Lars Capiau
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Cody Gakpo is 'our star', is Pierre van Hooijdonk's conclusion. The former striker was full of praise for the Eindhoven native after the convincing duel between the Dutch national team and Romania. NOS-presenter compares the attacker with the Dutch icon Arjen Robben.
An excellently playing Gakpo was responsible for the opening goal of the Dutch team and also provided an assist for the liberating 0-2. “It is always nice when you can break the game open,” the star player responded afterwards to the NOS. “Then the tension disappears a bit.”
“Good match, good goals, good football at times,” Gakpo summed up the convincing match of the Dutch team. “Of course there are areas for improvement, we will analyse that, but a good reaction to the previous match. This is a good step in the right direction. Romania is a tough team, but we really did well as a team.”
The goalscorer can imagine that people on the benches feared an undeserved equalizer. “But on the field we were in it and we weren't afraid of that.” After seeing the interview with the attacker, Pierre van Hooijdonk is extremely complimentary about Gakpo.
Analysts
“I really think he is our star of this team,” said the analyst at the NOS. “He was already in Qatar, and now too. In all aspects of being a professional, he is truly an example to everyone. The way he has steady has managed to develop at PSV, made a transfer to Liverpool. At the Dutch national team he is still quite modest, but he is our star.”
Rafael van der Vaart agrees with his fellow analyst. “There are very few players in the world who dribble towards an opponent and the full-back then shits his pants. But I have that with Gakpo.” Gert van 't Hof draws a comparison. “What Arjen Robben had, he has too.”
“He has a lot of feeling in his finishing,” Van Hooijdonk adds. “That’s why he will always score goals.” Van der Vaart has one more piece of advice for the attacker: “Look to the left and right every now and then.”
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