The Netherlands have had the fans of the tournament. That may not be much consolation for them after losing to England so late in Dortmund, but it’s true. Yet the legions of Dutch supporters who turned the city into a sea of orange could not help their team over the line. Ultimately, it was the players who came up short.
Was it the injury to Memphis Depay that turned the game after what had begun as a full-throated Dutch assault? Or the penalty given against Denzel Dumfries for apparently inconsequential contact? Or was it what the critics of Ronald Koeman’s team had been saying all along: that this team was just not Dutch enough, not technical enough in the key areas to ensure victory at the latter stages of a tournament?
