It is always waiting for that one moment during a Louis van Gaal press conference. That also happened today when the national coach looked ahead to the World Cup match against Ecuador. A Senegalese journalist took the opportunity to compliment Van Gaal. “It’s nice of you to say this, because that doesn’t happen often,” says the 71-year-old Amsterdammer.
“We’re going to hug each other in a bit”, says a cheerful Van Gaal afterwards. The national coach was visibly flattered by the words of the young journalist. After the press conference, both took a picture together, which led to great interest from the photographers.
In addition, the match against Ecuador was of course discussed. The upcoming opponent estimates Van Gaal higher than Senegal, where the Orange won 2-0 on Monday. “I think Ecuador is an opponent that is even more organized than Senegal. They have smarter players. That makes it more difficult than against Senegal.”
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“They haven’t lost much, they don’t score very many, but they don’t concede many goals either,” Van Gaal zooms in on Ecuador, which won the opening game 2-0 against Qatar. “They are physically strong and have smart players. It is a difficult opponent and that is why I rate them higher than Senegal.”
“It’s a present for me. You can see that in me: it’s fun”
A good humored Van Gaal also made a number of compliments towards his selection. Compared to that of the 2014 World Cup, he thinks the average level is higher. “It is not for nothing that I have praised the group for a year. I have left this group whole because of the fact that they are so professional. They are so busy with each other to get better. It is a gift to me. You can see that me too: it’s fun.”
OneLove
The German football team organized a statement against FIFA and the ban on OneLove expressions before the match against Japan yesterday. The players posed for the team photo with one hand over their mouths. Orange does not intend to organize anything. “We put an end to that on Thursday by inviting the migrant workers. We will not let FIFA ruin our goal of becoming world champion. I have already answered the human rights situation. I think that is sufficient. “
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The Dutch national team will play the second group match at the World Cup tomorrow evening. Ecuador is the opponent at 5 p.m.
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