Cody Gakpo has been the discovery of this World Cup for the Netherlands so far. The 23-year-old coach Louis van Gaal, who put him in an unpopular position, helped him along.
When it came to age, Louis van Gaal got a little confused. “Cody is a very young player, only 21 years old,” said the Bonds coach of his new star Cody Gakpo. Although the highly praised is already 23, but the core statement of Gaal is correct.
The professional from PSV Eindhoven doesn’t have a lot of experience yet – and yet he delighted the whole Netherlands with his goals at the World Cup. Oranje has scored five times so far, three times by Gakpo. Each time it was the lead, which makes the goals even more valuable.
“He’s doing very well, and not just because of the goals,” praised veteran Marten de Roon. However, Gakpo’s qualities are not new to him. “No, he’s playing a bit more attacking now than before, but we know his qualities so it’s no surprise for us.” And goalkeeper Andries Noppert said: “If you score three goals in three games, you are important.”
Gakpo is doing the job that was originally reserved for Memphis Depay. But the long-injured star of FC Barcelona is being built up carefully, playing for the first time in the 2-0 victory against Qatar that was enough to win the group.
Looking at Gakpo’s résumé only highlights his achievement even further. The lanky attacking player only played his eleventh international match against Qatar. The international experience at club level is not much bigger. 17 games in the Europa League, five in the Conference League and 12 in Champions League qualifiers.
Luckily for him, Gakpo had to be forced a bit by van Gaal. “He always played on the left side. He didn’t want to play number 10, but he has to with me. Now he thinks I’m a great coach,” said the Bonds coach, who emphasized again: “Cody has everything , what it takes to become a star. He’s very outgoing.”
Gakpo will now have to show just how good he really is in Saturday’s round of 16 against the USA. “Now comes the really important phase of the tournament,” emphasized van Gaal. He has already observed the upcoming opponent – and is impressed by the US boys. “They are fantastic,” said the 71-year-old. “Very smart and good on the ball.” But so is Gakpo.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
