Wout Weghorst finds perfect timing to reprise his role as Netherlands’ tournament super sub

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It may be of scant consolation to Poland but the World Cup winners have suffered the same fate. A Netherlands manager, seeking a goal and a game-changing substitute, summoned Wout Weghorst. And, like a force of nature, he felt unstoppable. It wasn’t quite enough to eliminate Argentina in the World Cup quarter-final but, when Poland were closing in on a point in Euro 2024, Weghorst went from the bench to the scoresheet in two minutes.

The forward who delivered a mere two goals in 31 appearances for Manchester United may have found his niche: as the Dutch super-sub in tournament football. As he was mobbed by teammates and substitutes alike, his name echoed around the Volksparkstadion, the hordes in orange celebrating their ungainly saviour.

His spell at Old Trafford brought a certain degree of mockery but Weghorst is very accustomed to scoring goals in Germany: there were 70 in his spell at Wolfsburg alone. His winner in Hamburg was taken wonderfully. He latched on to a no-look pass from Nathan Ake, the outstanding player on the pitch, and placed a shot beyond Wojciech Szczesny.

When the draw for Euro 2024 was made, Poland may have envisaged this game being decided by a potent forward in the No 9 shirt: just not this particular one.

Weghorst’s cameo meant everything seemed to revolve around the attackers. Robert Lewandowski was missing and Memphis Depay was missing - in different respects, though: There was the striker who could not figure and the forward who could not finish.

Despite defeat, there is a case for arguing that the injured Lewandowski was not actually missed. The hammer blow of his absence, the sight of the sidelined captain looking frustrated on the bench, came as the rather less heralded Adam Buksa struck on his major tournament debut.

For the Netherlands, however, the presence of the second highest scorer in their history was not the boon it seemed. As the Netherlands chalked up 21 shots and, until Weghorst’s entry, only had one deflected goal to show for it, Depay was not the only culprit, but he was the main one, with three golden chances all directed off target.

In a week when the parents of Ian Maatsen, a late call-up, made an emergency journey to bring him his football boots, there was a temptation to suggest Depay forgot his own. He had a hat-trick of misses when he could have had the right sort of treble. He blazed a half-volley over the bar as the Netherlands sought and equaliser; from Ake’s enticing cutback, flicked a second effort too high; from Ake’s still better diagonal pass, he skewed a shot past the post. It is an exaggeration to say it was the worst day for Memphis since Elvis died but Depay was wasteful.

Meanwhile, the example of how to finish came from a relative unknown.

If there has been a gulf in class between Lewandowski and too many of his teammates over his international career, that seemed still greater compared to his understudy. The Antalyaspor striker Buksa lacks the pedigree of the prolific force of Bayern Munich and Barcelona, of Poland’s greatest goalscorer.

But, taking Lewandowski’s place in attack, Buksa assumed his place on the scoresheet. It was a true centre-forward’s goal, showing first movement in a crowded penalty box and then aerial ability. As five of Buksa’s six previous international goals came against either San Marino or the Faroe Islands, it was a timely illustration he could find the net against a higher calibre of opponent.

And it meant Poland led.

For 13 minutes, anyway. Then Cody Gakpo’s 20-yard drive deflected off Bartosz Salamon to wrong-foot Szczesny. Gakpo is developing a handy habit of starting tournaments well. He scored in all three group games of the 2022 World Cup. He put himself on course to repeat that feat. He was terrific in the first half.

Even as the Dutch preparations had been affected by the loss of midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Teun Koopmeiners, they showed they can create. Szczesny made smart saves: from Gakpo’s low shot in the second minute, from Virgil van Dijk’s hooked volley as the Dutch sought an equaliser. Denzel Dumfries came close.

At the other end, Poland allied their set-piece menace with a resourcefulness to suggest they have a chance of avoiding perishing in the group of death. Bart Verbruggen had to parry two shots from Jakub Kiwior. At 2-1 down, they pushed for an equaliser. At 1-1, they defended with resilience. They saw off the departed Depay.

But then Ronald Koeman borrowed a trick from his predecessor, neighbour and enemy Louis van Gaal. He sent for Weghorst. And after he almost upstaged Lionel Messi with his World Cup brace, he left Lewandowski disappointed with a Euro 2024 decider.