Captain Virgil van Dijk wants to leave quickly after World Cup elimination: 'My thoughts are with them now'

"It's very difficult to analyze right now," Van Dijk immediately told NOS. "It was an intense match, and we defended well. They couldn't find their free man between the lines. Our game plan worked, and we scored a good goal. After that, we were pushed back. Unfortunately, we were eliminated on penalties." He agreed with the statement that these are the most terrible moments for a footballer.

The fact that the Dutch team played so defensively against Morocco was part of the plan. "If you look at all the big teams, they all drop deep. We trained well for it. Of course, there are always things that can be improved. I didn't think we were there yet. We were so close, but that doesn't count for anything now."

Morocco defender Diop scored the equalizer in injury time of regular play, forcing extra time and then a penalty shootout. The tension in Monterrey reached a peak. "We experienced it very intensely, and we trained so much for that too. And then you get knocked out... I want to get inside as quickly as possible to be with the guys who missed. My thoughts are with them right now."

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