After Germany, Netherlands crashes out of the World Cup; loses 3-2 in penalties to Morocco

XtraTime Newsdesk: After Germany, Netherlands has crashed out of the World Cup on the same day. In a stunning upset, Morocco knocked out the Dutch 3-2 on penalties after the match ended 1-1 following 120 minutes of grueling football.

The shootout was a chaotic affair, with both sides missing a combined total of five penalties. When added to the day's earlier game, a staggering 10 penalties were missed on a single day which is a bizarre statistic that begs the question: has this ever happened before in World Cup history? The Netherlands looked completely flat throughout the match, and that lack of spark ultimately carried over into their poor shootout performance. On the other side, Morocco’s Ismael Saibari cemented his name in the history books; after scoring in all three group-stage games, he calmly stepped up to bury the final penalty and seal the historic win.

Despite the heartbreaking exit, the Dutch did extend one incredible record: they remain undefeated in regulation time at the World Cup since 2006. They went unbeaten in 90 minutes across the 2010, 2014, and 2022 tournaments, and only missed out in 2018 because they failed to qualify.

The match itself started well for the Netherlands when Cody Gakpo put them ahead. However, Morocco fought back late in the game, with Issa Diop converting a cross from Taibi to equalize. With neither team able to find a breakthrough in extra time, the fate of the match was left to spot-kicks.

Looking ahead, Morocco faces a relatively favorable matchup against Canada in the Round of 16. Barring a major upset, the 2022 semifinalists look well on their way to booking another spot in the quarterfinals