In the fierce battle of the European Cup semifinals, the Netherlands team regretted to defeat England 1-2 and did not reach the final. After the match, Dutch captain Van Dyke expressed his inner pain and helplessness in an interview with Dutch national broadcaster NOS.
Van Dyke began by saying that the feeling of being scored against near the end of the game was beyond words, the pain was unspeakable. He admitted that it was a great game, but the Dutch team had to go home empty-handed in the end, which made him feel very frustrated. Van Dyk emphasized that everyone in the team gave their all, but the result was so cruel that it made him feel very sorry.
Speaking about the referee's departure, Van Dyke said it "says a lot", but he didn't directly blame the referee for the call. He said he stood here, but did not know what to say, because the pain and disappointment in his heart has made him unable to express in words.
Van Dijk also reflected on the Dutch team's performance in the game. He admitted that his team dominated in terms of possession, but that's the way the game of soccer works, even if you have more possession, by leaving tiny chances for the other team, they have the potential to punish you. In the end, this happened and England capitalized on their limited chances to score the crucial goal that decided the game.
Van Dijk also mentioned that he had a feeling that the Dutch team was capable of scoring a second goal to equalize or even overtake the score, but unfortunately this did not happen. He admitted that the Dutch team will now have to accept the result of going home empty-handed, but they will learn from this loss and prepare for future matches.
