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Wout Weghorst was the key player in securing the Netherlands’ spot in the Euro 2024 finals, while the Republic of Ireland’s disappointing performance ended with a lackluster finish.
Hoffenheim’s forward, currently on loan from Burnley, scored the winning goal in Dublin in September, putting Ireland in a difficult position. He once again found the back of the net in Amsterdam, securing a 1-0 victory that was more dominant than the scoreline may indicate.
The Dutch team took second place in Group B, with France placing first after scoring 14 unanswered goals against Gibraltar.
Stephen Kenny’s team, who have only won six out of 29 competitive matches under his management, were unable to compete against a much stronger opponent at the Johan Cruyff Arena with the roof closed. They had hoped to upset one of Europe’s well-established top teams.
Their slim chances of making it to the playoffs through the Nations League were officially crushed on Thursday evening when Slovakia defeated Iceland 4-2, as automatic qualification had already slipped out of their reach.
Kenny’s contract will expire after the friendly match against New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday night. His future will be determined after the results of a review are presented to the board of the Football Association of Ireland on November 28, but it is unlikely that he will receive an extension.
Callum Robinson, who hasn’t started a competitive match for his national team since June of last year, caught our attention early on with a well-placed through-ball to Alan Browne in the fifth minute. However, despite Browne’s strong shot, it was right at goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
Xavi Simons was less accurate at the other end as the Dutch mounted their first real attack, but they went ahead with just 12 minutes gone after Weghorst’s clever turn on to Stefan de Vrij’s pass on halfway left Nathan Collins for dead.
The forward quickly ran towards the opponent’s goal and powerfully shot the ball into the top of the net, leaving the goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu unable to stop it.
The visitors’ attempts to regain control of the game were consistently hindered by a failure to make strong advances, despite having periods of control and a tendency to give up possession in risky areas.
As Cody Gakpo, the forward for Liverpool, began to display his range of skills, with help from Xavi Simons, Ireland appeared to be facing more pressure.
The home defence, expertly marshalled by Virgil van Dijk, proved watertight as Ireland probed without reward, although the Netherlands failed to take advantage of their superiority at the other end with Gakpo and Tijjani Reijnders both missing the target from distance in quick succession.
As the whistle drew near, Ireland was in a state of confusion. Gakpo and Simons continuously tore them apart, but they managed to reach halftime without any additional harm – partly thanks to Bazunu’s save from Reijnders in the 44th minute.
Luckily, they avoided falling even further behind after just three minutes. Simons received a pass from Denzel Dumfries and attempted a shot on goal during a swift counter-attack, but his teammate Gakpo unintentionally blocked the shot.
Bazunu saved the day twice in a matter of seconds, first blocking Weghorst’s quick shot and then deflecting Reijnders’ dipping attempt off the post. This prompted Kenny to substitute the stranded Ferguson with midfielder Jamie McGrath.
Adam Idah believed he had scored an equalizer in the 59th minute after receiving a pass from Ryan Manning, dribbling past Van Dijk, and shooting the ball between Verbruggen’s legs and into the goal. However, a late offside call saved the keeper from embarrassment.
The Dutch aggressively attacked the visitors in order to score more goals, but were not accurate enough to succeed. As a result, they were put under unnecessary stress as time ran out.
Source: independent.co.uk
