- Ecuador defeated the hosts Qatar 2-0
- Louis van Gaal has warned his troops to be wary of the threat posed by Ecuador
- Gaal acknowledged that in contemporary football
As the teams prepare to face off in Group A of the FIFA World Cup, Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal has warned his troops to be wary of the threat posed by a “steady” and “shrewd” Ecuador. After defeating Senegal 2-0 in their opening match on Monday, the Netherlands will take the field in the late-night contest on Friday at Khalifa International stadium in Doha. Ecuador defeated the hosts Qatar 2-0 on Sunday, giving them an extra day to prepare.
van Gaal stated at a news conference that “They (Ecuador) are a stable team.” They have really smart, cunning players and are physically strong, therefore I think they are more resilient than Senegal. Memphis Depay may start against the South American team, according to Van Gaal, as he continues to recuperate from a serious injury. The Barcelona forward came off the bench for the final hour of the victory over Senegal, marking his first action in two months.
Van Gaal stated, “He has played 30 minutes, and the next phase would be 45 minutes.” We must consider him because his injury makes it difficult to determine when he can begin.
But because he is such a brilliant athlete and I value him greatly for my squad, I have decided to put my morals aside. The players accepted my explanation to them that I am doing everything for Memphis. Enner Valencia may be able to play on Friday, according to Ecuador manager Gustavo Alfaro. After scoring both of Ecuador’s goals in their triumph over Qatar, the 33-year-old Fenerbahce attacker was forced off due to injury.
In addition to expressing an interest in the knockout round, van Gaal stated his desire to win the World Cup at this point. The Dutch manager predicted that his 26-man team may do better than in 2014.
“Our average quality is better than it was in 2014,” I’m not referring about the best players we had at the time; perhaps Memphis (Depay) is there now or will get there in the future.
“But back then, players like Van Persie, Robben, and Sneijder decided the games. We now have a significantly higher average inside our team, the Dutch manager continued.
However, when asked about how to play against their upcoming opponent Ecuador, the coach resisted sharing his plan with the media. “I can’t share more information because doing so would mean displaying my cards. Neither names nor tactics even. But our goal is to win the world championship. However, he was extremely complimentary of the group that defeated Qatar 2-0 in the World Cup opening.
Regarding Germany’s and Argentina’s World Cup losses the previous days, van Gaal acknowledged that in contemporary football, defending is simpler than attacking.
“I heard that Germany lost despite missing a number of opportunities. This has to do with maintaining team discipline, he said.
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