Amsterdam’s Nations League evening ended level at 1-1, but the final whistle did not entirely settle the argument between the Netherlands and Germany. Denzel Dumfries, the Real Madrid full-back, took issue with Joshua Kimmich’s role in Germany’s opening goal after Brian Brobbey had gone down injured during the move.
The Dutch side appeared to expect play to stop. Dumfries said the player on Germany’s left looked towards Brobbey as though he might put the ball out, only to move it on to Kimmich instead. Germany continued and scored for 0-1.
“Kimmich is a world-class player, but we know the kind of player he is,” Dumfries said. “He kept the move going. We cannot allow that to happen to us. They are things we should perhaps be doing ourselves too.”
A conversation after the contest
Dumfries went to speak with the Bayern Munich midfielder after the match, though he admitted the incident still felt short of sporting courtesy. “Of course I spoke to him,” he explained. “You are left with the feeling that it was not polite, but perhaps that is exactly what makes the difference.”
There was a warmer note in Dumfries’ assessment of Xavi, who took charge of the Netherlands for the first time in Amsterdam. The defender believes the new influence was already visible in the Dutch performance, particularly in the side’s appetite for challenges and its movement with the ball.
“There is more fight and more one-against-one duels,” Dumfries said. “I also think our possession has become more dynamic.”
