Ben Wijnstekers shared Monday evening as rapporteur of The Telegraph not a single insufficient amount to players of the Dutch national team. Ryan Gravenberch was in his eyes the player who made the least impression against North Macedonia. Still, the former international gave him a pass. “I don’t want to give him a 5.5 as the only player, the team won 3-0. So a six.”
Gravenberch was given the opportunity in midfield by national coach Frank de Boer. He replaced Marten de Roon, who was spared partly because of a yellow card and sat in the stands. “If you are nineteen years old and a great talent at Ajax, it does not mean that you can just have the same role in the Dutch at a European Championship. I could already see it in his face, that was tight,” said Wijnstekers in the newspaper. “He didn’t radiate that relaxed appearance of Ajax, where he claims the ball, divides and dominates the game. He was searching.”
Ajax defender Daley Blind gets a 7.5 for his game against North Macedonia. Wijnstekers thought he was ‘great playing’. “The play-in pass is his best weapon and it was good every time. Everything happens with the right speed and feeling. I’m not even talking about choosing his position. That is also excellent, always correcting at the right time,” said the former player of Feyenoord, among others, who was less pleased with the role of Frenkie de Jong. “Yes, Frenkie was a little less for once. Is it allowed? I don’t care that much. The expectations of this man are now unprecedentedly high for every party. Perhaps he was also a bit outflanked by Wijnaldum in this international match.”
Reasonable the Dutch takes one insufficient against void North Macedonia
View the report figures of Voetbalzone after the game between North Macedonia and the Netherlands.
Wijnaldum, who scored twice in the Johan Cruijff ArenA, gets the highest score with an 8. “Gini has completely taken over the leadership role from Virgil van Dijk. He has class and leads the fight like a real captain. His enthusiasm and that hunting spread to the entire team. If he joins the defense, he really sprints all the way back. Not normal! And 25 goals in 78 international matches now. Then I hear him talk very sensibly afterwards and that makes him a great European Championship player,” said Wijnstekers.
Report the Dutch by Wijnstekers: Stekelenburg (6.5); Dumfries (6), De Vrij (6.5), De Ligt (6), Blind (7.5), Van Aanholt (6); F. De Jong (6.5), Wijnaldum (8), Gravenberch (6); Depay (6.5), Grind (7).
Substitutes with at least 45 minutes: Timber (6,5), Berghuis (6).
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