Across the Netherlands, bleary-eyed fans dragged themselves out of bed in the small hours to watch Oranje crash out of the World Cup, beaten by Morocco on penalties in Monterrey after a 1-1 draw.
For the uninitiated, Oranje is the nickname of the Dutch national team, named after their famous orange kit.
And this is now the second time in three World Cups that they’ve gone out on penalties, so the heartbreak is becoming something of a tradition.
A nation up before dawn
The match kicked off in the dead of the Dutch night, which meant a lot of people set alarms, brewed coffee, and gathered round screens at an hour better suited to sleeping.
For all that effort, the reward was a slow, nervy game and the most painful way to lose. Cody Gakpo put the Dutch ahead in the second half, only for Morocco to equalise late through Issa Diop and force extra time.
Then came the shootout. Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber and Crysencio Summerville all failed to score, Ismael Saibari tucked away the decider for Morocco, and that was that: 3-2, and out, NOS reports.
A small mercy and a sad note
There is one tiny comfort. Because data agencies log a shootout exit as a draw, Oranje’s long unbeaten World Cup run technically survives.
Gakpo’s goal carried real weight, too. Earlier in the tournament, he and his girlfriend shared the heartbreaking news that they had lost their unborn son during the pregnancy, and the forward sank to the ground in tears as he celebrated.
Morocco, the better side on the night, now face hosts Canada in the round of 16 on Saturday.
So, was it worth the sleep you’ll never get back? Tell us how you watched this one, and whether you’d do it all again, in the comments.
