In the second round of the UEFA Nations League A, the Netherlands defeated Serbia 2-1 away from home, securing Xavi's first win as head coach of the Dutch national team. After the match, Xavi attended a press conference to answer media questions.

Hello coach, and congratulations on the victory. Do you think today's match was similar to last Thursday's – with a much better second half than the first?

Yes, I completely agree. I felt we controlled the game much better in the second half. We understood the tactical intention to attack space at the right moment. That's why today we pushed Reijnders further forward, alongside Gravenberch, and had Summerville inside and Dumfries overlapping on the wing, to create space for our other teammates. We need to understand that we must attack space more effectively at the right time. We stretched the pitch and created chances, but the process is certainly difficult; playing away in matches like this is always very challenging. But at least in the second half, we showed a very good side, while the first half was somewhat lacking. We need to move the ball faster from one side to the other, but attacking a deep defensive block like that is always very difficult.

One thing I personally admired in the final stages of the match was that the team continuously pressed the ball, with everyone actively pressing forward rather than dropping back to defend. Was this a pre-match objective?

Yes, at halftime, I emphasized to the players that even when ahead, we must maintain possession and continue to fight for the next goal; this is our tactical style. Perhaps this is different from before, I'm not sure, but it is indeed my coaching philosophy. We need to control the ball at the right moment and maintain high pressure for the full 90 minutes. So yes, this may require a change in our mentality because we need to control possession. We performed very well in the latter part of the match, bringing on Jurriën (Timber) and Quinten (Timber), fresh players with plenty of energy, and also Guus (Til), who performed brilliantly coming off the bench. Many players performed very well individually. But yes, we still need more possession and more patience, but I am certainly very satisfied.

Xavi, congratulations. How do you evaluate the performances of Joey Veerman and Malen, who scored his first two goals for the national team?

Joey is a very crucial player today because he controlled the tempo of the game, didn't lose the ball easily, moved the ball smoothly from one side of the pitch to the other, and provided penetrating passes to the attacking midfielders. Yes, he did a very good job, showing world-class performance as a defensive midfielder and providing great tactical support to his teammates. As for Malen, I'm very happy for him, not only because he scored two goals but also because of his sacrifice and great contribution to the team. He is an initiator of the high press, putting in all his effort to win second balls. I'm very pleased for him; both goals are truly well-deserved.

Was he originally the first-choice penalty taker?

Cody Gakpo was originally the first choice. Yes, but he's injured, so the second choice is Malen.

Is his injury serious?

I don't think it's serious. It's an ankle issue. I don't have the test results yet, but we'll know tomorrow. Hopefully it's nothing serious.

Would you say that a new generation of players stood out this week?

The new generation refers to Ruben (van Bommel), Malen (Meerdink)... Is Joey (Veerman) also part of the new generation?

Reporter: No, not typically, but perhaps in some ways.

Summerville is very important to us because, you know, he works tirelessly for the team, constantly running into empty space, creating scoring opportunities, and winning that penalty. So he is a top player. I'm also pleased for Ruben and Malen; as newcomers to the squad, they showed strong character. I'm very satisfied and very appreciative of the spirit demonstrated by the entire team – the fighting spirit and mentality. We are building a cohesive team, and of course, in many phases of the game, we need to play better, but we are still in this gradual development process.

Hi Xavi, congratulations on your first win as national team coach. What positive experiences or takeaways did you see tonight that you didn't see in the match against Germany?

In terms of spirit and fighting mentality, I think that was consistent, which is reassuring. However, tactically, we really need to attack space decisively at the right moment. Our high press, mid-block defense, and defensive line coordination also need to improve, but that's fine, it's just a matter of time.

Judging purely on quality of play, was tonight's match better, or was the performance against Germany more impressive?

Overall very similar, just with different patterns of play. Today we had more possession, facing a team defending with a deep block. The situation against Germany was completely different, although the second half of that match was somewhat similar to today. But overall, I'm very satisfied.

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