On the eve of the Qatar 2022 World Cup football match between the Netherlands and the United States, Netherlands coach #00 Louis Van Gaal holds a press conference at the Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) in Doha on December 2, 2022.
As the outspoken Netherlands coach prepares for Saturday’s last-16 clashes with the United States, Louis van Gaal has his sights set on an emotional World Cup run.
If Van Gaal’s team advances to the World Cup finals in Qatar, it will provide one of the tournament’s most moving stories.
Despite his harrowing battle with aggressive prostate cancer, the 71-year-old came out of retirement last year to coach the Netherlands. Van Gaal had been out of the game since being fired by Manchester United in 2016, but the combative coach is still a force of nature, as he demonstrated by leading the Netherlands to the World Cup knockout stage after successfully treating his illness.
The Dutch won Group A after beating Senegal and Qatar and drawing with Ecuador.
They will now face the United States at the Khalifa International Stadium in the hope of winning the World Cup for the first time.
The current crop of Oranje players may not be compared to the eras of Johan Cruyff and Ruud Gullit, who established the Netherlands as purveyors of football in its purest form.
However, Van Gaal, in his third stint as Netherlands coach, believes the 2022 squad is the most talented of his reigns. Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool, Frenkie de Jong of Barcelona, and Cody Gakpo of PSV Eindhoven form a formidable spine for the Netherlands.
Van Gaal believes the Netherlands have a “higher average quality” squad than the group he led to the World Cup semi-finals in Brazil in 2014.
Fans of World Cup favorites such as Brazil, France, and England have dismissed that blunt assessment as hyperbole. Nonetheless, it was consistent with Van Gaal’s scorched-earth management style.
Van Gaal, who isn’t afraid to express his views to club executives, players, or the media, has been in a typically scathing mood at the World Cup.
Van Gaal didn’t back down after being chastised for failing to play the expansive style that the Dutch regard as their birthright after the 2-0 win over Qatar.
“I’m not going to elaborate because I believe you have a different perspective on football,” he told a reporter.
“Why don’t you write about how boring it is and how you’re going home tomorrow because you couldn’t care less?”
When another reporter mentioned on social media that fans were “grinding their teeth” about the displays, Van Gaal responded, “That’s disappointing, but I don’t agree with you.”
“That’s your opinion, but I don’t believe it’s the correct one.” Everyone should be pleased that we have advanced to the next round.
“I don’t believe things are as bad as you claim.”
Van Gaal’s track record demands respect, regardless of his waspish tongue. He oversaw a golden era at Ajax after taking over in 1991, thanks to his development of Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Kluivert, Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, and the De Boer brothers.
Van Gaal won three Dutch titles, the Champions League, and the UEFA Cup with Ajax before moving to Barcelona, where trophies and tantrums were plentiful. Van Gaal’s reputation was harmed after failing to lead the Netherlands to the 2002 World Cup, followed by volatile stints with Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Van Gaal’s counter-intuitive genius was on display at the 2014 World Cup when he brought on Tim Krul just before a shootout against Costa Rica and watched as the reserve goalkeeper saved two penalties to secure the team’s place in the semi-finals.
Van Gaal’s two years as manager of Manchester United were marred by underperforming star signings.
But, in what could be his final act as a coach, leading the Netherlands to the last 16 has guaranteed Van Gaal at least one more game in the World Cup spotlight.
