World Cup: Netherlands coach explains Corinthians striker benching | OneFootball

At the start of the afternoon this Saturday (20), the Netherlands national team took the field at NRG Stadium in Houston, United States, to face Sweden in the second round of the 2026 World Cup group stage, and won 5-1. The result put the ‘Clockwork Orange’ at the top of Group F with four points — seven goals scored and three conceded.

In a press conference after the match, Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman was once again asked about Corinthians forward Memphis Depay and explained why the No. 10 has started both World Cup matches so far on the bench. During his answer, he admitted the player’s importance to the team, but pointed out that he is currently an option to come on during the match.

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“His speed, the way he goes back and forth between attack and defense, all of that makes me a fan of him. That’s why, today, Memphis is a substitute. And he accepts his role well. We’ve been talking; I spoke about the issue of his physical condition and he is cooperating,” he said.

In this afternoon’s match, Memphis Depay was brought on by the coach in the 27th minute of the second half to replace positional rival Brian Brobbey, who scored in the game. In this way, Memphis was on the field for 18 minutes (not counting stoppage time) and still provided an assist in added time.

Memphis Depay played Summerville through with pace, and he struck from outside the box to score the Netherlands’ fifth and final goal of the match. According to data from Sofascore, a sports statistics app, he received a rating of 6.6. Overall, he recorded: 4/5 accurate passes (80%), 1/1 accurate long balls (100%), one key pass, one carry, one foul suffered, eight touches, and won 1/3 ground duels.

In the 2-2 draw against Japan in the World Cup opener, the Dutchman was on the pitch for 20 minutes but did not have an active performance. Just a few minutes after coming off the bench, he received a yellow card.

It is worth remembering that Corinthians’ No. 10 is having a season below expectations. In 14 matches for Timão in 2026, he has one goal and one assist. Between late March and the end of May, Memphis was sidelined as he was recovering from a grade 2 muscle injury suffered in a match against Flamengo in Itaquera, in the eighth round of the Brasileirão.

Between the injury diagnosis and the start of the World Cup, Memphis Depay played in only two matches for Corinthians, one coming off the bench (Atlético-MG – Brasileirão) and the other starting (Platense-ARG – Conmebol Libertadores), but he was substituted by Fernando Diniz right at halftime. He is under contract with Alvinegro until the end of July, and there is still no decision regarding his future at Parque São Jorge.

The Netherlands will return to action next Thursday (25) for the third and final round of the World Cup group stage. This time, the opponent will be Tunisia, in a match scheduled for 8 p.m. (Brasília time) at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Memphis Depay at Corinthians

Signed in September 2024 after not having his contract renewed by Atlético de Madrid of Spain, Memphis Depay arrived at Corinthians and immediately played a key role in the team’s surge in the previous Brazilian Championship edition (from the relegation zone to the Libertadores qualifying rounds), scoring seven goals and providing one assist in 11 matches in the national tournament.

Last season and at the start of this one, he was decisive in the team’s title wins in the Campeonato Paulista (2025), Copa do Brasil (2025) and Supercopa do Brasil (2026), totaling two assists in those finals and playing an important role in the earlier knockout rounds. Wearing the Corinthians shirt, he has 20 goals and 15 assists in 79 matches.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.