The Dutch national team played a disappointing match against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the group stage of the Nations League on Sunday evening. Against the number fifty of the world rankings, Frank de Boer’s team did not get further than a 0-0 draw. Football zone assesses the players of the Dutch national team who participated at least half with a report mark.

Figures Orange

Jasper Cillessen: 6
The only moment when Cillessen could distinguish himself was when he made a good save on a shot from Miralem Pjanic. Halfway through the second half, Cillessen dived into the short corner and came with a good intervention on the hard shot. His kicks were not so clean several times.

Denzel Dumfries: 5.5
Dumfries was much involved in the game of Orange, but was often restless in the continuation of an attack. Although he knows Malen from PSV, the wingers did not always understand each other. The right back alternated bad moments with good ones: his crosses were often blocked, but with the stopping of Amer Gojak and Rade Krunic he made important defensive contributions in the first half. He did that halfway through the second half, when he stopped Sead Kolasinac with an excellent sliding. An error of judgment on his part preceded this.

Stefan de Vrij: 6.5
De Vrij could breathe a sigh of relief when Cillessen saved a shot by Miralem Pjanic, after the defender was fooled by Edin Dzeko. But otherwise the stopper played a solid game. His most important contribution was his perfectly timed sliding in the first half to avoid a shot from Gojak. The attacker took a little too much time, allowing De Vrij to intervene. He could have made an even bigger contribution in the fifth minute, but he didn’t get his head against the ball well with a big header chance. De Vrij stood out before half-time with some good conquests and continuations of the game as he moved into midfield.

Virgil van Dijk: 7
Van Dijk performed his defensive duties well. He intervened excellently when Milan Djuric suddenly had possession of the ball behind the last line of Orange in the first half: the basket was quickly in the right position and captured the ball. In the second act, he beat Darko Todorovic in a physical duel in the penalty area. Even when Van Dijk could be found on the enemy half, he often did good things: shortly after the break he contributed to an attack by Orange, which resulted in a shot by Wijnaldum.

Daley Blind: 3.5
The left back, who relieved Owen Wijndal in the base, did not play a happy match. The Bosnian danger often came from his side; at those times Blind was too late to intervene. That led, for example, to Gojak’s chance early in the match. After fifteen minutes he let Todorovic give a dangerous cross from the flank. Blind’s crosses and passes several times lacked the correct force or direction, while he let balls jump off his foot.

Marten de Roon: 4
The midfielder regularly dropped back to the last line to operate as a kind of third central defender. This did not always happen with equal success. For example, after fifteen minutes, De Roon failed to give cover to the detached Milan Djuric in the event of a threatening cross from Todorovic, which led to irritation at De Vrij. Shortly before, De Vrij had blocked Gojak’s bet; that outbreak was possible because De Roon was not paying attention and was the only one in the back to cancel the offside trap. De Roon also did not feel well with his teammates in midfield. A late yellow card means he has been suspended against Italy.

Georginio Wijnaldum: 6
Wijnaldum was clear in the passing (30 of the 32 passes succeeded), but certainly in the first hour too reluctant at times when he could make an offensive contribution. Sending an important pass just a little too late, not daring to shoot if the opportunity arises: Wijnaldum could have made a greater contribution. After the break, the midfielder dared a bit more. An own goal attempt was too weak, but with a beautiful bow ball he prepared a chance for Frenkie de Jong in the final phase.

Frenkie de Jong: 6.5
De Jong did not manage to take control of the game as he often can. The midfielder was twice given the opportunity to take the Orange lead, but ran into goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic in the short corner and saw a shot from close range hit the foot of Todorovic. A goal would have earned him a higher score, but De Jong can look back on a decent performance. In the first half, in which the carelessness accumulated at the Orange, Frenkie de Jong looked as one of the few players comfortable on the ball. In injury time, De Jong was at the basis of a great opportunity for Ryan Babel with a marker.

Donyell Malen: 4.5
Surprisingly, Malen was preferred to Steven Berghuis, but was certainly not able to prove that national coach Frank de Boer was right in the first half. The winger was unhappy in his actions and did not provide enough depth. His crosses and assumptions on the ball were below par. After the break, Malen played with a lot more confidence, as was evident from the way he presented himself, passed guards and kept the ball in possession. But it did not lead to concrete results and he was taken to the side twenty minutes before time.

Luuk de Jong: 5.5
With only 31 touches of the ball, De Jong was rarely involved in the game. His qualities were not used: De Jong hardly got any good crosses from the flanks. The first he could do something with was in the final phase of substitute Steven Berghuis and Luuk de Jong then headed the ball well towards the corner, but the goalkeeper saved. He did try to be involved in the game, sometimes by sinking far back or by diverting to the flanks and providing assistance there. Shortly before half-time he headed the ball back to Wijnaldum, who did not dare to take it.

Quincy Promes: 4
Promes played a mostly disappointing game. In the first hour, in particular, there was too little danger from the winger, who suffered unnecessary loss of the ball several times, produced detractors when he sought the goal and gave De Jong no usable balls. Promes started the game with a good free kick to the head of De Vrij, whose header was unfortunate, but it took a long time before he delivered good plays again. In the last half hour he made himself more positive in a positive sense.