Netherlands Open-Play Goalscoring Troubles Emerge Under Koeman Ahead Of World Cup

Ronald Koeman warned that Netherlands must sharpen their finishing from open play, even after a 2-1 friendly win over Uzbekistan, as preparations for the World Cup continue and missed chances, rather than the result, remained the main focus for the head coach.

Recent friendlies underline Koeman’s concern. Netherlands lost 1-0 to Algeria without scoring, while a 1-1 draw with Ecuador in March came from an own goal. Across those three matches, Netherlands have found the net only through Cody Gakpo’s penalties and that deflected effort.

The latest match in Utrecht brought mixed signals. Gakpo converted two penalties for Netherlands, including a 98th-minute winner, after Igor Sergeev levelled two minutes into stoppage time. Netherlands played the closing stages with 10 players when Guus Til was dismissed on 87 minutes for denying a goalscoring chance, yet still closed out victory.

Netherlands produced 15 attempts against Uzbekistan and registered 4.6 expected goals, with that figure boosted by the two spot-kicks. However, only four efforts tested the goalkeeper. Koeman accepted that such wastefulness would be punished against stronger opposition at the World Cup, where margins are usually much smaller.

"We created a lot of chances, but in two matches we only scored twice from a penalty," he told ANP. "In these two matches, we should have scored at least three goals from open play. We won't get very far at the World Cup like this."

The coach pointed to missed opportunities in the first half against Uzbekistan as clear evidence. "We already had three big chances in the first half [against Uzbekistan]. [Crysencio] Summerville handling the ball poorly, [Donyell] Malen with that chance in front of the goal, and [Tijjani] Reijnders with that header. So, we are creating chances, but we are struggling to score goals."

There were also setbacks in defence and in goal. Before facing Uzbekistan, Netherlands confirmed Jurrien Timber would miss the World Cup with a groin injury. During the match, Bart Verbruggen left the pitch in the second half after a collision with Abdukodir Khusanov, having first tried to continue before Mark Flekken came on.

Koeman later explained the goalkeeper’s situation. "I think he had a problem with his hip. We will have to wait and see. He will be examined," Koeman added about Verbruggen. Netherlands now monitor Verbruggen’s condition while already planning without Timber for the tournament.

Netherlands open their World Cup campaign against Japan on June 14, then face Sweden and Tunisia in Group F. Koeman’s team carry questions over attacking efficiency and squad fitness into those fixtures, while recent performances show they are creating enough chances but still searching for reliable end product.