Monterrey Stadium saw one of the best matches of this World Cup so far, but it ended up going to penalties to decide it in the end in the most annoying way. The Netherlands finished up losing 3-2 on spot kicks after a 1-1 draw that stretched through extra time. And honestly, the way it all wrapped says a lot about the rest of the match as well. Starexch brings you the full breakdown of how the Atlas Lions moved ahead and what comes next so that you know all the Netherlands vs Morocco match details.
Morocco made an equalising goal in the 91st minute until the crowd figured it was done and dusted. Ronald Koeman had his Netherlands group defending low and then trying to spring forward on the counterattack. Mohamed Ouahbi went the other direction, basically asking his players to keep hold of the ball and to hunt for openings.
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Nobody walked into Monterrey expecting a full blown version, and they didn’t really get one either. Koeman chose a back five plan, revolving around three deep-sitting centre-backs, which is not quite how this Netherlands side usually moves. Virgil van Dijk, Jan Paul van Hecke, and Nathan Aké held that defensive line together throughout the match, satisfied to let Morocco have possession.
Morocco lined up in a balanced setup, and the contrast in mindset was visible from the start. Azzedine Ounahi and Ayyoub Bouaddi ran the midfield, and Bouaddi in particular looked almost too composed, like he was far beyond his years, against a Dutch side with all that World Cup experience.
Half time came and went to the tune of 0-0. Neither side had really broken through, though anyone watching closely could tell Morocco were doing more of the attacking work.
A few individual matchups ended up mattering more than the rest.
Verbruggen deserves more credit than he’ll probably get for this one. His distribution broke Morocco’s press more than once in the first hour, giving his teammates time.
Koeman made the move that nearly changed the whole match after the break, bringing in Wout Weghorst as a target man. And it in fact worked almost right away. Weghorst won a flick on, the ball then went to Crysencio Summerville down the left, and Summerville squared it for Cody Gakpo to finish in the 72nd minute. After that, for a stretch, Koeman’s patient defence first plan appeared like it was the perfect call, or at least that’s what it felt like.
Then Ouahbi rolled the dice of his own. He sent on Chemsdine Talbi for extra width as Morocco chased the match late, and it paid off in the cruellest way for the Dutch. Talbi’s cross late on found Issa Diop completely unmarked, and Diop headed it home to drag the Netherlands vs Morocco match into extra time. Anyone who’s watched a World Cup knockout match before knows exactly how that goal felt for both benches.
Both managers used their benches decisively, but it turned out in two very different ways. Koeman’s move to bring Weghorst on did work well, at least in the short run, because it helped create the goal that put Netherlands ahead. But then Ouahbi’s adjustments felt more important once you zoomed out and looked at the whole match apart from the early part.
Thus, substitutions shaped the result like this, more or less:
Morocco’s bench depth gave them a real edge as fatigue crept in, bit by bit. Talbi and Diop combined for the goal, pretty much within minutes after stepping onto the pitch. The Netherlands seemed, somehow, to lack that same kind of transforming energy from their substitutes, and it showed as the minutes went on.
After the equaliser, the Netherlands looked like they lost interest in forcing a goal, you know. They fell back during extra time, and it seemed a bit odd, because afterwards there was fair criticism. Especially considering the attacking players they had on the pitch. By the final whistle of Netherlands vs Morocco, both teams looked as if they were already negotiating for penalties.
The shootout really came to two moments, nothing more. Yassine Bounou guessed right and saved Summerville’s penalty, and then Ismael Saibari stepped up and buried him without any hesitation. 3-2 to Morocco, and the Dutch were out.
Morocco took the bigger risk late on, and it worked out for them. Koeman’s smart substitution sealed the victory in the Netherlands vs Morocco match outright, but Ouahbi’s willingness to keep pushing for a victory even after falling behind is what actually decided this one.
Morocco now faces co-host Canada in the Round of 16 at Houston’s NRG Stadium, a fixture that will test their nerves all over again in front of a partisan home crowd. Stay connected and follow us for more thrilling daily football news. Stay tuned as the Atlas Lions get ready to lock horns with Canada in the Round of 16. Starexch is there to keep you covered with all around football news, plus match analyses of every single match.
