LUSAIL, Qatar — Louis van Gaal being Louis van Gaal, this may not be the end; he has already expressed interest in succeeding Roberto Martínez with Belgium. But defeat in a penalty shootout against Argentina after a furious rally salvaged a 2–2 draw and, for at least 30 additional minutes, the Dutch's World Cup, is the end for him with the Netherlands. He took the job—for the third time—after the Euros, replacing Frank De Boer, and has gone unbeaten since, rescuing a listing World Cup qualifying campaign and making it look, briefly, as though the Dutch, even with a very average squad, might win the World Cup.
Van Gaal is 71 now, and has undergone treatment for cancer this year. He seems more relaxed, less brusque than he once was, but what is most remarkable about him is how this most dogmatic of coaches has not doubled down on his beliefs as he has aged, but embraced a new way of playing. The 4-3-3 that was once non-negotiable has yielded to other shapes, the obsession with possession been replaced by a willingness to go direct.
“If you don’t have the players, you can’t play with wingers,” he explained. “If you want to keep the pitch large and wide you need wingers. I solved that problem by playing a different kind of game.
