Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has been given a six out of ten for his overall performance at this year’s World Cup.
Van Dijk suffered the heartbreak of exiting the tournament on penalties last night. Having fought back from two goals down to take Argentina all the way, Holland couldn’t see it through. They bow out having made it to the quarter finals.
As this was hardly a vintage Dutch team, that sounds around par for the course. And it seems that Voetbal International back in Holland agree, too.
Despite missing a penalty in Friday night’s shootout, Virgil was otherwise solid and dependable. Perhaps he loses a mark for failing to beat Emi Martinez from 12 yards, but that would seem a little harsh. Maybe as captain Van Dijk could have done a little more across the five games though, so six sounds about fair.
Virgil left to wonder ‘what if’
What a game we witnessed yesterday evening. With less than 10 minutes left on the clock, it looked for all the world like Argentina were cruising into the last four.
But then Holland rallied. Two quite brilliant goals from Wout Weghorst later, and the South Americans were in shock.
Despite their opponents fragile state, Van Dijk and co couldn’t hammer home a decisive blow. Penalties are always a gamble, and perhaps over the 120 minutes Argentina edged it anyway.
Still, all Liverpool fans will have been willing their No.4 to bury his penalty. You have to commend Van Dijk for stepping up and taking the opening kick.
As captain, he’s never been one to shirk responsibility, for his club or his country. Unfortunately, he found Martinez in good form, as he palmed away the defender’s powerful strike.
From then on, it never felt like Holland were going to have quite enough.
In truth, it kind of felt that way all tournament. Despite a sprinkling of stardust from the likes of Van Dijk and Cody Gakpo, they just didn’t have that extra bit of spark.
Van Dijk will head home with a sense of ‘what if’ after his missed spot-kick. But once that sense of regret has passed, he’ll feel only pride at leading his country in his first ever major tournament. Now thirty-one, he’ll be desperately hoping that it isn’t the last.
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