‘Orange a circus horse that jumps as high as necessary’

Now that the Netherlands has reached the quarter-finals at the World Cup, the media abroad are very pleased with the performance of the Orange. The analysts of the BBC, for example, thought that the Orange played strongly and in the first goal they saw an example of total football.

“It was a very mature performance by the Dutch team. They took the wind out of the sails of the Americans,” said analyst Jürgen Klinsmann, former national coach of Germany and the US.

“The Dutch are experienced and knew that Christian Pulisic was the biggest threat. They just cut him off from the rest by making sure he didn’t get the ball. Very professional,” said Klinsmann.

“Van Gaal’s methods and his direct way of communicating will not always make him popular,” says analyst Phil McNulty on the site of the same broadcaster. “But there is also no doubt that he is getting results, which means that the Netherlands has a team that should not be underestimated.”

The Swiss public broadcaster SRF came up with a colorful description of the Dutch national team so far. “Earlier, as in phases in the group phase, the Orange had adhered to the motto that a good circus horse only jumps as high as necessary.”

According to the Swiss, the Netherlands had achieved the maximum goal with minimal effort. The Orange showed a bit more against the United States.

“Memphis Depay was successful with the first chance of the Netherlands and veteran Daley Blind with the second serious attack. With that they not only gave Louis van Gaal’s team a two-goal lead, but those same goals also illustrated what the team is capable of. “

“The opening goal was preceded by a combination of 20 (!) passes”, continues SRF. “The 2-0 was also played beautifully, although the passivity of the American defense also contributed. All in all, the American team was no obstacle for the Dutch circus horses, who could have jumped even higher. And they probably will soon should.”

Like the Swiss, the German Bild Zeitung also points to the special attack that led to Depay’s first Dutch goal: “Twenty passes for a goal: that is a new World Cup record for the Netherlands!”

Bild, traditionally, also unpacked with a pun: “First Denzel, then Washington,” the headline read. “No, actor Denzel Washington is not the terror of the US, but Inter player Denzel Dumfries. Thanks to a perfect goal copy with two crosses and a self-made goal, he shoots the American team back to the capital Washington.”

The Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport also wrote about the performance of the Dutch defender of Inter: “Dumfries is back in his super version. In the group stage it was not sparkling what he showed, but now he dominated the right wing as usual.”

Dumfries was also the man who was written about a lot in the US. The Washington Post reporter wrote that after the kick-off, the American defense mainly concentrated on the offensive figureheads Memphis Depay and Cody Gakpo, but that the leading role in the Orange was played by Dumfries: twice as a declarer, once as a finisher.

According to the New York Times, Dumfries’ goal was the final blow for the young, inexperienced Americans. Especially since that goal came so quickly after Haji Wright’s hopeful 1-2. The “lifeline” thus thrown out was cut after just a few minutes.

USA Today judged that there was little to bargain with the Dutch victory. The team of national coach Louis van Gaal dominated and outclassed Gregg Berhalter’s boys. “It may be clear that the Americans still have a long way to go before they can count themselves among the absolute world top and can rightly think about a world title.”

In the Argentinian media it was mainly about Lionel Messi and how he guided Argentina past Australia in the 1000th game of his career. Nevertheless, little information was received about Orange.

Clarín, Argentina’s largest newspaper, defended Van Gaal, among others. “Red (and not orange) are Van Gaal’s ears. The criticism of the Dutch press on his team’s game has already been installed as background music. The strong 71-year-old coach and his pupils respond patiently and result-oriented: the Netherlands reached first the quarterfinals.”

“The chagrin of purists is understandable. This Van Gaal model is far from the brilliance of the teams in 1974 and 1978. But with neatness, a lot of tactical discipline and effectiveness in attack, it has already come more than half the way to that so often missed world title. Journalists do not like the game that the team shows, but for now Van Gaal’s figures are irrefutable.”