Morocco beat the Netherlands in a penalty shootout Monday night after a 1-1 draw at Estadio BBVA, with Ismael Saibari scoring the decisive kick and Yassine Bounou stopping Crysencio Summerville's attempt. The result sent Morocco into the Round of 16 and ended the Netherlands' World Cup run at the earliest stage in the country's history.
Cody Gakpo had put the Netherlands ahead in the 72nd minute, then broke down in tears after the goal as the match still slipped away. Morocco answered in the 91st minute when Issa Diop headed in a long cross from Chemsdine Talbi, turning a defeat into a chase that never really loosened its grip. By the time the shootout reached 2-all after four rounds, the match had become a test of nerve as much as skill.
That is why the final minutes carried so much weight. Soufiane Rahimi found himself one-on-one with Bart Verbruggen in the 97th minute of extra time and could not finish, with Verbruggen getting a hand to the shot. It was the sort of chance that usually settles a game between teams ranked sixth and seventh in the world, and the Netherlands had entered with the highest combined ranking of any Round of 32 match, but Morocco kept forcing the match into moments the favorite could not control.
The loss was all the more stark because the Netherlands had reached at least the Round of 16 in eight previous World Cup appearances and had been one of last year's semifinalists. Morocco, which reached the semifinals four years ago, has now turned a tight, bruising night into another step forward. It will face Canada in the Round of 16 on Saturday in Houston, with the question now not whether Morocco can survive a knockout game, but how far this side can keep pushing.
