EXCLUSIVE: Daley Blind on the Netherlands' World Cup chances & heartbreak in 2014 & 2022

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/blind-daley/U5mPqlh6/"]Blind[/a] played in every game for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/netherlands/WYintcWb/"]the Netherlands[/a] at both the 2014 and 2022 World Cups, getting two goals and four assists across the two tournaments.[/p][p]They both ended in the exact same way for the defender and his nation, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/argentina/f9OppQjp/"]Argentina[/a] beating them on penalties in the semi-finals in Brazil and in the quarter-finals in Qatar. Containing a stunning late [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/netherlands/WYintcWb/"]Netherlands[/a] equaliser, fiery clashes and controversial refereeing decisions, the match in 2022 went down as a World Cup classic.[/p][p]Four years on, the 36-year-old will be watching from the sidelines as Oranje look to finally become world champions.[/p][p][b]Daley, let's speak about the World Cup. The Netherlands are often the dark horse in the tournaments, not always a very top favourite, but always dangerous. How do you compare them to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brazil/I9l9aqLq/"]Brazil[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/portugal/WvJrjFVN/"]Portugal[/a], Argentina, or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/france/QkGeVG1n/"]France[/a]? Do you believe that the Netherlands can win the World Cup?[/b][/p][p]"Yes. As a Dutch player going into the World Cup, you always believe you can win. Otherwise, you don't need to go there. You don't go there just to play games; you go there to compete and try to win it. [/p][p]"I think a lot of players of the national team now are playing in the top leagues, playing for big clubs, so I think it's a very great squad on balance, and everyone has a chance. [/p][p]"I think many countries don't like to play against the Netherlands, so let's see. I'm very curious, and I will follow it with a lot of interest."[/p][embed guid="a03a3ca0-bb3c-4822-ae24-c002fbd469c8" url="https://x.com/FIFAWorldCup/status/1733562160058655172" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]Let's go back four years ago to the crazy game against Argentina. How do you remember it?[/b][/p][p]"I think it was a very interesting match. Some crazy things happened during that match which will never be forgotten. I think there were really moments (that we could) discuss a lot, but I will stay away from that...[/p][p]"It's really sad, because I lost to Argentina on penalties twice in the World Cup, so I didn't really lose the game. Penalties are like a lottery; you can win or lose it. Going out of the World Cup twice on penalties is a bad feeling... Sometimes you think you would rather lose 3-0 because then you just don't have a chance, but we had a chance every time. We had big chances in the match as well, and losing on penalties is painful.[/p][p]"Every time we played the World Cup, I was thinking something special could happen if we could have won with penalties, but you never know. It is what it is. It's a gamble, and it was a great experience to be able to play in the World Cup, and this particular match was a crazy one."[/p][p][b]How would you describe Ronald Koeman as a manager, as a coach?[/b][/p][p]"I think he's a good coach. He proved with different clubs already, earlier in his career. [/p][p]"He's always been really honest with me about his plans, and about what he expected from me and what he expects from players, so I've always had good experiences with Koeman."[/p][embed guid="464b66e1-ed33-4019-a07c-038a9b42ade2" url="https://x.com/OnsOranje/status/2064809351479546172/history" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]In terms of leadership, how important is [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-dijk-virgil/U59RNqOr/"]Virgil van Dijk[/a] for this team?[/b][/p][p]"I think in the national team now, there are a lot of players who are very important.[/p][p]"Virgil is, of course, one of them. He is a big leader, for many years for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a] and of course also for the national team, but I think there are leaders in every part of the Netherlands team - you have [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-jong-frenkie/A1F3rz9c/"]Frenkie de Jong[/a], who's maybe a bit quieter but really a leader; [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/depay-memphis/zo1h8MrD/"]Memphis Depay[/a] can be a leader up front. So in every area, you have players who are very important.[/p][p]"It's a team that I think a lot of countries would not like to play against, and I hope they do well, and I'm really curious to see that."[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/japan-ULXPdOUj/netherlands-WYintcWb/?mid=4SV9xFBO"]Follow the Netherlands' opening clash of the World Cup with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p][infobox id="4ccc1b10-d68f-4c97-bcf4-5e613c17c2e3" /]