FOOTBALL The Lions of Teranga and the Oranje offered a great show to definitively launch the World Cup. The Dutch were able to turn their backs before concluding in the last minutes and winning 2-0
Gakpo won his duel against Mendy — Thanassis Stavrakis/AP/SIPA
- Senegal lost at the very end of the match against the Netherlands after a good battle, for his entry into the running in the World Cup.
- Deprived of their star Sadio Mané, and not helped by their goalkeeper Edouard Mendy author of a big ball, the Teranga Lions did not have not been undeserved.
- There is reason to be optimistic for the next match against Qatar, which will already be decisive for qualification.
From our envoy; special to Doha,
For a long time, we thought we had a 0-0 of those we like to watch, with movement, commitment and a desire to move forward. And then Frenkie de Jong pulled out his magic wand to send a remote-controlled balloon flying. on the head of Cody Gakpo, whose superb race and perfect sense of timing we will salute in passing. Better than that of Edouard Mendy. Trapped by the midway position of the ball – neither too forward nor too close to the goal – the Chelsea goalkeeper got a hole. on his exit without conviction.
Mendy surely knew he was late, so he put out his fists for the photo, as if to say “look, I tried”. A pathology that is usually found more in field players who are too lazy to put their heads in an aerial duel. On the second goal, the former Rennais was updated ground by a nice strike from Memphis Depay. Passing through the corner, Klaasen finished; the job. 2-0, thank you, goodbye. Football at its most cruel. offer.
The absence of Mané did not make itself felt
“It was a very high level match, very complicated, but rather balanced, in my opinion the score does not reflect the physiognomy of the match” reacted Aliou Cissé; at a press conference. The result which does not reflect the screenplay, a great classic of the genre. Except that for once, it is difficult to give wrong to; the Senegalese coach.
Even without Sadio Mané, his team managed to to hurt his opponent. 15 shots 10, 4 on target against 3 for the Netherlands, who scored; on their first shot on target. It would be dishonest to speak of clear domination of the Teranga Lions, but we can at least say that they deserved better. Basically, what else did the Dutch have? In a multiverse where Andries Noppert was not as strong, Boulaye Dia and Idrissa Gueye would have left with a goal each. Cissé:
“We had two or three opportunities. But football is about efficiency. Overall, we’re created good situations, we will continue to work to improve these situations.”
Senegalese remain optimistic
Same analysis on the of Dia. “We’ve had a lot of hitting situations where; we should have do better but it’s like that, it’s the game. We had established a good plan: to stay together and press them at times, we had counters on which we hurt them. ;” Not really frustration in the words of the former Stade de Reims striker, rather hope for the future, despite the absence of Sadio Mané, who is necessarily missing. “We know his qualities, we know what he brings to us on and off the pitch, Dia adds. Yes, we miss him, but we are a collective, 26 players, and we give everything.”
No fatality” nor resignation in the words of the former Reims striker. The content of the match against the Netherlands pushes to; optimism. “We had a lot of movement, we did a lot of good things. We will use the same ingredients to try to win the next match.” Ça will be against Qatar. In the game of first impressions, we do not worry too much about the men of Aliou Cissé. “The second game against Qatar will be very difficult, concludes the coach. But we have to make sure we win it. And that can motivate us to have lost. Not everything has been bad.” Except perhaps Edouard Mendy.