Humiliated by the Czech Republic (2-3) Tuesday in Amsterdam while a victory was needed to still hope to hang dams, the players returned to the locker room with bowed head.
Even a success would have been insufficient, given Turkey’s victory against Iceland at the same time Konya, 1-0. But this new slap, the fifth defeat in ten qualifiers, shows how evil is profound. “All Europe laughed at us. We’re the clowns of the continent, “wrote the newspaper Tuesday morning Algemeen Dagblad, resigned.
The many empty seats in the Amsterdam ArenA also betrayed a sense of powerlessness among the supporters. No one, or almost no one believed. The pre-game data was not encouraging: to hang the third place of the group and therefore the right to dispute dams, Wesley Sneijder and his family had to win while hoping a defeat of Turkey at home to demobilized because Icelanders already qualified. But no matter, coach Danny Blind had asked his men to make the move to the bottom and that’s what they did.
The twenty already qualified countries are Albania, Germany, England, Austria, Belgium, Spain, France, Northern Ireland , Iceland, Italy, Wales, Poland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Croatia and Turkey.
Eight teams came third in their respective pools, dams will compete again in the last four seats to take: Ukraine, Denmark, Ireland, Bosnia, Hungary, Sweden, Norway and Slovenia. Confrontations are scheduled on 12, 13, Nov. 14 (round) and 15, 16, November 17 (return).
But private frameworks such Robben, Strootman, Cillessen or De Vrij ( all injured), the Dutch were unable to dominate their opponents. Very febrile throughout the qualifying phase, the Dutch defense failed again heavily in the 24th minute leaving the Czech right-back Pavel Kaderabek walk on his side before fixing Jeroen Zoet. Scenario almost identical ten minutes later and on the other sidewall when Josef Sural played four Dutch the score to 0-2 in a mortuary atmosphere. And later, despite the exclusion of the Czech Suchy (43), was just as catastrophic with a goal against his side of Robin van Persie (66th). Huntelaar (70th) and Van Persie (83), this time in a good way, redonnaient hope their training but the Czechs resisted.
The end of a generation
The Dutch then hit bottom. European champions in 1988, they no longer had missed the finals of Euro since 1984 (in France, already). They will certainly notably absent from High Mass in June. A slap all the more painful that for the first twenty-four teams will participate in the tournament. The Dutch do not will, unlike less widely quoted nations like Albania, Iceland and Wales.
This failure also marks a generational shift. All thirties, Sneijder, Huntelaar, Van Persie and Robben not represent the future of a team that will have to be rebuilt.
The coach Danny Blind has already started work integrating several hopefuls in the last two matches against Kazakhstan and the Czech Republic. Kenny Tete (Ajax, 20), Virgil van Dijk (Southampthon, 24), Jairo Riedewald (Ajax, 19) and Anwar El Ghazi (Ajax, 20) are probably those who will take over, backed by Daley Blind and Memphis Depay particular. Although Tuesday they were not convincing. A lengthy waiting coach. Danny Blind or another …
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