Netherlands 2-1 Uzbekistan: Gakpo keeps Koeman’s build-up intact
Netherlands edged Uzbekistan 2-1 last night and Ronald Koeman will cling to Cody Gakpo’s composure more than the scoreline. Two penalties converted by the Liverpool forward, in the 32nd minute and again in the 90+8th minute, rescued a laboured friendly in New York City and masked a disjointed finale that saw the Oranje finish with ten men.
Koeman persisted with a 4-3-3 built on Frenkie de Jong, Ryan Gravenberch and Tijjani Reijnders. Control was never the issue. With 65 percent of the ball and 547 passes, Netherlands moved Uzbekistan from side to side, yet the first real incision came when Jan Paul van Hecke stepped into midfield and drew the contact that gave Gakpo his initial penalty. The forward duly sent Utkir Yusupov the wrong way.
Koeman shuffled the pack after the interval. Brian Brobbey replaced Donyell Malen in the 65th minute to pin Uzbek defenders deeper, only for the momentum to sag when Mark Flekken was introduced for Bart Verbruggen two minutes later. Rustam Ashurmatov’s booking in the 67th minute and Crysencio Summerville’s caution eight minutes later reflected the spike in tempo rather than any sustained Dutch threat.
Fabio Cannavaro triggered his own swing at the 54th minute through Dostonbek Khamdamov and then the double change on 77 minutes, Jamshid Iskandarov and Igor Sergeev on for Abbosbek Fayzullaev and Eldor Shomurodov. Uzbekistan suddenly looked direct. A VAR review at the 85th minute even flirted with a penalty for the visitors before being cancelled, a warning that became reality once Guus Til, on since the 72nd minute, handled in the area and was sent off in the 87th minute.
With Netherlands reduced to ten, Sergeev levelled in the 90+2nd minute, the only shot on target Uzbekistan produced all evening. Koeman’s side, rattled, survived only because Summerville drove inside deep into stoppage time, drew the decisive contact and earned Gakpo that second penalty. The forward kept his nerve again, restoring the lead at the 90+8th minute.
Understand Koeman wants these games to cement automatisms; instead he departs with a goalkeeper to assess, a suspended midfielder and questions over late-game structure. Cannavaro, meanwhile, can point to disciplined shape and sharp substitutions that disrupted a far richer opponent.
Tactical Insight
Koeman’s 4-3-3 distributed responsibility evenly, but the lack of pace from de Jong and Reijnders in the half-spaces left Gakpo often drifting wide to create. When he vacated the centre, Malen failed to attack the penalty spot and Brobbey’s brief cameo could not repair that. Uzbekistan’s 3-4-3 out of possession morphed into a compact 5-4-1, suffocating crosses and forcing Netherlands to play around the block rather than through it. Van Hecke’s surge for the first penalty and Summerville’s late duel with Abdukodir Khusanov for the second underlined the need for more penetration from deep.
Key Numbers
- Shots: Netherlands 15, Uzbekistan 8
- On target: Netherlands 4, Uzbekistan 1
- Possession: Netherlands 65 percent, Uzbekistan 35 percent
- Pass accuracy: Netherlands 90 percent, Uzbekistan 78 percent
- Cards: Rustam Ashurmatov yellow 67', Crysencio Summerville yellow 75', Guus Til red 87'
- Substitutions: Dostonbek Khamdamov for Oston Urunov 54', Brian Brobbey for Donyell Malen 65', Mark Flekken for Bart Verbruggen 67', Guus Til for Frenkie de Jong 72', Jamshid Iskandarov for Abbosbek Fayzullaev 77', Igor Sergeev for Eldor Shomurodov 77'
Koeman’s staff now pivot to the final World Cup warm-up later this week, hunting for cleaner combinations and an XI that can control endings instead of surviving them. Cannavaro carries a disciplined template into Asian qualifying and will fancy their chances if Sergeev and Fayzullaev maintain this edge. For more from this international window, keep an eye on France vs Northern Ireland and Peru vs Spain.
