Koeman hopes the Netherlands will continue to raise the bar after successfully qualifying for the World Cup.

2025-11-18 01:52

Koeman hopes the Netherlands will continue to raise the bar after successfully qualifying for the World Cup.


With goals from Reindes, Gakopo, Javi Simons, and Malen, the Netherlands secured a 4-0 victory over Lithuania in their final European qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup. Coach Koeman stated after the game that his team should have scored more goals in the first half and expressed his hope that his players would continue to raise their standards.


In the 16th minute, Frenkie de Jong played a through ball to Reindes in the penalty area, who slotted it home to give the Netherlands a 1-0 lead. In the 58th minute of the second half, De Ligt's header struck a Lithuanian player's hand, awarding the Netherlands a penalty. Gakpo converted the penalty, extending the Netherlands' lead to 2-0.


In the 60th minute, Gakopo broke through the defense on the left and crossed the ball, which Javi Simons met and fired a powerful shot into the net, extending the Netherlands' lead to 3-0. In the 62nd minute, Malen received a pass from Reindes, entered the penalty area, and slotted the ball into the net.


Ultimately, the Netherlands defeated Lithuania 4-0 at home and qualified for the World Cup finals as group winners.


In an interview, Dutch coach Ronald Koeman said, "Before the match, we hoped to play well from the first minute to the last and score enough goals. We should have scored two, or even three, goals in the first half. There were many good moments in the game, but also some bad ones. But overall, it was a good performance."


“Malen has that goal-scoring ability, especially when he plays on the wing. He has speed and technique, and a strong desire to score when he cuts inside.”


Speaking about Javi Simmons' performance, Koeman said, "I told Javi Simmons and Reindes to keep pushing forward and staying close to Depay's position, and not to drop back to receive the ball, and they did that very well. They played even better in the second half than in the first. Javi Simmons was very threatening and scored a brilliant goal, and I'm satisfied with his performance."


Regarding the World Cup starting next summer, Koeman said, "I don't want to make predictions. I think we have a very strong squad and the competition is very fierce. But we must recognize that during the qualifiers, we had some periods where we didn't perform well, our standards dropped, or we gave our opponents a lot of opportunities, so we must improve in that regard."


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