The Dutch Threat
England will need to be on high alert to prevent Wout Weghorst from wreaking havoc in the Euro 2024 semifinal. Despite being widely known in England as a Manchester United flop, the towering striker has earned a reputation as the Netherlands’ savior at major tournaments. Weghorst has been called upon late in each of his country’s matches during the tournament, including scoring a dramatic winner against Poland in the group stage. His presence has posed a significant threat to opposing teams, and England will need to be prepared for his inevitable introduction, especially if the game remains tight late on.
Physical Battle Ahead
The Three Lions’ defenders must be ready for a physical battle. Weghorst has previously shown little fear in taking on the world’s best, even having a spat with Lionel Messi after the Dutch were knocked out by Argentina at the 2022 World Cup. The 31-year-old scored an equalizer 11 minutes into added time in that match, demonstrating his threat late in games, but was unable to prevent a defeat in a penalty shootout.
During post-match interviews, Messi turned to Weghorst, who was waiting behind the camera, and snapped: “Who are you looking at, stupid? Go ahead, you stupid.” Weghorst later called Messi’s behavior ‘disrespectful,’ insisting he only wanted to shake his hand.
Messi later expressed regret, saying, “I don’t like this picture. I don’t like what I did. There was a lot of tension, and it came out naturally. A lot had happened with this player and two others during the match. It came out naturally. I don’t like this image.”
Tactical Change
Weghorst brings chaos and a more direct approach for Ronald Koeman’s side in the latter stages of matches. Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton believes the Burnley man could be the deciding factor in the semifinal on Wednesday. “England need to beware the threat of Weghorst because he could ultimately be the striker who decides this showdown,” Sutton wrote in his Daily Mail column.
Sutton added, “I was at the Olympiastadion in Berlin and cannot emphasize enough how much Weghorst’s half-time substitution changed the complexion of that quarter-final between the Netherlands and Turkey. The Netherlands kept trying to play through the Turkish block with Memphis Depay as the center forward, but it wasn’t working. Kudos to Ronald Koeman because for the second half, he introduced Weghorst.”
Game-Changer
Weghorst’s introduction brought a direct line into the box, and suddenly Turkey’s big, rugged defenders were being bullied. “Suddenly, the Netherlands had Wout with the clout wreaking havoc. Weghorst tormented Turkey, but in truth, I suspect he won’t start against England in this semifinal as Koeman knows Gareth Southgate is unlikely to deploy a low block,” Sutton explained.
The Dutch might be renowned for their Total Football, but it is the old-fashioned center-forward who could end England’s hopes of winning Euro 2024.