Netherlands successfully overcomes Poland’s hurdle

Young Dutch striker Stephen Burgoyne led his country and the last championship runner-up to victory over his Polish counterpart by scoring the only goal in the meeting that brought the two teams together on Friday in Amsterdam, in the first round of the first group one level of the second edition of the European Nations League football competition.

The 22-year-old Tottenham Hotspur forward scored the three-point goal in the 61st minute.

The match was held in the “Johan Cruyff Arena” behind closed doors to the public due to the repercussions of the emerging Corona virus, which caused the postponement of the 2020 European Cup and the absence of international competitions for almost ten months.

The Dutch team, first runner-up, played the game in light of the departure of its coach Ronald Koeman, who moved to Barcelona last month, as Koeman’s move to the team that defended his colors when he was a player (1989-1995 ) was a hard blow for the orange team, which during his reign witnessed a remarkable evolution in their performance. Since he assumed technical management in early 2018, replacing former coach Dick Advocaat.

Koeman managed to lead the Netherlands into qualification for the 2020 European Cup, which was postponed to next summer due to the outbreak of the new Corona virus, and reached the final of the European Nations League before losing to Portugal, after that the team failed to reach the 2016 European Cup and the 2018 World Cup.

Coach Dwight Ludiwegis took over the supervision of the orange team temporarily following Koeman’s transfer to the Catalan club, after he took over as his assistant for the last two years and achieved his first right.

On the other hand, Poland went to the game without its first star, Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, champion of the European Champions League and best scorer in continental competition (15 goals) and in the “Bundesliga” (34). , where coach Jerzy Prischik preferred to rest after a long and tough season and seek the help of Hertha Berlin striker Krztof Bintek. .

The Dutch team had the most dangerous chances in the first half in the 21st minute, thanks to Quincy Broms of Ajax Amsterdam, who hit a ball that crawled over the net, while the visitors waited until the 34th minute to threaten the goal by the hosts thanks to a powerful shot from inside the area, which was blocked by Valencia goalkeeper Jasper Selesen.

With the whistle at the end of this period, Barça player Frankie de Jong almost opened the scoring after taming the ball with his chest, turning around and shooting from inside the area, but the post was on the prowl (45).

The owners took advantage of one of the attacks in the second half to open the scoring thanks to a joint game that reached De Jong, who passed it in the background to the Italian defender of Atalanta Hans Hattebauer, turning him into the unmarked Burgoyne, who had no difficulty in depositing the net, scoring his first goal with his country’s jersey.