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1/8 Final - Netherlands Davids wanted out of match |
Edgar Davids, the last-minute World Cup goal hero for The Netherlands against Yugoslavia on Monday, said coach Guus Hiddink forced him to stay on the field as his legs were hit by cramp in the dying seconds.
"I had cramps. I told the coach I had a problem, but he told me to stay on. I just put everything into that last strike and it went in," Davids said after the Dutch qualified for the quarterfinals thanks to the goal.
Davids scored the goal after 92 minutes of play, his first for his country, with a blasted left-footer from 25 metrers which took a slight deflection off a defender.
He played down his role after the game.
"The only thing I did was my job," he said. "In this team, everyone can score. I took my chance and next time it will be somebody else."
Davids was an instrumental part of the Dutch success, often marshalling the midfield and putting in some crunching tackles when the Yugoslavs attacked, living up to his nickname of "Pitbull."
Like the rest of the Dutch squad, Davids felt the Dutch were well worth their 2-1 win, having outplayed their opponents for much of the game.
"They played for about five minutes, but we had the rest of the match, although we were lucky with the penalty. But, who knows, now we've had a bit of luck, maybe we can get to the final," he said.
Predrag Mijatovic missed a 51st minute penalty when the teams were level 1-1 and Yugoslavia had the upper hand.
Yugoslavia had equalized in the 49th minute and was awarded the penalty two minutes later when Jaap Stam held back Vladimir Jugovic.
As for their next opponents, Argentina or England, Davids said the Dutch had no fear. "For us, it doesn't matter. We will be a problem for them. We are the big side," he said.
Davids himself was clearly happy with the result, but still maintained his hostile silence toward Dutch journalists, answering only in Italian and occasionally in English.
Two years ago Davids, who plays for Juventus, was in disgrace, sent home from the European Championship in England after accusing Hiddink of favoritism.
