Euro 2020: Impressive Czech Republic's stunning win over the Netherlands a pure delight

Patrik Schick scored his fourth goal of Euro 2020 as the Czech Republic beat a ten-man Netherlands to reach the quarter-finals.

Czech Republic beat a ten-man Netherlands outfit to reach the quarter-finals. (Image Credit: Twitter/@EURO2020)
By Arnab Mukherji | Jun 28, 2021 | 4 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Czech Republic had recorded only one clean sheet in their last eight international matches before the Euro 2020 Round of 16 encounter against the Netherlands. None of it mattered though as the Czechs helped knock out the European giants on the back of a performance for the ages. The Netherlands were unbeaten till the encounter, having recorded dominant wins against some strong teams. Many had labelled them as favourites to win the trophy following a brilliant start to the edition, with the team finishing as finalists in the maiden edition of the UEFA Nations League. Memphis Depay and Georginio Wijnaldum were delivering the goods when it mattered the most, emerging as leaders as evident in the 3-2 comeback against Ukraine.

However, the same team that had been hailed for playing total football, suddenly stumbled upon a complete collapse. While the signs were evident in the first half, the second half presented an opportunity to make amends. However, the dismissal of Matthijs de Ligt left the team completely rudderless, unravelling into a state of chaos and panic.

De Ligt’s sending off proves fatal for The Netherlands

The game-changer came in the 54th minute as the defender attempted to scramble having stumbled and slipped following a fine attack by Patrik Schick. De Ligt became frantic as he noted the control slipping away from him, going on to hook the ball with his arm.

While the defender initially believed that he could get away after a yellow card was flourished initially, the same was upgraded to a straight red following a VAR check. De Ligt was left with no choice but to walk off the pitch sadly, having been forced to fall back to a last resort following the clear goalscoring chance to Schick.

Czechs take full advantage of chaos following sending off

The Czechs took full advantage of the confusion among the opposition having been reduced to 10 men, looking to counter upon the sudden desire to defend desperately. The Dutch were rendered completely immobile, with the players unable to move upfield, make a pass or even regroup silently. This confusion was supremely apparent in the manner in which goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg fumbled a low cross just past his own post, which could have well resulted in the opener.

However, there was no solace in store as the Czechs duly scored, following a well-executed corner which saw Tomas Holes nod in the ball back across the six-yard box. Attacker Patrik Schick soon doubled the advantage, scoring his fourth goal in the ongoing edition. It would have never been possible if not for Holes who enjoyed a wonderful game. The midfielder played extremely deep in midfield, making the Czechs a five-man backline. He played a key role in helping the team emerge as far from passive, covering and tackling with zest before launching their own counters.

“Nullified Dutch game plan right from beginning”

Tomas Soucek further provided due support, negotiating the guile and capabilities of Frenkie de Jong astutely. As De Jong faded soon enough, the Netherlands players were left all at sea which reflected on the scoreline.

Kalas admitted that his team had prior plans to counter the Dutch game-plan.

“We nullified the Dutch game plan from working right from the beginning. They did not know how to play. We surprised them with our positive approach,” said the Czech Republic defender as quoted by UEFA’s official website.

Defender Pavel Kaderabek was making his debut in the ongoing edition of the Euros. However, he hailed the support of his Czech teammates for helping him calm down, indicating the spirit in the camp.

“I enjoyed my EURO debut a lot, it was my first game after a month and five days, it was not easy. My team-mates believed in me and supported me. I was nervous at first, but after ten minutes I calmed down and felt fine.”

The Netherlands fans were so moved by the performance of their opponents on the night, that they applauded the Czech players who were walking off the field. Czech Republic coach Jaroslav Silhavy duly noted this, stating that his players had goosebumps while walking out of the tunnel.

“Great honour if the opponents’ fans appreciate your performance”

“It is a great honour if the opponents’ fans appreciate your performance. We had goosebumps just we went out of the tunnel. We are really glad for everybody who travelled here to support us. I think the result speaks for itself. The changes in our starting line-up proved to be the right ones. All three new players showed why they are here with us and played an excellent game. It have to mention the performance of Tomas Vaclik who helped us with his marvellous save in the right moment. And Tomas Holes played a fantastic game, he contributed to both of the goals. I have to praise both of these players. I am really proud of my team. We have defeated a great opponent – all of my players were tactically excellent. I am glad we achieved it in front of so many of our fans,” said Silhavy.

“I always say, us Czechs, we are not made of individuals, we are built as a team. And then from this team, the individuals are made after. And today Tomas Holes managed to perform really well. We are proud of him and our team. I’m very proud. We were saying a long time ago that we have great chemistry and that we believe in ourselves to go far, and today we showed it. It’s a huge success and I believe that it’s not the end. We are happy that we believed inourselves, and thank you to those who did too,” read the reaction from captain Soucek.

Czech Republic will be seen taking on Denmark in the quarter-finals. One can very well expect them to deliver a stunning performance even against a strong team like the Danes possess.





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