Qatar 2002 World Cup: Holland easily beat hosts to finish first in Group A

There were no equivalences between Holland Y Qatar, That’s wise. But in a World Cup where surprises were not lacking – such as the impressive victory of Saudi Arabia over Argentina – those led by Louis Van Gaal had to manage to capture the hierarchy of their individuality on an away team already eliminated and whose only engine was trying to get the first World Cup victory in its history.

But this time, like so many others, like most times, the powerful conditions imposed and captured the difference with a 2-0 without complications which allowed him to achieve his goal: to seal the ticket for the round of 16 and be first in group A.

Cody Gakpo25 minutes into halftime, e Frankie de Jong3 minutes into the second, they scored the goals that allowed the Dutch team to enter the top 16 of the World Cup.

The Netherlands started the day by sharing leadership of the peloton with Ecuador. Both had 4 points and the same goal difference and the same number of goals in favor, so if both had the same result in the matches against Qatar and Senegal, they would have qualified for the round of 16 but first place would have been decided by correctness: The team with the fewest yellow cards is awarded.

Unlike the Dutch, those led by Gustavo Alfaro, with strong performances in the first two games, lost 2-1 against Senegal and said goodbye to the World Cup in Qatar.

The Netherlands are in the round of 16 will compete against the second in Group B shared by England, the United States, Iran and Wales.

Holland I needed patience, calmness to move the ball from side to side and find the spaces that a Qatari team usually leaves, which managed to be Asian champion in 2019, but fell well short of expectations in its World Cup.

Those led by Van Gaal didn’t shine but they made it clear from the outset that they would seek the advantage that would give them peace of mind. And they did it many times without lucidity, without that recipe so typical of Dutch teams of adding passes between the midfielders before enabling the forwards.

Before the minute Memphis Depay had already booked. It was after a long throw by Virgil van Dijk that he failed to connect. Aged 3, Daley Blind – son of Danny Blind, an Ajax star who works as Van Gaal’s assistant – tried, but his shot was controlled by Meshal Barsham.

The Netherlands surrounded Barsham but were unclear. He needed De Jong’s lucidity or a brilliant appearance from Gakpo. And the second was what happened, like in the debut with Senegal and also in the draw with Ecuador.

Except that, so far, the PSV midfielder, of Ghanaian origins, He is the great figure and the team’s top scorer. This Tuesday he put the seal on his team’s first great collective play and defined with the inside of his right foot, placing the ball near the left post of the Qatari goalkeeper.

The victory gave serenity to Holland, who in any case played uncomfortable and not due to the merits of the local team, who at times took the ball away from them but ended the discussions when Andries Noppert, the Dutch goalkeeper who was a luxury spectator in a good part of the match .

The final blow for Qatar was De Jong’s first goal in the 3rd minute of the second half: Depay hit Barsham’s body hard in the small area and the Barcelona midfielder only had to push over the line.

From that moment on, the game was repeated between Dutch possession, which added unhurried passes, and attempts without ideas or dangers from Qatar.

The advantage for the Netherlands could have been even greater, but Berghuis was left with the desire to celebrate on two occasions: the first on 22′, when they disallowed a goal at the behest of the VAR from a hand ball by Gakpo earlier in the day, and later with a shot from above the box that hit the right angle.

With the standings and first place secured as Ecuador lost against Senegal, Van Gaal has decided to deal with Gakpo and De Jong ahead of the round of 16 which he will play next Saturday at noon.

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