisely when they are “deadly”.
That exact doomsday scenario comes true, within seven minutes. There is a lack of coordination between Hartman and Simons gives attacker Kingsley Coman too much space, after which French right back Jonathan Clauss passes Kylian Mbappé. He can get in front of Lutsharel Geertruida too easily and scores the 0-1 behind goalkeeper Verbruggen.
The French play on flexibility and find each other blindly. The ball passes from foot to foot so easily, with the ingrained automatics. With the physical power of the French, the Dutch players sometimes look like young boys, they are so simply put aside. They always have a fraction left, Mbappé with his speed, Antoine Griezmann with his cleverness.
There where the disillusionment in the Dutch team is not far away. An apparently simple wide ball from Weghorst, striker at TSG Hoffenheim, just goes over the sideline, into no man’s land. You see the extra work that the Dutch players have to put in to compete, always slightly above their actual level.
However, opportunities arise if the Dutch team sheds its somewhat fearful approach. Veerman finally gets the ball in the French half, after about 25 minutes, he sets up an attack that ends up back with him via Dumfries. Veerman is completely free, but shoots wildly. Shortly afterwards, Simons makes a nice dribble, which also ends with a shot high over. It is the first time, in those minutes, that the audience in Amsterdam bounces back.
Mbappe’s class
But this Dutch team is also still Marten de Roon, who fights with the ball several times and then clumsily loses in dangerous places. The French cleverly let him get the ball as much as possible, the least passer on the Dutch national team. At halftime he was substituted for Mats Wieffer.
When the rain audibly patters down on the closed roof of the Arena, the build-up goes wrong for the Dutch team. Mbappé comes into possession of the ball in a completely free position, is away, immediately sees space. The Dutch defense is not organized when Mbappé shoots sensitively with the right, with a nice curve out of reach of goalkeeper Verbruggen. Seven minutes after the break, and France leads 0-2.
Hartman shows himself emphatically. He brings energy, speed and attacking urge with good, clean passing. Shortly before half-time, his long shot seemed to land with some luck after a near-blunder by goalkeeper Mike Maignan, but he recovered. Seven minutes before the end, he made an excellent attack from the left, after a combination with substitute Steven Bergwijn, to make it 1-2.
But the revival comes too late. Bergwijn almost scores the 2-2 from a pass from Hartman, but he falls just short. Moments later it turns out to be in an offside position. The French had shot at the crossbar shortly before, sender: Mbappé, of course him.
A version of this article also appeared in the October 14, 2023 newspaper.