Morocco is the fourth-highest-ranked team in the 2022 World Cup and the reigning African champion. The North African team dreams of repeating the fairytale story of four years ago, when they had a very impressive group stage, with victories against Scotland and Haiti, and a resounding draw against Brazil to secure their place in the next round. Coach Mohamed Ouahbi possesses a fast-paced and well-organized squad with prominent names such as Achraf Hakimi, Brahim Diaz, Ismael Saibari, and the young talent Ayyoub Bouaddi. Along with these stars who can make a difference, Morocco 's playing style clearly demonstrates a balance between attack and defense, and is very dangerous in transitional phases. Furthermore, the solidity of Morocco's defense is considered a strong foundation for the attacking line to advance.
On the other side of the battlefield, the Netherlands entered the Round of 16 with great confidence after an impressive performance in the group stage. Coach Ronald Koeman's team showed formidable attacking power, especially in the 5-1 victory against Sweden and the 3-1 victory against Tunisia. The consistent goal-scoring ability of their attack is the biggest strength of the Netherlands. In their last 12 matches, the "Orange Tornado" has scored 38 goals, averaging 3.17 goals per game . Coach Ronald Koeman 's team has scored in 12 consecutive matches, demonstrating very high stability in their attack. With Gakpo, Malen, Brobbey, along with support from Frenkie de Jong and Reijnders , the Netherlands have many options to break through the opponent's defense .
Entering the match, both the Netherlands and Morocco played cautiously in the opening minutes , maintaining a very solid defensive formation from their own half. However, the following minutes were a tough but extremely brilliant half from both goalkeepers. First, there were two spectacular saves by goalkeeper Verburggen in the 19th and 20th minutes, preventing the Netherlands from conceding a close-range header from Brahim Diaz and a powerful shot from Hakimi. Then, a beautiful diving save by goalkeeper Bounou denied Van De Ven a goal for the Netherlands in the 43rd minute. The first half ended 0-0, with the Netherlands once again avoiding defeat after Saibari missed a shot from a free-kick combination that bypassed the entire Dutch defense in the 45+3 minute.
In the second half, Morocco showed their desire to continue their fairytale story in 2022. The North African team played a high-pressing game in the Netherlands' half. Morocco created a series of dangerous situations in front of goalkeeper Verburggen 's goal in the first 20 minutes of the second half. Their attacks proved ineffective , and Morocco paid the price after a counter-attack that was typical of the Orange team. Receiving a pass from Weghorst in midfield, Summerville made a powerful sprint before falling after being challenged by two Moroccan defenders . He then managed to pass the ball to Cody Gakpo, who finished into the net , giving the Netherlands a 1-0 lead in the 72nd minute.
After conceding a goal, Morocco remained undeterred. Staying true to their attacking style, the North African team equalized in the first minute of added time when Diop's perfect header left Verbruggen with no chance to save. The 1-1 scoreline remained until the end of regular time, forcing both teams into two extra time periods. The first chance of the first extra time period belonged to the Netherlands, but the most dangerous opportunity was for Morocco; however, a spectacular save by goalkeeper Verbruggen denied the Netherlands a close-range shot from Rahimi.
The second half of extra time was fairly balanced, with both teams being cautious in every move. No further goals were scored, forcing a tense penalty shootout. Here, Morocco proved more composed, successfully converting three penalties compared to the Netherlands' two, securing the fourth spot in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. Morocco's next opponent will be co-hosts Canada, with the match scheduled for 00:00 on July 5th (Hanoi time).
Source: https://baolamdong.vn/chan-dung-con-loc-da-cam-450958.html
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