In the 1/8 finals of the European Cup, the Netherlands beat Romania with a strong 3-0 victory and successfully advanced to the last eight. After the match, the Dutch head coach Koeman accepted the media interview and gave an in-depth analysis and comment on the match.
Koeman began by admitting that it is sometimes difficult to explain why a team plays poorly in a soccer match, and why it can reach an extremely high level of competition at certain moments. He mentioned that today's game did not start easily for the Dutch, but the team eventually found its rhythm and managed to create a lot of problems for the opponents. In particular, Koeman noted that although the team took some time before scoring the second goal, their offense always put the Romanian team under great pressure.
Koeman appeared very humble when talking about the comparison with the historically brilliant 1988 Dutch team. He admitted that the current Dutch team does have many good and talented players in it, but it has to win enough honors for people to compare them to their predecessors. At the same time, Koeman also pointed out that the sport of soccer has changed dramatically since 1988, and that every team faces great challenges and difficulties on their way to promotion.
For the Dutch team, Koeman emphasized that while the final result is always the most important thing, as the Dutch, they must seek to play a great game. He believes that the overall performance of the team today was excellent, which is exactly what they need to continue in this tournament and strive for better results. Koeman also warned that if the team's performance drops then they will not make it to the final and therefore must maintain a high level of focus and effort.
Speaking about Belwin's early exit, Koeman said that it was due to some physical problems with Belwin and the team didn't want to risk keeping him in the game. As a result, they decided to make adjustments at halftime to ensure the health of the player and the overall interest of the team.
Finally, Koeman spoke highly of Gakpo's performance. He believes that Gakpo has once again proved his importance in the team. He is physically strong, fast and possesses some extra skills, which are characteristics that allow him to make a big difference in the game. Koeman's praise is undoubtedly a full affirmation of Gakpo's individual ability and team contribution.
