The captain of the Netherlands, Virgil van Dijk, has come to the defence of his teammates Jorrel Hato and Bart Verbruggen following their errors during the UEFA Nations League quarter-final encounter with Spain.
In the first leg of the quarter-final, the match between the Netherlands and Spain ended in a 2-2 draw. Spain took the advantage when Jorrel Hato lost possession to Lamine Yamal due to a mistake, and they levelled the score in injury time after goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen misjudged a long-range effort.
Van Dijk stood by his teammates after the match in Rotterdam, stating, “Losing points unfortunately happens like this. Everyone is capable of making mistakes now and then, and it’s unfortunate when it occurs at such crucial moments.”
“These are not intentional errors,” Van Dijk added.
Teenage Ajax defender Jorrel Hato, who recently celebrated turning 18, received a straight red card following a late tackle on Atletico Madrid’s Robin Le Normand. Despite managing to thwart Lamine Yamal’s dribbling efforts, Hato’s prior mistake inadvertently led Yamal to assist in a goal.
“I think Jorrel was looking to do the right thing and aimed to pass the ball to Cody (Gakpo),” Van Dijk remarked regarding his young teammate. “In the chaos, the ball ended up with Yamal, and unfortunately, it found its way into the net.”
“It’s unfortunate, but I believe we bounced back well and played a commendable match. It’s regrettable that Hato received a red card; it’s a valuable learning experience for him.”
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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