Morocco edge wild last-32 penalty shootout as Netherlands pay heavy price for misses

Morocco’s players set off in pursuit of Ismael Saibari and, once they had caught up, lost one another in a pile of exhilarated bodies. Maybe they are about to do it all again and make a heavy dent in the latter stages of a World Cup. This was certainly a huge hurdle cleared and there were echoes of 2022 when Yassine Bounou, hero against Spain back then, repelled the Netherlands’ fifth penalty. Crysencio Summerville had struck it straight at him, the latest error in a strange and wobbly shootout; Saibari showed rare mental clarity to accept the gift.

Earlier on another bundle had engulfed Cody Gakpo. Football is a vessel for myriad thoughts and feelings so it was an intensely affecting moment when, after he had rammed his team into a 72nd-minute lead, the entire Dutch squad piled on to the pitch in joy. More than that, they had done so in support. Gakpo had elected to play despite the announcement that he and his partner had tragically lost their unborn son. He was tearful upon making his way back to the centre circle, pointing to the sky and being comforted by his teammate Denzel Dumfries.

There are other timelines in which Gakpo’s goal was the winner, with easy words spoken about sport’s redemptive nature carrying the day. But there will always be infinitely more important things than football, however the game behaves. It tends to carve its own path and has never relinquished the right to be viciously cruel. In the first minute of added time the Morocco substitute Chemsdine Talbi checked on to his right foot and whipped over a sumptuous cross that Issa Diop, rising at the back post, headed in thrillingly. Morocco had what they merited and the Netherlands’ desolation was visible.

Ronald Koeman will come under scrutiny for what, to the semi-trained eye, seemed an act of cowardice. The Netherlands had been imperfect during the group stage but scored seven times against Sweden and Japan, adding three more in a dead rubber with Tunisia. No team managed a higher tally but he did not trust his players to outshoot Morocco. The standard 4-3-3 was jettisoned, along with the midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, and a five-man back line was tasked with keeping things tight.

Everyone had been denied the predicted ding-dong. Afterwards an unrepentant Koeman claimed he had got it right and, not unfairly, pointed out Morocco were a different level of opponent. Ultimately, the switch brought a scratchy, cautious display in which they allowed Morocco 70% of possession. They did not offer a threat until shortly before half-time when Micky van de Ven’s piledriver was tipped over by Bounou. By then their own keeper, Bart Verbruggen, had already bailed them out and Morocco raised the tempo after the restart.

Yet Koeman was minutes from being able to afford himself a slap on the back. Morocco were firmly in charge when the second half reached its midway interruption but the pause meant Wout Weghorst could be wheeled on for the ineffective Brian Brobbey. It was inevitable one of Fifa’s hydration breaks would, at some point, materially affect a crucial knockout game. Within seconds Weghorst had flicked on a Verbruggen clearance for Summerville to run through, hooking the ball to Gakpo as he was challenged. Gakpo did his bit, the emotions spilling out, and as the minutes ticked down it seemed enough.