Rafael van der Vaart claims Depay acted like Messi. Rafael van der Vaart, a former playmaker for Real Madrid, compared Lionel Messi’s penalty predicament to that of Memphis Depay with the Netherlands.
The Oranje’s Euro 2024 qualification campaign got off to a terrible start on March 24 when they were defeated 4-0 by France. Depay’s timid penalty shot was easily saved by Mike Maignan in stoppage time of the second half, preventing him from scoring a consolation goal.
The Atletico Madrid forward also wasted the opportunity to score when Maignan’s shot rebounded after he tried an outrageous finish.
Van der Vaart, who represented the Netherlands from 2001 to 2013, stated to NOS, via Mundo Deportivo (h/t Football-Espana), after the game: “Of course he misses penalties, but it’s sad that there isn’t anyone else ready to take them. I feel the same way about Messi. Although he is the greatest athlete ever, he consistently misses penalties. Every time, he takes them, but no one ever says, “Let me take it.
“I don’t compare Memphis with Messi, but he’s a bit like our Messi,” Van der Vaart continued. Although he performed poorly against France, he is still our finest player. In the Netherlands, he would have encountered very different remarks if it had been Dirk Kuyt. When he performs poorly, he is instantly punished, and Memphis is always held responsible.
Depay moved from Barcelona to Atletico in January. With 43 goals in 87 games, Depay, 29, is second all-time in goals scored for the Netherlands. Only Robin van Persie (50), who is gone, has more.
One could argue that Rafael van der Vaart was reasonably correct when he said that Memphis Depay’s situation from the penalty spot was similar to Lionel Messi’s.
In his career, the former has missed 11 of the 43 penalties he has committed in regulation time, for a conversion percentage of 74.41%. Messi, on the other hand, has made 77.86% of his attempts from the penalty spot, scoring 109 goals for club and country while also missing 31 times.
The playmaker for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) missed one of his most noteworthy 12-yard attempts against Chile in the 2016 Copa America Centenario final. His side lost 4-2 on penalties as a result of missing their first penalty kick. (0-0 A.E.T).
When La Albiceleste defeated Brazil 1-0 in the championship game in 2021, the Argentine playmaker eventually brought home the Copa America trophy. In order to assist his team win the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he converted four penalties in the game’s remaining minutes.
When his side defeated the Netherlands on penalties in the quarterfinal (2-2 A.E.T.) in Qatar, the 35-year-old was also successful in the shootout.
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