DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Three wins from the title that has eluded the Netherlands, Louis van Gaal has crammed his World Cup with hugs, kisses and dancing.Main his nation for the third time at age 71, he’s the match’s oldest coach. He additionally will be the most dapper, pacing the sideline in a neon orange tie, darkish enterprise swimsuit and gown footwear.Van Gaal has the Dutch on a 19-game unbeaten streak going into Friday’s quarterfinal towards Lionel Messi and Argentina. Often known as the Iron Tulip, he has entertained off the sphere as a lot as his gamers have on the pitch.Van Gaal responded to reward from a Senegalese reporter 25 minutes right into a information convention with an excited: “Oh, I can hug you. I’ll provide you with an enormous, fats hug later,” in accordance with his translator.And after the information convention, LVG did simply that, beckoning for Papa Mahmoud Gueye to satisfy him together with stage, then wrapping his arms across the 28-year-old and giving him eight pats on the again adopted by a faucet on the face.Just a few days later, Van Gaal puckered up. He was seated subsequent to Denzel Dumfries, who scored one objective and assisted on two others within the 3-1 win over the US that put the Dutch within the quarterfinals. A reporter from Aruba requested Van Gaal how proud he was of the defender, who has an Aruban father.“Yesterday or a day earlier than yesterday, I gave him an enormous fats kiss. I’m going to offer him one other large fats kiss so all people can see,” the coach mentioned. He leaned over, put an arm across the participant and positioned a smack close to Dumfries’ proper ear.A short time later, Van Gaal adopted his gamers on a jubilant dance line whereas arriving on the St. Regis Doha. Fairly totally different from his demeanor after the 2-0 win over host Qatar, when a Dutch reporter informed him the end result wasn’t sufficient.“After all, you can provide your opinion. I don’t agree with you and I’m not going to increase on that as a result of I feel that you’ve got a special perspective on soccer than I’ve,” Van Gaal mentioned. “So why don’t you write that down, that you simply suppose it’s terribly boring, that you simply’re going residence tomorrow since you couldn’t care much less?”Forward of the U.S. match, he described criticism as a continuing.“If I’ve to consider the Dutch media, we’ll by no means grow to be world champion,” Van Gaal mentioned. “In 2014, it was precisely the identical. Extraordinarily adverse. Now it’s the identical yet again. I’m used to it, and I feel my gamers are used to it, so we are going to calmly transfer on.”Then he added playfully in English: “Possibly you may take now an image after this declaration.”He smiled and mentioned: “Cheese.”Van Gaal has coached Ajax, Barcelona, AZ Alkmaar, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, profitable seven league titles, however he’s in search of his first nationwide workforce championship.Mindset is as important as techniques.“He offers us quite a lot of confidence, quite a lot of readability. Everyone is aware of what he must do,” Dumfries mentioned. “He retains us on our toes and he frankly tells us what must be improved.”Sitting subsequent to the participant, Van Gaal shortly interjected with a large smile: “It’s not for nothing that we introduced Denzel alongside.”Van Gaal took over the Oranje for the primary time in 2000 and give up two years later after they didn’t qualify for the 2002 World Cup. He returned in 2012 and coached them on the 2014 World Cup, the place Argentina beat the Netherlands on penalty kicks within the semifinals. The Dutch took third with a 3-0 victory over host Brazil, after which he give up for the second time.Employed in August 2021 to interchange Frank de Boer, Van Gaal made the controversial name to offer 28-year-old goalkeeper Andries Noppert his nationwide workforce debut within the workforce’s World Cup opener towards Senegal.“For me what makes it particular when you’re supervisor or coach is that additionally the gamers who don’t play, you will get feeling and to maintain combating for a spot in that squad,” Noppert mentioned. “It’s not simple to not play video games and to maintain the 100% focus.”The Netherlands has the excellence of taking part in in probably the most World Cup finals with out profitable, a wound within the psyche of the Dutch fan base.“We are able to grow to be world champions — not that we are going to grow to be world champions,” Van Gaal mentioned. “We are able to grow to be world champions.”___AP World Cup protection: https://Fifanews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Van Gaal’s World Cup with Dutch has hugs, kisses and dancing
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