GROUP C
Netherlands 2-0 Belarus
Promes 31'
Malen 75'
Eamonn Foster
Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Holland
Monday 22nd June
With group C all but won for the Netherlands after two comprehensive 3-0 victories in the Johan Cruyff Arena- except for the highly improbable scenario of both Ukraine beating Austria and the Netherlands falling to a heavy defeat in Amsterdam- it was inevitable that this final match against Belarus would be used as an opportunity to reward several key players with a welcome rest and offer some of those who had been warming the bench a chance to prove their own credentials. Belarus, on the other hand, unable to progress beyond this final group game after losing their opening two matches, were playing simply for pride.
Ronald Koeman made nine changes to the side that beat Austria here on Thursday and opted for a fairly flexible system with what for most of the time involved two centre forwards- though to call it a brand of the constantly-in-motion Dutch Total Football of the seventies would be to overstate it.
Quincy Promes, having enjoyed a fruitful first season for Ajax, finding the net sixteen times in 25 outings, many of those at this very stadium, enjoyed his runout today. From the first moment he was lively, running into the channels and always looking to stretch Belarus’ rather pedestrian back line. However, it was his strike partner Donyell Malen who really caught the eye. The young PSV Eindhoven number 9, and Arsenal youth product, who has scored a remarkable 17 goals in just 22 games this season, has been rumoured to be close to joining Promes at Ajax this summer but based on performances like today the Eredivisie will surely turn out to be too small a pond for him. Expect some of Europe’s bigger, more powerful leagues to come knocking. Arsenal, for a start, could do worse.
Meanwhile Nathan Aké will have enjoyed the chance to partner Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the Dutch defence as the two proved immovable forces for what quickly became a weary-looking Belarussian attack. Yevgeniy Shevchenko, having become something of a hero in his country following his fine chipped goal against Ukraine after coming on as a substitute on Thursday, was rewarded with a start here in Amsterdam. To lead the line against van Dijk, though, surely the best centre-back in the world right now, is an awful lot to ask of anybody. For Shevchenko it understandably proved too much; he registered just nine touches in the Holland half before his withdrawal in the 80th minute.
And Patrick van Aanholt, so often such a delightfully intriguing player, possessor of that wonderfully strange and rare trait of frequently becoming his team’s main goal threat from full-back, enjoyed this afternoon’s encounter very much. As if the runs and interplay between Malen, Promes and Tottenham Hotspur’s Steven Bergwijn did not provide Belarus’ right flank enough to deal with, there was also van Aanholt’s desire to roam seemingly at will as long as meant he was near the ball. This tactic could of course be identified as something to exploit for opponents should he feature against stronger sides in the knockout stages of this competition, but for the spectators in Amsterdam this afternoon it was a joy to behold.
It was yet another van Aanholt dribble, in fact, which helped create the opening for the Netherlands’ opening goal on the half-hour mark. Belarus’ first- and only- corner of the match was caught easily by goalkeeper Marco Bizot who started a Dutch counter attack with a lightning-quick throw to van Aanholt, who was already charging down the right flank in anticipation of his goalkeeper’s pass. The Crystal Palace full-back received the ball with style and bore down on the half of the Belarus defence which was not still upfield, trying in vain to catch up with play. He must have carried the ball forty yards before cutting in and playing in Bergwijn by hooking the ball to his right. Belarus’ defence was all at sea and Bergwijn let the pass run through his legs before driving into the box and sliding the ball across for Promes to convert home, sliding in at the back post. It felt inevitable that the move would end in a goal and it was noticeable that had Promes not connected then both Malen and van Aanholt, charging at full pelt, would have surely converted instead.
The rest of the first half continued in this manner and it was a wonder that the Dutch went in at half-time just the one goal ahead.
Kevin Strootman came on at halftime for Bergwijn and this possibly sucked a little of the verve from the Dutch attacks for the first fifteen minutes of the second half. That is not to say Strootman did anything badly, but simply that where Bergwijn had driven the team forwards in the first half, the Marseille midfielder tended to slow play down and look sideways and often even backwards- not much of a problem, admittedly, when you have van Dijk.
Nonetheless, the Belarussians continued to tire and more opportunities arose for the Dutch. Eight more attempts, of varying quality, were registered before a second Dutch goal was scored. This time it was a sublime goal on the 75th minute which put the game truly to bed. Malen, receiving the ball on the left flank cut in thirty yards from goal before giving the ball to Promes. Promes made as if to drive towards goal but then, with an enthralling nonchalance, flicked the ball with his heel into the path of the oncoming Malen who, to evade the two Belarussian defenders who lunged with desperation, performed a 360° pirouette of the highest quality following which he found himself with only the goalkeeper left to beat. It would have felt a great shame for the neutrals had the move not ended in a goal. Fortunately, Malen was oozing confidence and swept the ball with his inside of his right foot into the far top corner. Amsterdam purred and the Belarussians may as well have held aloft white flags.
To immediately then bring on Wout Weghorst, a striker measuring just shy of two metres, felt somewhat cruel on the Belarussians. There may have only been fifteen minutes remaining on the clock when he entered the fray but the sheer size of the Wolfsburg forward will have felt like a challenge uncalled for by a Belarussian defence keen on self-preservation before their flight home to Belarus.
Self-preservation they managed, as the Dutch eased and saw out the final few minutes by keeping the ball to themselves. They strutted around the pitch with the swagger of a team that means business- even if several of the players on the pitch tonight will return to the bench for their next match in Budapest on Sunday. Who that fixture will be against remains to be seen, but it is clear that the Netherlands will consider themselves capable of beating anybody.
For me, at least, the most amusing moment of the evening came after the final whistle when I Feel Football / Football Feels Life burst onto the stadium’s loudspeakers and was met with delight by what felt like everybody in the stadium. Barely anyone had felt inclined to leave the stadium yet; those in orange, wanting to let Europe know they were serious this time around, delighted in this little moment of unity with the Belarussian contingent, who just wanted to enjoy to the full the final moments of their Euro 2020 experience. As the chorus did its na na na na, hands in the air, the Johan Cruyff Arena was a beacon of joy.
For Belarus now, unsurprisingly, it is time to go home. The Dutch, meanwhile, will feel they are only just getting started.
Man of the Match: Donyell Malen
Attendance: 52,784