After the Netherlands drew 2-2 with Greece in an away match during the third round of the UEFA Nations League A, Dutch defender Dumfries was interviewed by ESPN.

Did you feel it was a bit chaotic out there, even now?

Yeah, I can see you felt the same way. (laughs) It certainly wasn't... it was pretty loud and chaotic out there, yes.

You even went out there to say a few words to them beforehand.

The atmosphere was still very respectful. I think you're also trying to do post-match interviews, and it must feel bad if someone is shouting and disrupting the flow, right?

I think it was good that you spoke up. But getting back to the match itself: the performance wasn't always smooth and clean.

No, it was completely different from what we had planned. Our performance in the first half was well below standard, and those goals conceded should never have happened. I have to take responsibility for the first goal. Both Jurriën Timber and I are responsible. In that situation, there needs to be a mutual understanding and coordinated communication, but we didn't execute it properly—that's a clear mistake we shouldn't make.

Was it really a problem with coordinated defense? Were you too eager to press, or what was the reason?

No, it was actually the most basic defensive principle: one player pushes up to challenge and contest, and the other drops back to cover. In that moment, there was just a communication breakdown. We should never make such mistakes. But we all know this. The first half was completely below par, but fortunately we adjusted well in the second half.

Was part of the reason for the first-half performance also due to a lack of desire to win, or the "fighting spirit and passion" that everyone has been discussing this week?

I don't think so. I think everyone has a strong desire to win, and everyone's mentality and attitude are right. But in football, sometimes it's hard to explain why things turn out the way they do. Of course, you can always point out that we shouldn't make such mistakes.

This isn't the first time this has happened, is it?

It's certainly not the first time, but I think it happens to other national teams too. I'm certainly not trying to blame anyone else, I mean... this is football, and these kinds of things are unavoidable. Sometimes in the first half, you're always one step behind, and you can't help but think, "Damn it, the gaps in defense are getting bigger, and the opponent has already scored two goals." It's actually very difficult to turn the situation around immediately in the first half.

But you did turn it around in the second half. Was that also due to the substitutes coming on?

Of course, the substitutes brought a lot of energy, and we also made some tactical adjustments to our positioning and shape on the field. However, that doesn't mean the starting players performed badly in the first half—rather, our entire team as a whole had a poor performance in the first half. Fortunately, everyone had time to reflect calmly at halftime, and we were able to regroup in the second half. In the first half, you could clearly feel that the team couldn't reverse the momentum, and that feeling was really very uncomfortable. But as you saw, we responded very positively in the second half.

Have you ever experienced a situation where you scored two goals in a single match but neither was credited to you in the post-match statistics?

I think so. I don't remember when, but that first goal today definitely should have counted. I've discussed it with several people. The opposing player controlled the ball, which already constituted a new phase of play. The ball was completely under his control; he could have cleared it directly, but he didn't, and then I intercepted and scored. That was absolutely a legitimate goal, and it was too harsh that it was disallowed.

Yes, that's what the rules state, and I just verified specifically: if a player in an offside position—which was you in this attack—receives possession after the opponent deliberately plays the ball, then the offside advantage no longer applies. And the opponent at that moment controlled the ball and took a step, which clearly indicates intentional play.

Exactly! So it was a perfectly valid goal, right?

Yes, it was.

See, that's what I thought too. But that Italian referee at the time... I even tried to argue with him in Italian, but he said...

What did he say?

He said it was a newly introduced rule. But I told him: "The opposing player clearly controlled the ball, it was entirely up to him what to do with it; he could have kicked it however he wanted. He didn't handle it well himself, I intercepted and scored, and that is absolutely a 100% valid goal." But the goal was disallowed anyway, and I can only accept it...

And the second goal?

I think I was definitely in an offside position on the second goal. Offside is offside, but...

But you protested vigorously with your index finger extended!

Because I wanted him to remember the decision to disallow my first goal! On the pitch, you always have to try to... you always want to influence the referee's decision a bit. But honestly, the first goal was definitely not offside, and the second goal was.

The final result was 2-2. A terrible first half, a better second half. Is there another match to come?

Yes, we definitely have to give it everything. Our objective, of course, is to win the next match. It feels great to play at home in Eindhoven. We need to show that the poor first-half performance was just an accidental slip-up, and we've learned from it.

So the main objective going forward is to show that this was just an anomaly?

Exactly, yes, absolutely.

Traducido por IA.

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