Despite plenty of doubts heading into Euro 2020, Frank de Boer's Netherlands side could well just be a surprise package.
The Netherlands joined Belgium and Italy in qualifying for the last 16 as they claimed a 2-0 victory over Austria in Amsterdam on Thursday, ensuring they will top Group C.
In truth, they came up against an Austria team who are failing to get the best from the talent Franco Foda has at his disposal, though that will not dispel the positivity surrounding the Oranje after two vibrant attacking displays.
With Matthijs de Ligt back at the heart of their defence and Frenkie de Jong commanding midfield, the Netherlands looked solid at the back, and this encounter seemed to pit a team with a set system – if sometimes overly offensive – against a side with little idea as to how they want to play.
Austria wasting Alaba's talent
David Alaba is a player whose versatility has always come in handy both for Bayern Munich and Austria. Indeed, he has more often than not played in midfield for his country.
He managed to advance forward from a position on the left of a back three in the 3-1 win over North Macedonia on Sunday, providing the assist for Austria's second goal, but in Amsterdam, stationed in the middle of the defence, he looked a shadow of the world-class talent he truly is.
While still managing to create two chances – matching his total from game one – he was too often forced to stay deep and marshall Austria's line, subsequently becoming a victim of the Netherlands' press. It was only at 2-0 down that Foda made the decision to move his talisman into a more advanced position, from which the Real Madrid-bound left-footer went close to a stunning goal which would have set up a grandstand finish.
It rounded out a frustrating night for the 28-year-old, whose rash lunge on Denzel Dumfries led to Austria falling behind.
De Jong serves up midfield masterclass
As Alaba became bogged down in defence, De Jong had free rein in midfield. The Barcelona man sure made the most of it.
The Netherlands actually had less possession (46.9 per cent) than their visitors, but they always looked to have the match under control and De Jong, whose 77 touches was a team-high, was crucial.
No player made more tackles (three) or regained possession on more occasions (12) than the former Ajax star, who was at his silky best when on the ball, effortlessly gliding through midfield and picking out his team-mates 49 times, out of 58 attempts, giving him a passing accuracy of 84.5 per cent.
With the bombarding Dumfries stretching the pitch down the right, De Jong was afforded the time and space to run the show.
Depay shows his best... and worst
Memphis Depay had five of the Netherlands' six efforts at goal in the first half, with his penalty – won by the excellent Dumfries – putting the hosts ahead after 11 minutes.
Depay has scored 27 goals for his country, five more than any other Dutch player since his debut, with Georgino Wijnaldum (22) his closest challenger.
He really should have had added more to that total. Depay lashed into the side-netting in the 24th minute, but his glaring miss came when he sliced over with the goal gaping just before half-time.
Nevertheless, his talent is there for all to see, with his six efforts a game-high – albeit the only one which hit the target was his goal.
It helps that Depay has found support in the goalscoring stakes, Dumfries putting the seal on victory in this game and becoming only the second Dutchman to score in his first two appearances at the Euros, after Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Sabitzer crowded out as Arnautovic's absence felt
Marko Arnautovic's suspension for his over-zealous celebration against North Macedonia left Austria short of one of their best options in attack, but Foda is also struggling to find a way to bring Marcel Sabitzer's creativity to the fore.
The RB Leipzig midfielder showed quality with a supreme cross for the opener against North Macedonia, yet he failed to create any chances for others throughout Thursday's match, only managing one shot himself.
Sabitzer scored eight Bundesliga goals in 2020-21 for Leipzig, setting up a further three, but like Alaba, it feels as though his ability is not being sufficiently harnessed by a coach who has guided his team to just two wins in their last eight games.
Sarina Wiegman frustrated over timing of players being released for World Cup
Sarina Wiegman has expressed her frustration over the uncertainty surrounding England’s World Cup preparations as talks continue regarding the timing of players being released for duty ahead of the tournament.
The showpiece in Australia and New Zealand gets under way on July 20, and in mid-May, the European Club Association and FIFA announced they had reached an agreement establishing a non-mandatory release period of June 23-29.
The ECA and FIFA said that timeframe, to act as a guideline for clubs and national associations with exact dates to be agreed between them, “strikes the all-important balance between players having sufficient rest while allowing adequate time to prepare for the World Cup”.
The plan for England had been to start a pre-tournament camp on June 19, and boss Wiegman, who named her 23-player squad for the World Cup on Wednesday, said: “Of course that’s frustrating because we have all our plans, we thought we were all set and then like a month ago, all of a sudden, things change.
“We didn’t expect that, and it’s so late. I do understand, it’s about the calendar. It’s really hard. It’s about players having rest. We have to collaborate and talk to each other to try to solve that.
“But now in a short time like this, we’re all set and a month before we start, it all changes. That’s frustrating and it’s hard too because I think this is not the time to do this. It’s the time to do that later and solve it after this tournament.”
Wiegman was asked specifically about midfielder Georgia Stanway, who plays for Bayern Munich, and said: “I still hope we negotiate. At this point it’s hard but we’re trying to get the conversation going again.”
