Cody Gakpo wants to make sure he’s on any list of breakout young stars at this World Cup.
The PSV attacker scored what turned out to be the game-winner for the Netherlands in their 2-0 victory over Senegal, heading a chipped pass from Frenkie de Jong home in the 84th minute.
Things weren’t going as smoothly as Louis van Gaal had planned, with a potent Senegal team creating their fair share of chances (and in fact, out-shooting the Dutch 15-10 on the night). A draw wouldn’t have been a disaster, but it would have made things far more stressful in their next match against group-leading Ecuador.
That was Gakpo’s cue. With de Jong looking for options and most Dutch attackers stagnant and marked up well by Senegal, Gakpo made eye contact and slashed in from the right half-space. De Jong’s lob was right on the money: just close enough to draw goalkeeper Édouard Mendy off his line, but into a space where Gakpo could arrive first to break the deadlock.
It’s the latest big moment for Gakpo, who drew intense transfer interest this summer from Manchester United, Leeds, and other clubs around Europe only to end up sticking with PSV. The 23-year-old debuted at PSV at 18, but really started to catch the eye in the 2019-2020 season, producing seven goals and seven assists in the Eredivisie.
Since then, Gakpo has scored 36 goals in all competitions, an excellent record for a midfielder/winger with just over 100 appearances for PSV. And now with this World Cup goal, the spotlight — and winter transfer interest — will likely keep growing.
Watch Gakpo give the Netherlands a World Cup win
NETHERLANDS TAKES THE LEAD 🇳🇱
Sponsored by @walmart #WalmartPlus pic.twitter.com/WFOmRvp9fr
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 21, 2022
[lawrence-related id=6135,10024,8525]