Denzel Dumfries scored a dramatic late winner because the Netherlands marked their long-awaited return to a serious match with a 3-2 victory over Ukraine in a outstanding Euro 2020 sport in Amsterdam on Sunday. Dumfries, the PSV Eindhoven full-back, headed in a cross from substitute Nathan Ake to finish a madcap second half after the house aspect eased right into a two-goal lead after which threw it away. Captain Georginio Wijnaldum and Wout Weghorst each scored earlier than the hour mark on the Johan Cruyff Enviornment, just for Andriy Yarmolenko and Roman Yaremchuk to briefly restore parity for Ukraine.
Frank de Boer’s aspect acquired there ultimately and the victory supplies a serious raise to the Netherlands after their first sport at a serious competitors in seven years.
“I assumed we have been very balanced and dominated the sport so we want to see the identical once more going ahead. We could be proud,” insisted De Boer.
They are going to now hope to construct on it on Thursday in opposition to Austria, who beat North Macedonia earlier in the identical Group C.
It was an excellent sport, and a crowd of round 16,000 created an environment match for the event on the dwelling of Ajax, the place supporters held up banners with messages of assist for Christian Eriksen following the Denmark star’s cardiac arrest on Saturday.
Eriksen performed for Ajax earlier than transferring to Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 and several other Dutch gamers stay near the midfielder.
Defender Daley Blind performed with him in Amsterdam and wanted coronary heart surgical procedure himself in 2019 after being recognized with myocarditis. He was in tears as he was substituted within the second half.
“Daley was fairly emotional as a result of he had some issues along with his personal coronary heart,” De Boer mentioned.
“Even now Christian is one among his greatest mates and it’s regular that there have been numerous feelings.”
After failing to qualify for Euro 2016 or the 2018 World Cup, the Netherlands have been enjoying their first sport at a serious competitors since coming third on the 2014 World Cup.
They’d not gained a sport at a Euro in 13 years, since a 2-0 win over Romania at Euro 2008.
The emergence of the likes of Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt has given supporters of the Oranje hope for the longer term.
These supporters have been in high quality spirits forward of the sport, bedecked in orange as they crammed the bars across the floor within the blazing sunshine, ideas of the pandemic showing far-off.
A brand new-look Netherlands
But Dutch optimism has been tempered by choice issues dealing with De Boer.
Juventus defender Matthijs De Ligt missed this sport as he recovers from a groin harm, whereas Virgil van Dijk will not be on the match in any respect.
Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek withdrew from the squad and goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen was disregarded altogether after testing optimistic for Covid-19.
De Boer has switched to a 3-5-2 formation and has actual stars in Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong and Memphis Depay up entrance.
The system has helped Wijnaldum — who has signed for Paris Saint-Germain — add a goal-scoring risk from midfield whereas Dumfries was a relentless risk down the appropriate.
He ought to have scored late within the first half with a free header, after Ukraine goalkeeper Georgiy Bushchan produced a high quality save to maintain out a Wijnaldum volley.
The hosts acquired their reward shortly after the restart when Bushchan turned a harmful low ball by Dumfries out into the trail of Wijnaldum who fired dwelling.
Weghorst then lashed in a free ball after extra good play by Dumfries, and the Netherlands gave the impression to be on simple avenue.
Goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, at 38 the oldest participant ever to signify the Netherlands at a serious match, had not had a lot to do however then he was overwhelmed within the seventy fifth minute by an excellent curling strike from Yarmolenko.
Promoted
Yaremchuk then headed in a Ruslan Malinovskyi free-kick and Ukraine appeared set to depart with a draw, however then Dumfries appeared.
“It’s upsetting to lose like that on the finish however not a tragedy,” mentioned Ukraine coach Andriy Shevchenko. “We nonetheless have two video games to go.”
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