Dutch captain Van Dijk snaps back after Van Basten jibe
DOHA: Netherlands World Cup captain Virgil van Dijk hit back at stiff criticism from Dutch great Marco van Basten, retorting: “I don’t think he’s ever positive.” A World Cup draw against Ecuador on Friday was not a result the Netherlands were looking for, with the 1-1 outcome meaning Louis van Gaal’s team missed a chance to nail down a last16 place with a game to spare.
Late goals earned them victory over Senegal on matchday one, and the Dutch should have no trouble in getting a point against eliminated hosts Qatar next Tuesday to make sure of a spot in the knock-out rounds.
But letting Cody Gakpo’s sixth-minute opener against Ecuador be cancelled out by Enner Valencia’s leveller early in the second half left former striker Van Basten unimpressed, particularly with the Oranje skipper.