Louis van Gaal confirmed at his press conference on Monday that Vincent Janssen would start Netherlands clash with Wales on Tuesday. The Oranje boss explained why the Monterrey striker had been selected.

The striker last played an international match back in 2017 and has been playing in Mexico for the past few years. His selection came as a surprise to many, but Janssen will get the chance to prove himself on Tuesday when Netherlands host Wales.

Van Gaal told his press conference, “I am looking for a point of contact. Memphis and Bergwijn are not the points of contact as I normally use them.

“They are different types, it is also the reason that I play with two strikers. If we possibly return to 1-4-3-3, I must have such a striker. That’s what I’m looking for. Janssen has shown in his last matches at Monterrey that he is a point of contact and scores easily. He didn’t do that before, I know that, that has been widely reported. But it is about whether he fits into my vision. Then he will get a chance, that is this match. He is going to play.”

Asked how he thought the international period was going, Van Gaal said, “I think it’s going very well, but that’s up to the group. The group is very close and the new guys are also very well received. Every match is a match in itself, with an opponent who harbors qualities. That must be read by the player group. This provides learning moments for the group that is playing. Sometimes it goes better than others. I hope that we will at least continue along this line; keep winning and carry out the lessons. How to put pressure on and how to score a goal offensively, for example.”

Looking ahead to September, Van Gaal was asked if he would like his definite World Cup squad for that period and he responded, “Almost. I explained that to the players again this morning. However, the word almost is strongly underlined.”




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