Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Netherlands1 - 2England

sportsmole.co.uk, 11 July 2024, 07:59
Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman claimed that the penalty Harry Kane won and scored in their Euro 2024 semi-final was an example of a VAR decision that 'destroys' football.

Oranje were denied a repeat of the 2010 World Cup final against Spain courtesy of a gut-wrenching 2-1 defeat to England at the Signal Iduna Park, where the Dutch went ahead through a brilliant Xavi Simons strike.

However, England reacted well to going a goal down and were level just 11 minutes after Simons's thunderbolt, as Kane's perfect penalty found the bottom corner despite the best efforts of Bart Verbruggen.

Debate raged over whether Gareth Southgate's men should have been awarded the spot kick, though, as referee Felix Zwayer initially waved away the appeals after Denzel Dumfries caught Kane's boot as the Bayern Munich man volleyed over the bar.

Zwayer was sent to the pitchside monitor to review the decision, though, and the on-field referee ultimately pointed to the spot, much to the bewilderment of the Netherlands as Dumfries picked up a yellow card.

Virgil van Dijk echoes Koeman penalty sentiment

Kane's spot kick preceded a breathtaking 90th-minute winner from Ollie Watkins after a second half where the Netherlands were arguably the better team, and Koeman unsurprisingly raged at Zwayer's decision to point to the penalty spot in the first half.

"What do you do as a defender? This is not a penalty. Dumfries wanted to block the ball. Then the shoes collide. Such VAR decisions destroy football," the Dutchman said in his post-game press conference.

Koeman's words were echoed by captain Virgil van Dijk, who revealed that Zwayer made a dart for the tunnel rather than sticking around to shake his hand, which the Liverpool man thought was rather telling.

"The referee ran back inside straight after the full-time whistle, that says a lot. I had no time to shake his hand. But it is what it is, the game is done, we lost, certain moments were obvious that they should have gone our way, but they didn't, whatever the outcome," Van Dijk added.

Ex-England and Manchester United right-back Gary Neville sympathised with Oranje's frustrations, claiming that the award of the spot kick was a "disgrace" while doing punditry duties for ITV Sport, saying: "At any time, in a game of such importance, I was fuming by the Denmark one [a handball against Germany], I was offended.

Kane jokes 'my boot was hanging off' after Dumfries foul

"It's natural to block the shot, it's not a penalty, nowhere near a penalty. We're all going mad, we don't know what a penalty is. We've conditioned ourselves in the game to think that's a penalty.

"Honestly, that is not a penalty. I think in the box, there's a bit of licence to go in and block the shot. As a defender I think it's a disgrace."

However, England skipper Kane - who was rolling about in agony after Dumfries's challenge - joked that the Inter Milan right-back had taken his foot off and happily accepted the rub of the green.

"My foot's hanging off so he definitely caught me. Sometimes you get them sometimes you don't. I was happy to step up and see that go in the back of he net. It was a nice feeling for sure," Kane told the media.

England now have three full days to recover before heading to the Olympiastadion in Berlin to meet Spain in Sunday's Euro 2024 final.

Top News

22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea star Cole Palmer will be bidding to add to an incredible Premier League record when he lines up against Leicester City on Saturday afternoon. 22 November 2024 talksport.com The Premier League is back and that can only mean one thing. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Manchester City are confident of agreeing a lucrative new contract with Erling Haaland after Pep Guardiola agreed to stay, talkSPORT understands. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid will be aiming to build on their impressive win over Osasuna before the international break when they resume their domestic campaign with a clash against Leganes on Sunday evening. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool manager Arne Slot has delivered a mixed injury update ahead of the Reds' imminent showdowns with Southampton in the Premier League and Real Madrid in the Champions League. 22 November 2024 talksport.com The January transfer window is an opportunity for teams to fix their summer spending on the cheap, or in these cases, for free. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Kai Havertz may have transformed himself at Arsenal - but he's not on the level of his Premier League rivals. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea defender Reece James has suggested that he is remaining upbeat over his latest hamstring injury. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Mohamed Salah is one of the world's best players and he has become one of the top five Liverpool goalscorers ever. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Phil Foden is a superstar for Manchester City, but he still opts to wear an unconventional number at his boyhood club. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The latest instalment of the Basque derby will take place at San Mames on Sunday night, with Athletic Bilbao welcoming rivals Real Sociedad for what should be a highly-charged affair. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa will be looking to extend a Premier League feat when they face Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Having entered the international break with a run of three straight defeats, both Torino and Monza will try to stop the rot on Sunday, when they lock horns in Turin. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Third kits in the Premier League have caught the eye this season and you will certainly notice a unique difference from typical strips… 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal's Premier League home clash with Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon is their "biggest game of the season" so far, according to Gunners expert Charles Watts. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Sevilla will attempt to bounce back from successive defeats in La Liga when they continue their campaign with a fixture against Rayo Vallecano at Estadio Ramon on Sunday afternoon. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool will endeavour to maintain or increase their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table when they pit their wits against Southampton on Sunday at St Mary's. 22 November 2024 talksport.com There can't be many things better for a football fan than to see your side score within the first minute of a game. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fifth will welcome fourth in an intriguing La Liga contest on Sunday afternoon, with Villarreal making the trip to El Sadar Stadium to tackle Osasuna. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Jose Mourinho once confirmed he received an offer from the FA to become England manager after leaving his first spell as Chelsea boss. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Newcastle have the chance to close in on the Premier League's top four on Monday when they host West Ham, live on talkSPORT. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Separated by 19 places and 24 points in the Premier League table, Southampton and Liverpool cross paths in Sunday's Premier League showdown at St Mary's Stadium. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is expecting to be without Trent Alexander-Arnold for Sunday's Premier League bout with Southampton at St Mary's. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid will be aiming to make it successive victories in La Liga when they resume their campaign with a clash against Leganes on Sunday evening. 22 November 2024 talksport.com The Premier League has been treated to the talents of some of the best African footballers of all time over the years. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Southampton head coach Russell Martin will be forced into at least two changes for Sunday's Premier League clash with leaders Liverpool at St Mary's. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Manchester City face another legal dispute with the Premier League after amendments to top-flight sponsorship rules were voted through. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to continue their sensational unbeaten streak, Lille will welcome a struggling Rennes outfit to Decathlon Arena on Sunday afternoon for a Ligue 1 clash. 22 November 2024 talksport.com If Micah Richards had a glimmer of hope he would replace Gary Lineker as Match of the Day host, he is sorely mistaken. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Pedro Porro's agent is reportedly 'convinced' that Ruben Amorim will attempt to bring the Tottenham Hotspur defender to Manchester United following his arrival at Old Trafford.