National coach Louis van Gaal was visibly upset after the Dutch national team was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. “The kids did, but it’s part of top-notch sport. The way it was done was dramatic, but we still put on a good performance,” said Van Gaal.
Thus, despite all the attention he received from the Oranges, he went wrong again in the penalty shootout. “We’ve been trying to score penalties all year and then you mix up the penalties,” the national coach said gloomily. “Then the first two miss their penalties… Then the pressure builds up and you can no longer win a series of penalties.”
Van Gaal watched the penalty shootout with fortitude from the touchline. What did the coach have in mind? “We have been working on this for a year. That the boys were trained for this in their club. But then you find that you can simulate the run and the shot, but you can’t simulate the pressure at a moment like this.”
“A Game of Chess”
Van Gaal admitted that the first half was not very exciting. “They adapted to our system and they played 5-3-2. Then it will be a chess match.”
But in the second half, with Plan B – Luuk de Jong and Wout Weghorst – there were still oranges and two scoring chances. “What we have to do in the second half is 2-0 against such a strong country that is killing the game… Then you come back in a great way, with a good attitude and a different system.”
Van Gaal was overjoyed with Weghorst. “I did not choose him for nothing, opinions were divided. A golden boy who can score goals and take penalties. That goes for Luuk de Jong as well.”
Oranges lost momentum again in overtime. According to Van Gaal, this was also due to the high intensity of the game. “Some guys are broken. For example, Gakpo was empty, Timber was injured, he had a big eye.”
“gift for later”
His third term as national manager has now come to an end due to a lost penalty streak. “We’re going home tomorrow,” replied Van Gaal, realistically at first. “But it’s a world-class sport, I said that in the locker room.”
Saying goodbye to his actors, Van Gaal said “there was a terrible atmosphere in the dressing room”. “I thanked them all. It was the best group of my coaching career, it was a gift in later life.”
Is Van Gaal’s coaching career really over? “I said I wouldn’t continue, but it’s always difficult. Check out Dick Advocaat. I stood up to help Dutch football. And Advocaat is now helping ADO Den Haag. This could happen to me too, but I don’t think so. . I don’t have any offers.”
Source: NOS
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
