UEFA Nations League: Dutch topple World Cup champion France, Germany relegated
- by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, Nov 17, 2018
The result relegated Germany, last in the three-team group, to the second-tier of the new competition. The winners in League A's four groups will meet in June for the Nations League title. The bottom four teams will be relegated to League A, and the top four teams in League B will be promoted. Promotion and relegation will move teams up and down in the other two tiers as well.
The final standings will be used seed teams into Euro 2020 qualifying and provide opportunities for teams that don't qualify for Euro 2020 to get a second chance via a complex playoff system.
The Dutch have not yet clinched a berth in the final four. They need to beat or tie Germany Monday in Gelsenkirchen to win League A.
The Netherlands got a first-half goal from Georginio Wijnaldum and a penalty kick -- via a Panenka -- from Memphis Depay in the sixth minute of stoppage time to end a five-game losing streak against France.
France, whose last defeat was 3-2 to Colombia in a friendly played in March, was never in the game. But for keeper Hugo Lloris, who made nine saves, the defeat would have been much harsher.
This is what happens to a team that relies only on speed and counterattacking soccer, playing against a team that relies on ball possession, control and makes little or no mistakes. France is a much overrated team that has little ability playing in small spaces. That it won WC18, says more how far the level of soccer has gone down when a team limited in ability can win.