Oranje impress with convincing 4-0 victory against Finland in Amsterdam
Oranje impressed with a 4-0 victory over Finland in the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam on Sunday. Donyell Malen, Virgil van Dijk, Memphis Depay, and Cody Gakpo got the goals for the national side in the Group G World Cup qualifier.
The victory was expected, but what will have pleased the manager Ronald Koeman the most was the performance from his side. The team has been under pressure as of late for some dull performances, and he challenged the side to play attractive football prior to the game.
Koeman made two changes to the side that beat Malta 4-0 away on Thursday. Malen and Justin Kluivert came into the side, replacing Tijjani Reijnders and Jeremie Frimpong.
And Malen had Koeman smiling within eight minutes. Oranje had dominated the game from the first minute, and it culminated in Malen finding the net. The Aston Villa forward played a one-two with Depay, and his effort found the way into the net, albeit with some questionable goalkeeping from Jesse Joronen.
It was all too easy for the home side, and they made it 2-0 in the 17th minute. Memphis Depay, who was already the all-time top scorer for the national side, also became the player with the most assists when his cross was headed into the net by the captain Virgil van Dijk.
Malen should have gotten his second in the 33rd minute when a good cross from Cody Gakpo found him in the box, but his header went wide of the goal.
Koeman’s side hit the woodwork two minutes later. Depay played a reverse pass to Kluivert, his cross found Jurrien Timber, who headed the ball onto the crossbar before Van Dijk’s effort was blocked by a Finnish defender.
Oranje’s third goal came a minute later. Referee Slavko Vincic awarded a penalty after Kluivert’s shot was blocked with the arm of Miro Tenho. Depay stepped up and converted the penalty to make it 3-0.
Gakpo closed out the scoring in the 84th minute. Xavi Simons, who had come on as a substitute, played the ball to Gakpo on the edge of the area, and the winger smashed it home via the inside of the post with a beautiful hit.
The Netherlands is close to booking its place for the World Cup of 2026, which will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. They currently have 16 points, with Poland trailing them by six points, but having played a match less. Finland is also six points behind and has played a game more than Oranje. Their chances of qualifying are slim.
