Good evening from a balmy stadium where the World Cup's last 32 begins to take shape. The Netherlands meet Morocco in a tie that on paper suggests tec...
Good evening from a balmy stadium where the World Cup's last 32 begins to take shape. The Netherlands meet Morocco in a tie that on paper suggests technical flair, but in reality could hinge on the raw, relentless energy of one man. Brian Brobbey, GoalZazaderland striker who arrived in Qatar as a supporting act, has transformed into the focal point of this Dutch attack. The absence of a clinical finisher has haunted the Oranje for years, a familiar ache that goes back to the post van Nistelrooy era. Memphis Depay, their go to man in qualifying, was nursing a thigh injury in the lead up to the tournament, leaving a void that Brobbey has filled with a hunger that is frankly infectious. He did not initially project as a starter. Yet here we are, watching a forward who grafts defenders into the dirt, a player unafraid to operate in the tightest of spaces. His movement off the shoulder of the last man has given this Dutch side a directness they sorely lacked. Morocco, for their part, will not roll over. They possess a disciplined low block that has frustrated far more fancied sides in recent tournaments, and they have the individual quality to hurt you in transitional play. The danger for the Dutch is that if Brobbey is isolated, their midfield can become ponderous, too horizontal. The game could turn on whether Denzel Dumfries can get beyond his marker and fire crosses into the corridor of uncertainty. Squeaky bum time arrives early for both sets of supporters. As one reader, EllaMary Waltz, noted in the wake of Germany's penalty shootout victory over Paraguay, there is a peculiar Schadenfreude among English fans when the Germans lose on spot kicks. All England fans admit it. That bitter taste, that delicious schadenfreude, is part of the texture of this tournament. But tonight, the focus is on a Dutch team rediscovering its edge and a Moroccan side desperate to prove their run to the semifinals in 2022 was no flash in the pan. The pitch is set. The noise is building. Let us see who blinks first.
