The Netherlands lost to Morocco in a penalty shootout in the FIFA World Cup round of 16, and Van Dijk gave a post-match interview.

On the match

It's definitely difficult to analyze this match now, but it was a very intense game. I think we did well in our defensive positioning; they basically couldn't find space to operate between our defensive lines, so our game plan generally worked. I think we scored a good goal. In the end, during stoppage time, we were pushed back, and the match went to a penalty shootout. Unfortunately, we were ultimately eliminated.

I saw you take a few deep breaths. Is this the toughest moment for a player?

Yes.

You just said the game plan worked. Does the whole team endorse this style of play? Do you think it was the right choice?

Of course. If you look at almost all the strong teams in the FIFA World Cup, they also choose to sit back defensively and wait for the right moment to press. We prepared for this for two days. I think the overall preparation was good. Of course, there are always some things that could have been done better, but there's no point talking about that now.

As the game neared its end, did you feel like you were very close to advancing?

Not really.

But it was indeed very close.

But that no longer matters.

Next was the penalty shootout. Everyone said you had practiced penalties a lot, and Verbruggen made some good saves. How did you experience all of this at the center circle?

It was certainly very tough. As you said, we did practice a lot and spent a lot of time on penalty training, but we were ultimately eliminated.

What can you do now for your teammates who missed their penalties?

Right now, I just want to get back to the locker room as soon as possible and be with my teammates. That's my only thought right now.

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