The Dutchwoman said the June 19 plan had been in place since last November, adding: “When we came to these plans, of course we have our principles, the knowledge, the expertise and experience, so we made the plan starting the 19th (of June).
“We spoke about that with the captains’ group, then with the players. We are in contact with clubs now and it’s very constructive but it’s not finalised yet.
“When you go to a World Cup, it’s the highest level, the most density, volume, so you have to be at your highest level.
“We also know that if you have more than two weeks’ rest, which if you would start later on you would have 26 days of no football, that’s not good for the preparation for the players, for the welfare of players that wouldn’t be good. So that’s why we want to start on June 19.
“It’s not only the physiology, it’s also the decision-making in football and getting really ready to start when we start on the 22nd (of July v Haiti).
“And knowing we’re going to the other side of the world, that takes a couple of days too. It’s two days of travelling, you can’t start training straight away because we first have to beat the jet-lag, so we really need that time to get prepared, so I just hope that we keep going with the good conversations and we can solve this.”
England are due to fly to Australia on July 5, and Wiegman also said regarding a warm-up fixture prior to that date: “The reason why we can’t tell you anything about that has to do with when we can start.
“If we start on June 19 we have enough days to get ready for such a game, but if we start later then you have too short a time to get ready for a fixture.”
Youri Tielemans confirms Leicester exit
Youri Tielemans has announced that he is leaving Leicester.
The 26-year-old joined the Foxes from Monaco on loan in 2019 before signing a permanent deal on a four-year contract.
Tielemans is out of contract this summer and his departure comes after Leicester were relegated from the Premier League on the final day of the season on Sunday.
Their relegation came just seven years after being crowned Premier League champions and two seasons since winning the FA Cup against Chelsea, where Tielemans scored a stunning goal to seal victory.
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“Dear Leicester fans, after four and a half special years and with a lot of gratitude I’m bidding farewell to this incredible club,” the Belgium international said in a video on Instagram.
“From the first day I set foot on this ground, your warmth and passion embraced me.
“Victory and triumph, love, hope and even defeat, we’ve shared many special moments together.
“I am forever grateful for your unwavering support, thank you to Khun Top, the board, the staff, the players and fans for having given me and my family a home.
“This is not a goodbye, but a heartfelt farewell. With pride, love and eternal gratitude, Youri Tielemans.”
We have made some mistakes – Andrea Radrizzani sorry after Leeds’ relegation
Leeds chairman Andrea Radrizzani has apologised to the club’s fans following relegation from the Premier League.
In a personal statement posted on Twitter, Radrizzani admitted the board of directors had made mistakes and hoped to make some “key appointments in different areas of the club”.
But the 48-year-old Italian, who is part of a consortium that has completed a takeover of Sampdoria, made no mention of a possible change of ownership at Leeds.
Radrizzani said: “The last few days have been very difficult for everyone associated with Leeds United.
“I find it very hard to find the right words to say, other than to apologise to all of our fans for the club’s relegation. I am sincerely sorry for how this season has unfolded.
“We have made significant investments to try to keep Leeds United in the Premier League, but in working hard to improve the club, we have also obviously made some mistakes.
“We are reflecting on the decisions that we have taken to ensure we learn the lessons to improve our club and make progress in the future.
“Leeds supporters deserve more than this. You understand the journey on which we have embarked, and I hope that once the anger and disappointment has subsided you will see that we can come back stronger.”
Radrizzani’s company Aser Group, in partnership with finance company Gestio Capital, announced on Tuesday night that they had concluded a deal to save financially-stricken Sampdoria, recently relegated to Serie B.
It had been expected that that deal would lead to Radrizzani selling his 56 per cent stake in Leeds to American co-owners 49ers Enterprises.
The financial arm of NFL franchise the San Francisco 49ers increased its stake in Leeds to 44 per cent at the end of 2021 with a deal in place to buy Radrizzani’s stake and take full control before January 2024.
But that deal was contingent on Leeds remaining in the Premier League and it would appear Radrizzani is now intent on leading them back to the top flight.
“We have invested heavily in Leeds United since 2017 and worked hard to get back to where the club deserves to be,” he added.
“With the support of our partners, we can continue that journey to bounce back.
“I am proud of the progress we have made in recent years. We have become a club that can attract exciting players, we are strong commercially, we have seen improvements to the academy, introduced a women’s side and so much more.
“In many ways the club has been transformed and we are committed and determined to continue on this journey.
“I do not like to make false promises, there is still a lot of work to do and change is needed.
“We need a clear strategy to continue our vision for the club and work is underway to produce this, which we hope will be reflected in some key appointments in different areas of the club. We will keep you all updated throughout the process.”
Leeds’ three-year stay in the Premier League ended last Sunday when they lost 4-1 at home to Tottenham.
The Yorkshire club have employed three managers during a disastrous campaign, sacking Jesse Marsch in February and then Javi Gracia earlier this month before appointing Sam Allardyce for the last four games.
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