NATIONS - Memphis Depay pivots Netherlands to qualify for Qatar 2022

17.11.2021 00:00 of D.B. TransferMarketWeb   see readings
NATIONS - Memphis Depay pivots Netherlands to qualify for Qatar 2022
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© photo Daniele Buffa/Image Sport

The Netherlands qualified for the World Cup for the first time after losing out on the previous edition due to two late goals.

They scored the goal with six minutes remaining after a sloppy Norway attempt to play out from the back was punished when Steven Bergwijn was fed on the right flank and blasted the ball high into the roof of the net.

Memphis then sealed the deal in injury time with a goal that insured Louis van Gaal's side would not be denied first place, which had been up for grabs only 15 minutes before.

The victory marks a victory for manager Louis van Gaal, who led the Netherlands to a third-place finish at the 2014 World Cup in his second stint in charge.

After breaking his hip when he fell off his bicycle on Sunday, he spent Tuesday's game in a wheelchair in the stands.

Norway hasn't qualified for a World Cup final since 1998 in France, and they haven't qualified for a European Championship since 2000.