The Romanian national team will meet the Netherlands on Tuesday, July 2, from 19:00 at the Allianz Arena.
The Romanian team is in good shape PHOTO: Archive
In Romania, it is considered that the balance of the match is slightly tilted in favor of the Dutch, but the Dutch press has a different theory about this confrontation.
The Dutch publication Trouw wonders: “Will the oranges simply beat Romania? That’s too easy thinking” and calls Holland’s difficult group run and knockout stage side “a blessing in disguise,” because the 3rd place qualification paved a way for them, apparently, more accessible to the semi-finals, writes g4media.ro.
“This expression now seems to apply to the sporting failure of the Dutch team against Austria (3-2 defeat in the last group game). This result gave the Orange an unexpected, attractive way forward. At least on paper,” says the same publication.
Trouw notices Andrei Rațiu because of his blue hair and his performance in the group stage. “On the ball he is by no means a sophisticated footballer, but his will is unprecedented”. The publication states that the work, will and speed of the Romanian national team are symbolized by the right back from Rayo Vallecano.
The national newspaper, Algemeen Dagblad (AD), characterizes Holland’s next opponent as fair “a solid defense in a compact Romania” and is convinced that it is not an easy opponent for Ronald Koeman’s team.
One of the largest Dutch publications, De Telegraaf, says about Romania that “It doesn’t have real stars, but the strength lies in the collective, with players who want to work hard for the team“. They note the strength of the tricolors on the counter-attack and recall the opportunities they had in the second half against Belgium.
Captain Virgil Van Dijk does not see the next opponent as an accessible one and believes that no one should underestimate them. “I think that in the situation we are in now, after the way we played the last game, we shouldn’t underestimate anyone. We have to stay very focused, work hard for each other and put a lot of energy into the game on Tuesday“, he said, quoted by the publication De Telegraaf.
