Orange thanks Weghorst after victory: ‘He takes us with him in his possession’ He was serenaded by the crowd, received a standing ovation from his teammates and compliments from national coach Ronald Koeman.
The Orange is grateful to Wout Weghorst for his winning goal on Sunday in the European Championship match against Poland (2-1). And not just for that.
Joey Veerman saw it in Wout Weghorst’s face. “He really had a head that is keen to make a difference.” The midfielder had already been substituted when Weghorst came on in the 81st minute. “I heard Daley Blind next to me say: ‘Watch out, Wout is going to make it too.’ And that’s what happened.”
It took Weghorst two minutes and a touch of the ball to give the Dutch a 2-1 lead. A difficult afternoon against Poland ended well for the Dutch and that is no coincidence.
Weghorst’s numbers at European Championships and World Championships are impressive. He had a total of eight shots on goal at a major tournament and four times it resulted in a goal. The goal against Poland was also his third in a row as a substitute, having previously scored against Canada and Iceland. In doing so, he commands respect from his teammates.
“It’s great what Wout is doing,” said Jerdy Schouten. “When he came into the locker room after the game, we all went and clapped for him.” Georginio Wijnaldum: “Wout has long since proven that finishing is his specialty. He does it every time.”
‘I always think of Wout’
Weghorst was already worth his weight in gold in qualifying. Both home and away, he scored the winning goal against Ireland. It therefore seemed only logical that Koeman let the 32-year-old striker come in when the Orange were heading for a draw against Poland on Sunday.
“I always think of Wout, because he has often been important for us in the past,” Koeman told the press conference in the Volksparkstadion. “With Wout, a different type comes in. Physically strong, aggressive. He brings adrenaline. We needed that energy.”
