Orange already 28 international matches unbeaten under Van Gaal: “But Poland can beat us” NOW

Louis van Gaal is aware of the long series of unbeaten international matches of the Dutch national team under his leadership. The last time Van Gaal went down with the Orange was 28 international matches ago. Nevertheless, the national coach emphasizes that Poland has the qualities to end that series.

Since Van Gaal’s return last summer, the Orange squad has won eight times and drawn three times. “We are still unbeaten. But yes, as a national coach I have not lost much anyway,” said Van Gaal on Friday at his press conference for the Nations League match with Poland.

In the three periods under Van Gaal, the Orange lost only 4 of the 54 international matches. It should be noted that the semi-final lost on penalties at the 2014 World Cup against Argentina (0-0) is counted as a draw. Van Gaal’s last defeat with Orange was in March 2014 in a friendly match against France (2-0).

In Poland, confidence will be much less. The team of national coach Czeslaw Michniewicz lost 6-1 to Belgium on Wednesday. “But that 6-1 gives the wrong picture,” said Van Gaal. “After 75 minutes it was 2-1, then the Belgians only ran out. Perhaps it is a characteristic of Poland that they can let it go, that is not good enough.”

‘There is no point in making people sharper’

Van Gaal said that he doesn’t even think the difference in quality between Poland, which is 26th in the FIFA ranking, and Belgium (the number two) is that big. “Poland also has a lot of quality. Then I would of course mention Robert Lewandowski, but they have many more good players.”

Van Gaal did not want to say who they are. “If I do that, I wake up other people and become sharper and I don’t feel like it. But let it be clear that Poland is not a country that we beat easily. It has enough quality to beat us.”

The Netherlands-Poland starts on Saturday at 8.45 pm in De Kuip in Rotterdam and is led by Turkish referee Halil Umut Meler.