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The World Cup is not over yet, but the players of the Dutch national team are already home. In the quarterfinals, Argentina lost on penalties, which means that the big goal of departing national coach Louis van Gaal, becoming world champion, was not achieved. The analysts of Voetbalzone gave their ratings after every match of the Orange and the players received their average as the final score. Only players who received three or more ratings are included in the final report.
Andries Noppert 7,0
Before the tournament, the position under the crossbar was the most discussed position of the Dutch national team, but after the opening match against Senegal, no one doubted Andries Noppert’s capabilities anymore. The Heerenveen goalie showed himself to be very solid throughout the tournament and he could not be caught making a mistake. The only small blemish on his tournament was not being able to stop a penalty in the series against the Argentines, but he has been forgiven.
Denzel Dumfries 6,1
If Denzel Dumfries against the United States did not score and deliver two assists, he would have been in the final report with an insufficient. It was therefore not enough what the back of Internazionale showed in the four other games. Where was the tireless and persistent Dumfries we saw at the 2021 European Championships? Unfortunately, we have only seen in the eighth final what the 26-year-old from Rotterdam is capable of.
Jurriën Timber 5,9
Jurriën Timber’s Ajax experienced a form crisis just before the World Cup and unfortunately for the Orange, the talented defender took that a bit to Qatar. Where Timber excelled every week last season and even kept strikers like Erling Haaland in his pocket, he seems to have lost all bravura this year. The average of the Ajax player, based on the ratings of the analysts of Voetbalzone, is the lowest of all defenders.
Virgil van Dyke 6.5
After the draw against Ecuador (1-1), Marco van Basten came with devastating criticism at the address of Virgil van Dijk, who, according to the former top striker, wholesaled in balls wide and did not take the lead. That attracted the defender of Liverpool, witness his reaction to the words and witness his game against Qatar and the United States. In the end, Van Dijk, partly due to those matches, has more than enough. However, more can be expected from one of the best defenders in the world.
Van Basten thinks the reaction is nonsense: “Van Dijk makes noise, but says nothing”
Read the discussion between Marco van Basten and Virgil van Dijk again here.
Nathan Aké 6.4
Is anyone still wondering who will be the left central defender in the Dutch national team in the coming years? In recent months, Nathan Aké played silently in the Orange and also at the World Cup there was little to nothing to criticize about the game of the Manchester City stopper. Rafael van der Vaart and Pierre van Hooijdonk, analysts on behalf of the NOS, praised the ‘invisible’ Aké and rightly so. His average should have been a bit higher.
Daley Blind 6,0
Daley Blind is now used to receiving criticism and also had to deal with this final tournament. The left leg got his gram in the eighth final against the United States with a goal and an assist, but without that game, Blind’s final report would have looked a lot less promising than it does now. Tyrell Malacia is waiting for his chance and under Ronald Koeman, who takes over from Van Gaal, it may come soon.
Marten de Roon 5.3
In the third group match against Qatar, Marten de Roon came into the team, according to the national coach to monitor the balance and to make Frenkie de Jong perform better. The Breakwater did not relinquish his place in the team either, but De Roon was unable to make an impression on the analysts of Voetbalzone. Atalanta’s controller could not dispel doubts about his lack of creativity.
Frenkie de Jong 6.2
The game of the Dutch national team at the World Cup looked syrupy and difficult and that was partly due to a somewhat colorless De Jong. Speed accelerations, intelligent passes and dribbles are expected from the playmaker from Arkel, but we saw far too little of all of that in the end. De Jong wasn’t bad, but he wasn’t good either and is therefore stuck at just barely enough. He can do much better and the former Ajax player will be the first to admit that.
Cody Gakpo 6,6
Three games, three goals. Cody Gakpo ended the group stage with a hat-trick over three matches and was the most dangerous man in the vanguard of the Orange squad. Unfortunately the Eint wizard barely ahead in the knockout matches against the United States and Argentina and that is immediately the biggest point of criticism: Gakpo is not there when it really matters. Still, his goals in the group stage could just be enough for a top transfer.
Steven Bergwijn 5.0
Memphis Depay’s favorite adjutant shot the Orange to the World Cup in November 2021 during the crucial match against Norway (2-0), but a lot can change in a year. After months of plodding at Ajax, it did not work out at the World Cup for Steven Bergwijn, who was unable to use his speed and threat for a moment. On paper, the Bergwijn-Depay duo is dangerous, but in practice it was very disappointing.
Memphis Depay 6,1
Slowly Memphis Depay was trained to play a full match. Due to the exit in the quarterfinals, however, the Moordrechter was not able to complete the ninety minutes once and that is a disappointment. Van Gaal noted that a world title for the Orange depended on Depay and the number ten in the Netherlands was unable to live up to those expectations. No leading role for the man who likes to be in the spotlight.
Teun Koopmeiners 5.2
Few players had a more unhappy World Cup than Teun Koopmeiners. The left leg was allowed to show it against Ecuador, then disappointed enormously and was unable to make up for it later during the raids that were still awarded to him. Nevertheless, the impetus for the World Cup moment of Orange was van Koopmeiners. It was he who took the cunning free kick in the tenth minute of stoppage time, from which Wout Weghorst made it 2-2 against Argentina. It remains a shame that that moment turned out not to be enough for a victory.
David Klaassen 6
Van Gaal is a fan of Klaassen and you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand why. The blond midfielder always gives his best, makes his meters for the team and is often in the right place to score a goal. The 2-0 against Senegal was a good example of this, but that was the only highlight for Klaassen this tournament. The perfect composition in midfield could not be found, also because the Ajax player did not leave an indelible impression.
