World Cup
“That’s hurts”- Virgil van Dijk makes huge claim after penalty shootout loss to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup
“That’s hurts”- Virgil van Dijk makes huge claim after penalty shootout loss to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup
Following Netherland’s 4-3 penalty shootout loss to Argentina, defender Virgil van Dijk has claims that ‘everything had gone in’ for the Dutch players in penalty training.
Louis van Gaal’s side crashed out of the World Cup quarter-finals after a heroic comeback saw the game end 2-2 before the penalty shootout saw Argentina progress.
Emiliano Martinez of Argentina saved Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk’s shot as Holland took the lead. Later, he admitted that the strike ‘could have been more in the corner’.
Speaking to Dutch outlet NOS, captain van Dijk said: ‘We trained a lot for it. Everything had gone in. Until tonight. Then you will be very disappointed. That hurts a lot.’
When asked on his spot-kick miss, the defender said: ‘That has to do with all sorts of things. It was hard. Could have been a little more in the corner.
‘Unfortunately, those things happen in football. It’s time to practice again and I’m going to do that,’ said Van Dijk.
The Dutch centre-half took the first penalty of the shootout – which Martinez saved – before Argentina’s Lionel Messi stepped up to the plate and dispatched his second spot-kick of the night.
After van Dijk, Steven Berghuis stepped up to the plate and – despite going in the opposite corner – also saw his effort saved by Martinez.
After impressively able to bring the score back to 2-2 with two goals in the dying minutes, Van Gaal’s team performed well to force a shootout in the first place.
Substitute Wout Weghorst after entering the game in the 78th minute scored twice. A flicked header on the first attempt gave Martinez no chance.
The second was a well-executed free-kick routine that occurred in the laat seconds of regulation time and forced the game into extra time.
Both sets of teams received a number of yellow cards for a scuffle near the end of the game as chaos ensued as emotions reached a breaking point.
Argentina missed only one effort, through Enzo Fernandez, which saw them progress to the semi-finals where they’ll place Croatia next Tuesday.
In other news, Ibrahima Konate reveals what Trent Alexander-Arnold has text him ahead of England’s World Cup quarter-final clash with France