Van Gaal ‘invents’ another goalkeeper

Frenkie De Jong, Gakpo, Klaasen… and Noppert. To the winning formula from the Netherlands for Successfully raise the curtain on their inaugural debut in Qatar 2022 against Senegal he was joined by a name unknown to the vast majority. Few expected it and now many claim it. It is Andries Noppert, which adds another peculiar personal intrastory to the great anecdotary that a soccer World Cup always collects. Several descents into the hells of football, a fracture of the knee ligaments, a threat of withdrawal to become a Policeman. From there, to the sports sky of Qatar in a double debut. It is the personal story of Noppert, who made his debut with the Dutch national team at the same time as he did in a World Cup.

Not only Virgil Van Dijk, the captain of this Orange modern but with Louis van Gaal At the controls in his third stage, he wrote his name in the World Cup record. The veteran coach, who recently overcame prostate cancer and will be revealed by Ronald Koeman in January, bet on Vincent Janssen up and on Noppert as keeper, backed by the classic rearguard of three components. It was his another ace up his sleeve. His second goalkeeper ‘inventing’.

The other, Remko Pasveer, remained on the bench despite the fact that he initially started, along with Justin Bijlow, from Feyenoord, as the theoretical favorite to start in the most open position in the selection. Pasveer, who at the age of 38 rebounded with the starting position at Ajax after Onana was sanctioned for alleged doping by FIFA and also in a Netherlands orphaned by the best of Cillessen, had successfully completed the final phase of qualifying for the World Cup at the age of 38. However, Van Gaal finally decided, according to the training sessions and the sensations, not to bet on his grandfather’, as Pasveer had been affectionately baptized in his country.

From the Police to debuting in a World Cup at the age of 28 and… 51 games played!

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So, ten years younger than Pasveer and a third fewer games played at the highest level, Van Gaal redoubled his bet in the face of the unknown. He didn’t care that Noopert only recorded 51 first division games (all in the Eredivisie) on his resume or that he had never put on the shirt Orange. Neither, that instead of unhinging a combative Senegal could be at the local police station in Heerenveenas his family recommended to him in 2020, after he suffered a severe knee ligament injury that he kept him away from the playing fields for more than a year when it seemed that football destiny was winking at him again.

To savor the honey of success that he has tasted in Qatar 2022, he had to do it before with endless bitter drinks. He left his native Heerenveen to join the ranks of NAC Breda as a free agent, leaving his comfort zone. However, with just seven games played in four seasons, he went to Foggia, of the Italian Serie B. This time, after eight games played, he was relegated to Serie C and saw his contract terminated. He thus returned to the Netherlands.

In Dordrecht, the Dutch second division, he felt like a starter again… until he was injured, as has been said. The Go Ahead Eagles rescued him. He bet on him after the injury, he was again number 1 and He returned to Heerenveen to close the circle that led him to shine in his World Cup debut and with the national team. Win Gueye, Ïsmaila Sarr, Diatta or Bamba Dieng already know the new iron curtain of A Clockwork Orange. It was no coincidence that Van Dijk, De Jong, Blind, Berghuis and the Oranje hard core all came personally to show their support after the game.