Never have we seen Louis van Gaal as excited as Friday night in Qatar.
The national coach of Orange was in the spotlights throughout the World Cup, including when the Netherlands suffered a new penalty kick trauma against Argentina.
“Then you practice on penalties all year round, but you still screw it up,” Van Gaal said. “That’s a shame. Look, as a coach you want to have everything under control. You ask the players to take the penalties at their clubs – they all did that.”
“But then you start here and you miss the first two”, the coach sighed. “Then you can’t win it anymore. I said before that you can’t simulate something like that. You can automate the run-up and the shot, but not the pressure.”
At Orange they also grumbled at referee Mateu Lahoz. “I want to see that penalty of the 0-2 again,” said Van Gaal. “Still, we don’t lose because of the ref, but because of the penalties. This is already the second time for me as a national coach. It also happened in Brazil (2014, ed.) against Argentina. Otherwise we would have been in the final.”
In the studio of rights holder NOS, Van Gaal could have let the blow sink in for half an hour. Despite the exit, does he feel proud?
“What’s pride when you lose?” he bounced back the question. “You go to this World Cup with one goal. You actually try to win everything, but unfortunately that is not possible.”
For Van Gaal it means an abrupt end after a successful year and a half with the Dutch national team. What now?
“Going home tomorrow”, it sounded sober at first.
“This is top sport. The way we lose is very dramatic, but we put in a good performance. Under my leadership we played 20 matches and didn’t lose a single one. Actually, this was the best group I’ve seen in my career , a present at a late age.”
But will there be a new chapter soon? Earlier, the coach announced that he may retire permanently.
“It’s always difficult,” LVG said. “Look at Dick Advocaat. “I have returned from retirement to help Dutch football, he is now doing the same with ADO Den Haag. That could happen to me too. Though I don’t think so.”
