GUADALUPE, Mexico (AP) – Ismael Saibari scored the winning goal in the penalty shootout and Morocco put the Netherlands ahead in the early going. world cup After a 1-1 draw on Monday night, they were sent off after beating the Netherlands 3-2.
After four rounds, the penalty shootout was tied at 2-all, with Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Benaud making a powerful save to deflect Crisencio Somerville’s shot with his left hand. Then Saibari sent the winner into the bottom left corner Goalkeeper Bert Verbruggen went the other way. The midfielder took off his shirt and let out a scream of joy as his team-mates massaged him.
The Netherlands have reached at least the round of 16 in the past 11 World Cups, including a quarter-final appearance in Qatar four years ago, when Morocco reached the semi-finals. In this year’s expanded tournament, 32 teams advanced to the finals for the first time.
Morocco will play Canada in the round of 16 on Saturday in Houston.
In the second round of the penalty shootout, with Morocco leading 1-0, Verbruggen appeared to have blocked Sufjan Rahimi’s shot, but the goalkeeper was unable to secure the ball and deflected it over the line with the back of his foot.
Kodi Gakpo scored a goal for the Netherlands in the 72nd minute. After the goal, assisted by Somerville, the Dutch bench ran onto the field and hugged the 27-year-old, who broke down in tears. Gakpo and her partner Noa van der Vij recently announced that they had lost their unborn child.
Morocco’s Issa Diop scored the equalizer in the 91st minute. Kemzuddin Talbi sent a looping cross into the box from about 28 yards on the left. Connect with Diop for a clean header Verbruggen had no chance to stop it.
Neither team was able to create any chances in the 30 minutes of extra time at Estadio BBVA.
This was the second game of the tournament that was decided in a penalty shootout. Paraguay defeated Germany in a penalty shootout early Monday.
The team entered the round of 32 matches with the highest overall ranking. Morocco was ranked 6th in the world, and the Netherlands ranked 7th.
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Ethan Wilcox is a student at the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
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