Corinthians striker comes off the bench in Holland's World Cup debut
- By Henrique Pereira / Central do Timão Editorial
Forward Memphis Depay returned to play for the Netherlands this Sunday, during the 2-2 draw against Japan, in a match valid for the opening round of the group stage of the World Cup.
The Corinthians player started the match among the reserves and was called up by coach Ronald Koeman in the 24th minute of the final stage, replacing Malen. During the period in which he remained on the field, number 10 actively participated in the team's offensive plays.
Photo: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
According to Sofascore figures, Memphis accumulated ten appearances with the ball in approximately 20 minutes. The attacker made all seven passes he attempted, made a decisive pass, made a cross, regained possession on two occasions and also suffered an infringement. The Dutchman also ended up receiving a yellow card.
When he entered the match, the European team was winning 2-1. The Netherlands started the duel with Verbruggen; Dumfries, Van Hecke, Van Dijk and Van de Ven; De Jong, Gravenberch and Reijnders; Summerville, Gakpo and Malen.
Despite the zero score in the first half, the four goals of the match came after the break. The first came after five minutes, when Van Dijk took advantage of a corner kick and headed it into the back of the net.
The Japanese equalizer came shortly afterwards. In the 11th minute, Nakamura finished from long range, the ball deflected off Van Hecke and ended up taking away any chance of Verbruggen's defense.
The Dutch reaction was quick. In the 18th minute, Gravenberch found Summerville at speed on the right side. The striker brought it in and hit the ball to put the Netherlands back in front.
However, when the team led by Ronald Koeman was already approaching victory, Japan found the strength to seek equality in the final minutes. At 43, after a corner kick, Ogawa headed the ball and the ball touched Kamada before going in, making it a 2-2 draw.
The Dutch team is part of Group F of the competition, alongside Japan, Sweden and Tunisia. With the result, he adds one point and appears provisionally at the top of the group.
The Netherlands' next match will be on June 20th, when they will face Sweden at 2pm, at NRG Stadium, in Houston. The end of participation in the group stage is scheduled for the 25th, against Tunisia, at 8 pm, at Arrowhead Stadium, in Kansas City.
As long as Memphis is representing his country at the World Cup, Corinthians will also benefit financially. Under FIFA's compensation program for clubs that release athletes for the competition, Timão will receive five thousand dollars per day during the period in which the attacker remains called up.
In parallel with the World Cup dispute, the future of number 10 remains on the agenda behind the scenes at Parque São Jorge. The current relationship between the parties ends at the end of July, but the Corinthians board has already forwarded an official proposal to extend the player's stay.
Now, the definition depends exclusively on Memphis' analysis and response to the terms presented. Internally, the evaluation is positive, especially given the attacker's recent history of demonstrations showing interest in continuing to defend the black and white shirt.
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Source: Timao Central