Cody Gapko is a strange striker. He has the soul of a winger thanks to his speed, stride and body, and the instinct of a number nine. If he already contributed with his three goals to the Netherlands reaching the quarter-finals at the World Cup in Qatar, he has already scored three in this Euro Cup with the one he scored on Tuesday to start dispatching a proud Romania that ended up applauded by its fans despite the 0-3 with which it left Germany. The Liverpool striker also provided an assist, a talisman for the best Dutch version that we have seen so far.
0
Florin Nita, Andrei Ratiu, Vasile Mogos (Bogdan Racovitan, min. 37), Radu Dragusin, Andrei Burca, Dennis Man, Nicolae Stanciu (Darius Olaru, min. 87), Marius Marin (Alexandru Cicâldau, min. 71), Ianis Hagi (Denis Alibec, min. 71), Razvan Marin and Denis Dragus (Valentin Mihaila, min. 71)
3
Bart Verbruggen, Virgil van Dijk, Nathan Aké (Micky van de Ven, min. 68), Stefan de Vrij, Denzel Dumfries, Tijjani Reijnders, Jerdy Schouten (Joey Veerman, min. 68), Cody Gakpo (Wout Weghorst, min. 83), Steven Bergwijn (Donyell Malen, min. 45), Xavi Simons and Memphis Depay (Daley Blind, min. 91)
Goals
0-1 min. 19: Gakpo. 0-2 min. 82: Malen. 0-3 min. 92: Malen
Referee Felix Zwayer
Yellow cards
Marius Marin (min. 66), Denzel Dumfries (min. 77), Stanciu (min. 80), Malen (min. 93)
Romania came out ready to play a very tough match, spurred on by an enthusiastic yellow tide that devoured the classic orange that the Netherlands always drags in droves at the European Cups and World Cups. Their start was even intimidating from a physical point of view in the disputes and clashes. Their centre-backs Dragusin and Burca are two strongholds that dwarfed the silhouette of Memphis. However, it was Ianis Hagi who came out badly from an involuntary elbow from Dumfries in his attempt to finish off the watermelon that had been put in front of him. His father Gica was hailed in the stands as a deity when his image was projected on the video scoreboards. Ratiu, the speedy Rayo Vallecano full-back, also had to cover his head. The Romanian footballers seemed to take for granted that their success would involve a lot of sweat and as much blood as needed.
Koeman’s men had to impose their technical superiority on a Romania that was more gladiatorial than fine. Among those chosen was not the midfielder Veerman, who was humiliated by his coach in the defeat against Austria. First by substituting him after 35 minutes and then by airing in a lowly way the errors he had made in passing balls. The substitution was the last shovel of dirt that the surly Dutch coach poured on the PSV pivot’s state of mind. At least, as a sign of good will and his attempt to put out the fire he created, Koeman gave him the last 25 minutes.
As long as the Dutch did not shrink from the fast-paced start and their best players became more polished, Romania shrank. To the rhythm of Reijnders and the accelerations of Xavi Simons, Bergwjin and the fantasies that Memphis tried to create, the national team orange The ball was gradually taking over Romanian territory. This allowed Gapko to receive the ball on the edge of the area for a one-on-one. Instead of going inwards, he threw the ball a little too far outwards to get his line and set up the shot. It was a straight shot at medium height that went in close to the post defended by the surprised Nita. His reaction was a little late. His hands also buckled.
With the wind in their favour, Koeman’s team broke free, well pinned down by Van Dijk and De Vrij. The latter headed one of those corner kicks that Memphis poisons wide. The now ex-Atlético player was a master. With that headband on his head that makes him look more like a streetwise New York play-ground point guard than a football player, he was seen enjoying himself. In another corner he dared to hit it with the three fingers on the outside of his hand so that the ball took a strange effect from the outside to the inside that scared Nita. The kick was reminiscent of those executed by the late English winger Laurie Cunningham. Memphis was the living image of a team that allowed itself to linger more than necessary with flourishes and technical gestures that perhaps cost it not to have killed the game earlier.
Malen did it, helped, of course, by Gapko, who won the byline and gifted the goal to the Dortmund winger. He closed the scoring with a run from field to field with only one Romanian defender to clear before executing Nita. Not even that third goal prevented the Romanian players from being dismissed as heroes by their own team.
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