A failed penalty shot by the azulgrana Memphis Depay in the extension time prevented the Netherlands chain their third consecutive victory in the Nations League, after drawing this Saturday 2-2 with Poland in Rotterdam, in a match in which the “oranje” managed to overcome an adverse 0-2 in just three minutes. Lewandowski he was not even on the bench, since they were reserved for the game against Belgium on Tuesday, while De Jong y Memphis They started and played the entire match.
After coming back from 0-2 and when everything seemed ready for the Dutch victory, the Barcelona striker hit the post with the maximum penalty that he himself had been in charge of provoking.
A bitter outcome that cannot hide the dose of character and competitiveness that it has endowed Louis van Gaal to the Netherlands national team, since his return to the “oranje” bench in September 2021.
In fact, since the return of the former Barcelona coach, who already took the Dutch to the semifinals in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the orange team has not conceded a single defeat -eight wins and four draws- in the twelve games played under the orders of Van Gaal.
A streak that seemed in serious danger when five minutes into the second half the Polish team took a 0-2 lead on the scoreboard, thanks to a goal from the Napoli player Piote Zielinski.
Marker that made clear the greater efficiency of the Slavic team, which despite leaving its greatest star, the striker, in the stands throughout the match Robert Lewandowskidid not waste any of his scoring chances.
If at 18 minutes the side Matty CashAston Villa player, did not miss out on a magnificent change of orientation by Nicola Zalewski to establish with a no less outstanding cross shot the 0-1, in the 50 Zielinski culminated a sensational counterattack braided by Krzystof Piatek y Przemyslaw Frankowski.
But as he showed last Wednesday when the Netherlands won 2-1 on their visit to Wales with a goal Wout Weghorst in the extension time, this selection of Van Gaal It is not a team that gives up so easily.
Thus, just one minute after conceding 0-2, the Dutch team rejoined the match (1-2) with a goal from Davy Klaassenwho had already enjoyed a good opportunity in the first half, after sending a cross to the nets Daley Blind.
A goal that seemed to definitively spur the locals that three minutes later, in minute 54, leveled the match (2-2) with a goal from the Inter Milan side Denzel Dumfries.
Tie with which the Netherlands finally had to settle after seeing how Memphis Depay missed a maximum penalty after 91 minutes that he himself had been in charge of provoking with a shot inside the area that after being repelled in the first instance by the Polish goalkeeper ended up crashing into the arm of Matty Cash.
However, the harsh launch of Depaywho had totally fooled the Polish goalkeeper, crashed into the post, condemning the Netherlands to a bitter final draw (2-2), which will not prevent Louis van Gaal’s side from staying at the top of Group 4.
Datasheet:
2 – Netherlands: Flecks; Timber (Teze, m.64), De Vrij, Ake; Dumfries, Berghuis (Koopmeiners, m.64), Klaassen (Gakpo, m.64), Frenkie de Jong, Blind; Bergwijn (Weghorst, m.77) y Depay.
2 – Poland: Skorupski; Cash, Bednarek, Kiwior, Bereszynski; Frankowski (Glik, m. 84), Goralski (Zurkowski, m. 58), Krychowiak, Zalewski; Zielinski and Piatek
Goals: 0-1, m.18: Cash. 0-2, m.50: Zielinski. 1-2, m.51: Klaassen. 2-2, m.56: Dumfries.
Referee: Hamil Umut Meler (TUR). He showed a yellow card to Berghuis, Bergwijn and Frenkie de Jong for the Netherlands; and to Krychowiak, Bednarek, Skorupski, Zielinski and Zurkowski for Poland.
incidents: Match corresponding to the third day of group 4 of League A of the League of Nations played at the De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam
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