Oranje loses epic battle but wins as well…

After a tantalising match in Rotterdam, where Oranje had to accept the equaliser late in the game, playing with 10 against 11 Spaniards, all eyes were on the second leg in Valencia (23-03-2025).

Would we again be offered a football feast? Or will it be a tense chess match? Or is Holland simply not able to sustain the levels of the Rotterdam game? Valid questions and after 120 minutes of top football and penalties going into sudden death, the answer was clear. Las Rojas and Clockwork Orange are highly entertaining top teams.

How to stop Frenkie de Jong

Spain made some changes to deal with Oranje’s dangerman, Barca’s Frenkie de Jong. Striker Morata and wunderkind Pedri have to make way for workman Dani Olmo (gifted too but also able to make dirty yards) and Oyarzabal who can play as a midfielder and striker. Both players were used to make sure Frenkie did not have the run of the game.

Both players would drop deep, onto their own half even, to make sure the former Willem II midfielder couldn’t dazzle as much.

The use of Oyarzabal as false 9 also helped Spain dealing with Jeremy Frimpong, the mercurial Leverkusen flash had quite some freedom in Rotterdam as Nico Williams would drift after Geertruida, whenever he moved into midfield, leaving Cucurella one on one versus Frimpong.

This time around Williams aids Cucurella on the flank and allows Geertruida to have the freedom in midfield. The former Feyenoord right back had the most touches for an Oranje player in the first half (55). Oyazarbal was dealing with Geertruida more and more leaving space for Van Hecke to be the key build up man.

Second half

In the second half, Oranje finds more solutions for the changes made by Spain. The central defenders realise they have space to build up. In the 48th minute, it’s Virgil who dribbles into midfield and find Depay who offers Kluivert a chance.

And four minites later it’s Van Hecke doing the same with a great cross pass to Gakpo. In both cases, Frenkie de Jong pulls a player away by dropping deep into defense and when Olmo follows him, Van Hecke uses the space to find the Liverpool winger.

And when Van Hecke realises that Olmo decides to stick with Frenkie, the Brighton centre back pushes forward to join into the attack. When he gets the ball from Frimpong, Williams steps out to attack the right centre back, giving Frimpong some space, finally.

His cross results in a foul on Memphis who unpacks the penalty in this 100rd game for Holland and scores the equaliser. Earlier in the game, Van Hecke had given away a penalty after a soft foul in the box.

Oranje starts to boss the game after the equialiser but it’s Spain that would score after a quick transition. Oranje simply forgets the rest defense. Geertruida spots the danger and points (see pic below), but Reijnder is too late to react and Williams is on his bike. It takes Oyarzabal two attempts but he does get the ball into the Dutch net.

With about 15 minutes to play, Koeman decides to bring some fresh attacking legs: Malen, Simons and Lang come in for Geertruida, Gakpo and Kluivert.

Not much later, subs Lang and Xavi Simons create the equaliser after some nifty passing play. Ian Maatsen – almost playing as left winger – is in the box and rams the ball with a vengeance high in the net: 2-2.

Maatsen is almost the Man of the Match in the 90st minute, when he runs into the box in the half space and presents the ball to Memphis who fails to beat Unai Simon.

In the extra time, Spain brings Merino and Pedri and pushes Oranje further back. Zubimendi sticks close to his central defenders and Oranje hardly has a successful press with Xavi and Memphis, so Koeman decides to bring Brobbey.

Ironically, it’s Dutch born Dean Huijsen who has the assist for the 3-2 of Lamal. A nice pass over the defense is taken on perfectly by the youngster and his left foot attempt is too much for Verbruggen.

Dynamic Ken Taylor comes on for Frenkie de Jong and he hassles the Spanish defense in conjunction with Brobbey and Malen and allows Simons to use the gap. Goalie Unai Simon crashes into the RB Leipzig forward and Xavi scores from the spot, to make it 3-3.

The penalty series was a thriller as per usual. Noa Lang’s shot on the bar is nullified by Yamal’s miss as Bart Verbruggen stops that ball, but Malen’s 6th penalty is too weak and Spain can potentially move on to reclaim the Nation League title.

Koeman: “We lost and we’re disappointed of course, but over two matches we were as strong and at times stronger than Spain and that says a lot. I’m very proud of the team and actually quite happy with the performances.

We scored 5 goals against them, which is good and it went down the wire with that lottery at the end. I’m also not unhappy with the effect it has on our World Cup qualifying group, although I really would have wanted to be in the semi finals of this League as well.”

About the penalty against Van Hecke: “I don’t want to say too much about. It felt a soft penalty, but Van Hecke shouldn’t give the ref a chance to give it. Too eager.”