Morocco defeats Netherlands on penalties - Dutch press analysis

In the Netherlands, the assessment is almost unanimous: this elimination cannot be reduced to the penalty shootout. NOS speaks of a "strong Morocco" victorious in a "nervous" duel, recalling that the Dutch thought they had secured their qualification after Cody Gakpo’s goal in the 74th minute, before Issa Diop’s equalizer in added time. The public media also highlights the three Dutch failures in the shootout, concluded by Ismael Saibari’s winning shot.

On Bladi.net : Morocco vs Netherlands: Dutch Media Analyzes Oranje’s Defensive Weakness

Voetbal International (VI) goes further in analyzing the match. For the specialized media, Ronald Koeman’s choice to switch to a five-man defense quickly trapped the Netherlands in an overly cautious position. VI believes that the Dutch first half was "poor in chances" and that the first real opportunities were Moroccan, notably a header from Neil El Aynaoui and a shot from Achraf Hakimi repelled by Bart Verbruggen. The media even judges that Morocco "deserved more" to open the scoring before halftime.

The Dutch press especially insists on a tactical turning point: Morocco suffocated Oranje’s midfield. In its analysis, VI writes that the Netherlands "lacked midfield" against Morocco and describes Koeman’s plan as a survival tactic. By removing a midfielder to strengthen his defense, the coach would have offered too much ground to the Lions, capable of circulating the ball and pushing the Dutch to defend deep.

This impression is confirmed by the match narrative. After halftime, the Netherlands suffered a long Moroccan sequence, with a very active Hakimi, a shot off the bar and a decisive intervention by Micky van de Ven to prevent the Moroccan fullback from scoring. VI notes that the Dutch then had only 21% possession in the first quarter hour of the second half.

Gakpo’s goal temporarily gave the illusion of a successful heist. But in the eyes of Dutch media, Issa Diop’s equalizer in stoppage time did not appear to be an accident. Morocco had continued to push, and extra time further confirmed Oranje’s fragility, saved by a spectacular save from Verbruggen in front of Soufiane Rahimi.

After the match, criticism also focused on Koeman and the management of the penalty shootout. FCUpdate relays the very harsh comments from Pierre van Hooijdonk, who attacked the Dutch penalty takers and their approach to penalties. The same media also reports Rafael van der Vaart’s bewilderment at Koeman’s system change, the former international believing that the Netherlands had lost the midfield battle against Morocco.

On Bladi.net : Netherlands Morocco World Cup: Dutch spot Lions weakness

For Morocco, this qualification is therefore read in the Netherlands as something more than a simple penalty shootout success. The Lions resisted falling behind, equalized at the end of regular time, then managed to bring down a Dutch team caught up by its tactical limitations and its old penalty curse. Morocco will now face Canada in the round of 16, with a qualification that, viewed from Amsterdam, owes much to its mastery and character.