Nations LeagueNoa Lang (22) issued a business card yesterday with a view to the World Cup in Qatar. The Club Brugge attacker scored a great goal against Wales and thus had his share in the 3-2 victory of Orange in Rotterdam. “I had to wait five caps for it, but in my own city it happened – as if it had to be.” Lang also talked about his relationship with Louis van Gaal. At the press conference, he again clashed with Valentijn Driessen, football chief at ‘De Telegraaf’.
After just over fifteen minutes, Noa Lang struck yesterday in the Kuip in Rotterdam. The Club Brugge attacker received the ball from occasional striker Vincent Janssen, sent two Welsh defenders into the woods and then hit hard and low. Handsome goal by Lang, who is applying for a place in the Dutch World Cup selection in Qatar. “I got a chance, so it was up to me to grab it,” Lang told the NOS after the game. “It can always be better, but it was a great evening.”
Our Dutch colleagues from the ‘Algemeen Dagblad’ had not missed this either. Lang received a 7 in the newspaper. “That opening goal, that’s why Noa Lang will probably be there soon in Qatar”, it reads. “An individual action, unexpected turning moments. And a nice goal.”
Different role than at Club
“I felt free, often got the ball and played where I also play at Club,” Lang continued. “I felt like a fish in water.” Yet we saw a slightly different Lang than with blue-black. At the request of national coach Louis van Gaal, it turns out. “The trainer expects a lot of depth from me. At Club I go get the balls, but he doesn’t like it when I do that. He wants me to keep playing as high as possible and create danger from 16. I think he’s happy with me.”
At which Lang burst out laughing. “I’m driving him crazy,” he referred to Van Gaal. “At Club I can walk wherever I want, but not here. I’ve got to do my job – show up around 4pm. There I get all the freedom to do what I can.”
For Lang it was his first goal for Orange. “I had to wait for five international matches, but it happened in my own city,” said the native from Rotterdam. “As if it had to be. My whole family was here, except my mother – she had an exam. And she passed “So it’s a beautiful day. When I scored, they were all the way in the other corner of the field. So I didn’t go all the way there. But all in all it was a great night. I’m very happy.”
Van Gaal once again in conflict with journalist Valentijn Driessen
While Noa Lang spoke up on the field, there was also a lot to experience afterwards at the press conference. Thanks of course to Louis van Gaal, who again clashed with Valentijn Driessen. After a question about some tactical choices of the national coach, Driessen returned to a statement by Van Gaal, who had said a few days ago “that he thought he was doing well”. Van Gaal: “It makes sense that you would come back to it. No one else does, but you do. And that will be in that column of yours again tomorrow.”
But the fact that Driessen questioned the choice to leave Giorginio Wijnaldum from the selection clearly did not go well with Van Gaal. “You can keep nagging, I don’t agree with you. So we stop this. Another question? No, you had your chance. ‘Two questions’ you said, and you had to ask about Wijnaldum. Because you want to have a good time. It’s disgusting.”
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