Morocco prevailed in a marathon World Cup match against the Netherlands, sending the team off to the next round and a matchup against a motivated host.
The Netherlands and Morocco played to a 1-1 draw through regular time and into extra time, with both teams playing careful defense in anticipation of penalty kicks. Morocco won on the final kick from Ismael Saibari.
Morocco Advances to Face Canada
With the win over the Netherlands, Morocco has moved on to face Canada in the Round of 16. The match will take place on Saturday, July 4, at 1 p.m. ET at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
Monday’s match was a meeting of two powerhouse nations, with Morocco ranked No. 6 in FIFA standings and the Netherlands just behind at No. 7. Canada was ranked No. 32, and is expected to be a big underdog against Morocco.
Canada advanced after a victory against South Africa on Sunday, the opening match of the knockout round and the first time the Canadian team has advanced to the Round of 16.
Canadian captain Alphonso Davies said he was excited to play in front of his home fans, with Canada sharing co-hosting duties for the World Cup alongside the United States and Mexico.
“It was surreal because I’ve never seen so many Canadians at a football match before,” Davies said before the team’s win against South Africa, via the BBC. “It brought tears to my eyes.”
After the match, manager Jesse Marsch told TSN that they knew it would be a difficult task against South Africa.
“The game, we knew would get a little wild at some times because [South Africa] like to play in open space and sometimes in transition,” Marsch said. “They could be very difficult to deal with. We tried to make sure that we kept our structure and we tried to say could we still keep ramping up the level of the game and come from the bench and get stronger.”
Marsch added that he was proud of his team.
“The hard work from these guys, the character of them,” Marsch said. “They’re Canadian heroes. That’s what I told them at the end. They’re now Canadian heroes. I’m so happy for them.”
Marsch said his team came into the World Cup looking to show the world that they belonged.
“My goal in this tournament, apart from inspiring our nation, was to make a run so that we could get to see one of the giants of the world,” he said, via SI.com. “We’re at that phase of the tournament, and I feel like it’s a free hit, so we’re going to go after it and do everything we can to see if we can find a way to get a win.”
Emotional Match for Dutch Team
As The Associated Press reported, it was an emotional match for Dutch star Cody Gakpo, who scored the match’s first goal in an emotional moment.
“Cody Gakpo scored in the 72nd minute for the Dutch,” the report noted. “After the goal, which was assisted by Crysencio Summerville, the Dutch bench ran onto the field to embrace the 27-year-old Gakpo, who broke down in tears. Gakpo and his partner, Noa van der Bij, recently announced that they lost their unborn child.”
Morocco’s Issa Diop tied the match in the 91st minute on a cross from Chemsdine Talbi, the report noted. The teams remained scoreless through regulation and extra time, with Morocco taking the match on the fifth and final penalty kick.
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