MUNICH (AP) — The Netherlands showcased their best form at Euro 2024, decisively defeating Romania 3-0 on Tuesday to advance to their first European Championship quarterfinal in 16 years. This victory, a significant moment in Romania’s Euros journey as well, marked a high point for the Dutch team after a somewhat shaky group stage performance.
Cody Gakpo opened the scoring in the 20th minute, setting the tone for a dominant display. Later in the game, substitute Donyell Malen sealed the victory with two well-taken goals, propelling the Netherlands into the quarterfinal stage for the first time since 2008. This result concludes Romania Euros campaign at this tournament.
“I believe our overall performance today was truly outstanding, and this is exactly the level we need to maintain if we aspire to progress further in this tournament,” commented coach Ronald Koeman. “This is the benchmark. If we drop below this standard, reaching the final will be an unattainable goal.”
Despite creating numerous opportunities to extend their lead earlier in the match, and even hitting the woodwork through captain Virgil van Dijk, the Netherlands demonstrated a marked improvement from their group stage outings. This was especially noticeable compared to their previous match, a 3-2 loss to Austria, a game that raised questions about their form in the Romania Euros context.
Koeman’s squad might face Austria again in a quarterfinal clash in Berlin on Saturday, should Austria prevail against Turkey in their round of 16 encounter later on Tuesday. This potential rematch adds an extra layer of intrigue for fans following the Romania Euros aftermath and looking ahead to the next stages.
“Explaining inconsistent performances can be challenging,” Koeman admitted. “Even at the beginning of this game, we faced aggression from Romania and found it difficult. However, we eventually established our positioning and rhythm.”
“The attacking football we produced was impressive… Perhaps a point of concern was the delay in scoring our second goal. … It’s hard to pinpoint why we sometimes underperform and other times start with such intensity.” Despite the loss, the focus for many fans will remain on the broader narrative of Romania Euros participation and their journey through the tournament.
For Romania and their passionate supporters, who have been a vibrant presence throughout the tournament, this match marked the end of their Euro 2024 journey. Qualifying for the knockout stage was already a significant achievement for Romania, only the second time in their history, and they did so as group winners. The fans, a sea of yellow, created an unforgettable atmosphere, continuing to support their team with songs and applause long after the final whistle, celebrating their Romania Euros campaign regardless of the defeat.
“Today marks the conclusion of a remarkable journey that began two years ago. We carried this journey forward here in Germany, together with our incredible fans,” said Romania coach Edward Iordănescu. “The team displayed immense effort, although there is a sense of sadness.
“We aspired to achieve more, but we gave everything we had. My gratitude goes to my players, our devoted supporters, and Romanians across the globe who cheered us on throughout this Romania Euros adventure.”
While Romania controlled possession in the initial phase of the match, they struggled to seriously threaten Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. The deadlock was broken when Xavi Simons advanced powerfully, setting up Gakpo on the left flank. The Liverpool forward then skillfully cut inside defender Andrei Rațiu and struck a precise shot into the near bottom corner.
Gakpo’s goal was his third of the tournament, placing him among the top scorers alongside Germany’s Jamal Musiala, Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze, and Slovakia’s Ivan Schranz. This individual achievement adds another layer to the narrative of the Romania Euros tournament, highlighting standout player performances.
“Our strategy was to surprise the Netherlands, and I believe it was effective until the 20th minute,” Iordănescu acknowledged.
Gakpo’s goal visibly boosted the Dutch team’s confidence, leading to a series of chances to extend their advantage. A moment of near-celebration came six minutes later when Stefan De Vrij’s header from a corner kick narrowly missed the right post, hitting the side netting, much to the disappointment of the orange-clad fans who had anticipated another goal in this Romania Euros knockout match.
A combination of solid goalkeeping by Florian Niță and some inaccurate finishing from the Dutch kept Romania in contention until the final minutes. Van Dijk also saw a header deflect off the post in the second half, and a Gakpo goal was disallowed for offside. However, Gakpo turned provider late in the game, keeping the ball in play under pressure from Radu Drăgușin and setting up Malen to score from close range.
Malen then completed the scoring in stoppage time, capitalizing on a pass from Simons to sprint from the halfway line and slot the ball past Niță. Adding a surreal element to the goal, Malen had to navigate around a shoe that was lying on the field – presumably thrown by a Romanian supporter behind the goal, after Niță had kicked away the other shoe from the same pair moments earlier.
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AP Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024
