Introduction
It was the cracker of a game between Senegal, one of the teams that is representing Africa in the world cup and Netherlands. I missed the first half of the game as I could not beat traffic to come home earlier. But I was not going to miss the second half, which for me was full of action.
The first half had ended 0-0 which was an indication to me that it was a really tough encounter. They highlights which I watched later confirmed that. Like I said, I joined the game from the second half and watched it till the end. The two teams went for maximum points, with Senegal set up to seat a little deep and counter. They had their chances but could not go past the Dutch keeper.
To someone that did not watch the match - especially the second half, the 0 - 2 final score line will not tell the whole story. The two teams gave their all, but I think 3 things actually made Senegal loose the the match. Let me share with you.
3 reasons Senegal lost the match
Here is why I think Senegal lost the match. My thoughts are of course based on the second half that I watched.
- Lack of Quality in the Final third: The defensive strength of this Senegalese team was in full display for all to see. They dealt very well with every second ball. They were able to stay very compact, limiting the number of through balls that come from the midfield. But I noticed they lacked quality in finishing. They had at least 2 good chances which I believe a certain Sadio Mane would have put away.
The lack of quality upfront was one reason they lost the match. I noticed they relied much on the wingers who a few times fluffed their lines when it was time to strike. I really wished Sadio Mane was in this team. If he was, I believed they would have gotten at least a goal in that match which they fully deserved. And a lethal striker like him would have taken a sting out of the forward approach of this Netherlands team.
- Loss of Concentration when it matters: Am important aspect of playing experienced sides like the Netherlands is that the team as a whole cannot afford to slipup, especially in the dying moments. I really admired the energy I saw in this Senegalese team. The way they attacked every second ball, the way they track and stay with runners trying to get behind the central defense, and other things. But I discovered they lost a bit of concentration late in the game - from that 84th minute.
The cross that led to the first goal should not have been allowed to scale through. Someone should have also followed the header and stayed with him, not the keeper. Also, Mendy mistimed his attack on the cross and the striker got there before him to head into an empty net. But then, the header was completely free and unmarked by any of the defenders, so it was easy for him to score. The same has to be said about the second goal in the final minute of added time. They lost concentration. They were getting tired and it was not easy to maintain that concentration which was there in the start of the second half - and likely from the first half I missed.
- Squad depth: When the match was getting tough, the Netherlands coach made some substitutions of quality. One notable substitution was Memphis Depay. And he was directly involved in the first goal - His initial strike was saved by the goalkeeper before the rebound was put away for the second goal. Senegal made substitutions too. But the quality between the two substitutions became obvious with the goals.
The Senegalese team would have been better with a squad strength in depth. When a coach looks at the bench, he should be confident of a matchwinner who can come on and turn the game around. The Netherlands had that and it worked for them. The Senegalese team didn't have much of it.
Conclusion
It was a match they deserved at least 1 point according to what I saw in the second half. But this Senegalese team lost by a flattering 2 goals. They are now in a position where they must win their next match. And if it is against the host Qatar, it wont be an easy tie because Qatar also lost their first match to Ecuador.
As far as am concerned, the group is still wide open and from the second games, things will begin to shape up for all the teams in each group.
If you missed the match, you can still watch the highlights from this youtube video below
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