Goals from Cody Gakpo and Frenkie de Jong ensured that 2-0 win for the Netherlands over Qatar, and top spot for the Dutch in Group A.
The Netherlands went into their final Group A fixture of the World Cup needing only a point to qualify for the knockout stages. Qatar, meanwhile, were already out – the first time a host nation has exited the tournament after two games in the 92-year history of the competition.
In front of a half-empty Al Bayt Stadium, the Arab nation were playing for nothing other than pride. And in the opening exchanges at least, Felix Sanchez’s team held firm. They were committed in the challenge and disciplined in their off-the-ball shape but it took only 26 minutes for the Dutch’s superior quality to tell.
As has been the story so far in front of goal for the Netherlands, it was all Cody Gakpo, who surely won’t see out the January transfer window at PSV. The 23-year-old received a pass into feet, which he flicked intelligently around the corner to Davy Klaassen before collecting the return layoff. In the blink of an eye he was free just inside the area and made no mistake with the finish as the Qatari defenders closed in.
The rest of the half was devoid of any real opportunities and Qatar, to their credit, did not roll over even as the mood in the stadium quickly plummeted from mildly optimistic to abject despair.
The Dutch were doing little to lift the mood for the neutral, knocking the ball around their back five with all the urgency of a pre-season friendly. Memphis Depay, in particular, was staggeringly poor in the opening period – no surprise given he has just 116 minutes of La Liga football under his belt for Barcelona this season.
Van Gaal’s side were struggling to play through the low Qatari block, with only Frenkie de Jong and occasionally Klaassen showing the requisite technical ability to find space between the lines and turn.
Following the break, the Netherlands grabbed a second goal after Klaassen’s cross was flicked into the path of Depay by Boualem Khoukhi. The Barcelona forward could only shoot straight at Meshaal Barsham, who still had to produce a smart reaction stop, but the onrushing de Jong was there to smash home the follow-up.
The game soon died out after that. Substitutes Vincent Janssen and Steven Berghuis almost combined for a goal almost immediately but it was ruled out due to an accidental handball from Gakpo in the build-up. Berghuis, who was lively after coming on, also curled a shot from outside the box…
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