Rotterdam, November 17 (BNA): Dutch strikers Stephen Bergwijn and Memphis Depay scored late to lead their country to the 2022 World Cup with a 2-0 home win over Norway on Tuesday, winning Group G.
Bergwijn hit a right-footed shot in the 84th minute that went into the net to rest the hosts and Depay made sure of the points as clinically ended his separation after being sent by Bergwijn in stoppage time.
The Dutch will return to the finals hosted by Qatar, having missed the 2018 edition in Russia but with little conviction after having passed the final two qualifiers, Reuters reported.
The team had gone eight minutes to qualify early on Saturday before giving up two goals to equalize in Montenegro but Tuesday’s win at an empty stadium due to COVID-19 restrictions was enough to top the group.
The Netherlands finished with 23 points from 10 matches, two points ahead of Turkey, who won 2-1 away to Montenegro to secure a place in the playoffs. Norway lost the score by finishing in third place with 18 points.
The Dutch controlled the ball and had several half-time chances with Depay as their most daring player.
But they also played in a sharp style, eager to avoid mistakes that would allow Norway to snatch the match away.
“I think we controlled the game for the full 90 minutes. The players carried out our plans perfectly,” coach Louis van Gaal said.
“It was worth it in the end,” Depay added. “We had it on our hands. It wasn’t our best match but nobody cares about that now.”
The Norwegians, without injured talisman Erling Haaland, had to win to finish second in the two spots and showed some success in the final quarter but still failed to make any efforts on goal.
“The result was a dangerous 0-0 and we had to be careful, but we were solid in defence,” Depay told Dutch television NOS.
Depay scored his twelfth goal of the season with Englishman Harry Kane in the scoring lists in the European qualifiers.
The absence of fans did not help the cause of the homeland.
The match was played behind closed doors in De Kuip after the Dutch government over the weekend banned spectators from major sporting events for the next three weeks in a bid to contain the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases.
Van Gaal was also missing from the bunker. He broke his thigh from his bike on Sunday and sat in a wheelchair in the VIP area, high in the stands, communicating by phone with his aides on the seat.