Cody Gakpo is the first Dutchman ever to score a goal in his first three appearances during the World Cup. The PSV attacker also took the leading role against Qatar, by opening the score. He helped his country with one 2-0 wingroup win and a place in the eighth finals.
,,We are all doing it together”, Gakpo refused afterwards in front of the camera of the NOS grab the spotlight. “Now I’ve been to the final station a few times, but everyone helps each other. This is a nice feeling. We’re through, that’s what today was all about. I think we were better on the ball than in recent games, we had a bit more control.”
On a pass from Davy Klaassen, Gakpo opened the score on behalf of the Orange after 26 minutes of play. The 23-year-old attacker from Eindhoven was accurate in the opening match against Senegal and scored the 1-0 early on the scoreboard against Ecuador last Friday. In doing so, he followed in the footsteps of Memphis Depay, who was the first Dutch player to score in his first two World Cup matches at the 2014 World Cup. He struck for the third time in a row against Qatar. ,,A hat-trick in three games”, Gakpo said with a smile.
The attacker, who forms the vanguard with Memphis Depay, is also the fourth Dutchman ever to score for the third time in a row in a World Cup match. Johan Neeskens (1974), Dennis Bergkamp (1994) and Wesley Sneijder (2010) preceded him. Gakpo now has 17 goals and 18 assists in 29 games for the Dutch and PSV this season. The PSV player already had two goals in nine international matches before he traveled to Qatar.
In any case, it is quite unique what Gakpo shows during his World Cup baptism of fire. Only one player previously opened the score three times in the group stage: the Italian Alessandro Altobelli in 1986. Thanks to his third goal, Gakpo leads the World Cup top scorers list with Enner Valencia (Ecuador) and Kylian Mbappé (France). In addition, he became the first Dutchman with a hit with the left, right and head since Sneijder in 2010.
Frankie Young
Shortly after the break, Frenkie de Jong doubled the score on behalf of the Dutch national team, helping his country with roses. The FC Barcelona midfielder therefore struck again in the Orange shirt after 1180 days of drought. De Jong scored his first and only other goal on September 2019 against Germany. Three Dutchmen have been accurate for the Netherlands this World Cup: De Jong, Gakpo and Davy Klaassen.
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