The Netherlands coach, Louis van Gaal, acknowledged on Tuesday that intercepting the balls that go towards the forward Erling haaland will be “important & rdquor; to beat Norway in this Wednesday’s match, qualifying for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
“We have to prevent balls from reaching Haaland, so we have to intercept passes to him or make sure the pass is given under a lot of pressure. Then you will not be in an optimal position & rdquor ;, he said Go Gaal at a press conference.
“In case he gets the ball, fortunately we also have good defenders,” said the coach. One of them will be Virgil van Dijk, who returns to the Dutch team after almost a year absent due to the injury he suffered in October 2020.
Haaland said last monday that Van Dijk is “the best defense & rdquor; from the actuality. The Liverpool center-back, who participated in the same press conference as Van gaalHe was surprised by the comment: “Did he really say that? It’s kind of you & rdquor ;.
Van Dijk missed Euro 2020 due to injury and had to see how the ‘Oranje’ fell in the round of 16. “It was tough, during the match with the Czech Republic (0-2) I threw some things at home. I was as disappointed as the guys & rdquor ;, he explained.
The defender is already recovered and has played 90 minutes of the first three Premier League games. He assured that he has not reached “any agreement with (the Liverpool manager) Klopp& rdquor; on whether he will play in their entirety the three games that the ‘Oranje’ will play between this Wednesday and next September 7.
Secondly, Van gaal He did not want to reveal who the starting goalkeeper will be this Wednesday (Tim Krul, Justin bijlow or Joël Drommel) because said choice “will be decisive, also for Haaland& rdquor ;.
The game against Norway will be the first for the former Barcelona manager in his third spell as the Netherlands coach. In a first meeting on Monday with the summoned footballers, Van gaal He spoke to them about the importance of “teamwork & rdquor; because in football “the best team wins, not the best collection of individual qualities & rdquor ;.
He took the opportunity to give the players a motivational video, with images of the recovery of Van Dijk and the Barcelona forward Memphis Depay, which moved the same Go Gaal. “Tears welled up in my eyes,” he assured.