Morocco eliminated the Netherlands from the FIFA World Cup on Tuesday morning after a dramatic penalty shootout. The match had ended 1-1 after extra time.
The defeat marks the eighth penalty shootout loss for the Dutch national team out of ten in their history.
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Match Summary
Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman opted for a defensive five-man formation, with Nathan Ake replacing Tijjani Reijnders.
Crysencio Summerville started upfront alongside Brian Brobbey, while Donyell Malen was on the bench.
Morocco applied early pressure.
Neil El Aynaoui met a corner with a powerful header that was saved by Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
Verbruggen also denied a dangerous shot from Moroccan captain Achraf Hakimi.
The Netherlands' best first-half chance came from left wingback Micky van de Ven, who forced a save from Moroccan goalkeeper Bono.
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Just before halftime, Hakimi delivered a free kick to Ismael Saibari, but the PSV forward failed to make contact, leaving the score 0-0.
Morocco continued to threaten after the break. Hakimi hit the crossbar in the 52nd minute.
The Netherlands broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute. Cody Gakpo converted a pass from Summerville, who had received a headed ball from substitute Wout Weghorst.
Morocco equalized in the second minute of injury time. Center back Issa Diop headed home a cross from Chemsdine Talbi, forcing 30 minutes of extra time.
During extra time, Soufiane Rahimi missed a major chance for Morocco, firing too close to Verbruggen.
Penalty Shootout
The match was decided by penalties. For the Netherlands, Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber, and Crysencio Summerville failed to convert their spot-kicks.
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For Morocco, Saibari scored the decisive penalty after Hakimi and El Aynaoui missed.
