Late Dumfries goal snatches point for 10-man Netherlands against Hungary
The visitors immediately took control of the ball and tried to assert their authority on the game, but they were frustrated by a succession of fouls from the Hungarians as the game threatened to bubble over.
Despite the Netherlands’ early dominance, it was the hosts who came closest to opening the scoring with their first real attack of the game when Roland Sallai was found at the edge of the area from a corner, but his curling effort smacked the outside of the post.
Sallai continued to be a thorn in the side of the Dutch, and he pounced to open the scoring just after the half-hour mark. Zsolt Nagy showed his pace to break free on the left and his deep cross found the Galatasaray forward all alone at the back post to lash home from close range.
A bizarre mix-up from a Hungary goal-kick allowed the Netherlands the chance of an indirect free-kick from 10 yards out just before the break, but Cody Gakpo was denied as his powerful effort couldn’t find its way through the mass of Hungarian bodies on the goal line.
Ronald Koeman’s needed an improvement after the break, and the Oranje responded by increasing the tempo after the break as they looked to force an equaliser, but Denzel Dumfries’ cross just evaded the outstretched leg of Joshua Zirkzee for what would have been a tap-in.
Substitute Brian Brobbey had a great chance to level with 10 minutes to go when he headed wide, before captain Virgil van Dijk picked up two quick-fire bookings and was duly sent off as the Dutch started to lose their discipline.
Despite that, the visitors did find an equaliser on 83 minutes when Dumfries showed great desire to thump home a header from Gakpo’s free-kick to silence the crowd.
The draw leaves Hungary in third in Group A3, some three points behind the Netherlands, who trail Germany by two points at the summit, denting the Oranje’s chances of topping their UNL group for the third time in four editions.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Denzel Dumfries (Netherlands)
