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The Netherlands endured a shock loss to Algeria in their World Cup warm-up fixture, drawing strong criticism from head coach Ronald Koeman. The Oranje manager expressed frustration at his team's lack of intensity and sharpness, while Donyell Malen was singled out for missing several crucial chances before Algeria sealed victory with a late goal.

Koeman frustrated after wasteful performance from the Oranje

At De Kuip, the Netherlands controlled large portions of their friendly against Algeria but failed to make their dominance count. Despite creating multiple scoring opportunities, the Dutch side could not find the net and were punished when Algeria scored late to claim a 1-0 win. The defeat left Koeman visibly disappointed as his squad prepared to travel to New York for their final warm-up against Uzbekistan before the World Cup begins.

Malen found himself at the centre of criticism following a difficult outing. The forward struck the post and missed two additional clear chances that could have put the Netherlands in command of the match.

Koeman questions his team's aggression and finishing

Speaking after the match, Koeman voiced his displeasure with both the finishing and the overall attitude of his players.

"I absolutely hate losing. You must win a match like this when you have four or five major chances," Koeman told NOS. "When you take those opportunities, the game becomes easier. It should not be an issue then, but in the second half our football was worse. We lacked aggression and were simply too nice."

The Dutch coach also commented on Malen's missed chances, saying: "He really has to score at least one goal. Normally he does."

Malen disappointed with his own showing

After the match, Malen admitted that he was unhappy with his performance, acknowledging that he failed to connect properly with the ball during his best chance of the game.

"Of course, as a striker, you always want to score," Malen said. "We created enough chances today, but the ball just didn’t go in. That’s part of a striker’s life. I didn’t strike it cleanly and didn’t make good contact. I also didn’t spot my teammates nearby, otherwise I would have passed it."

Opportunity to respond before facing Japan

The Netherlands will get one final chance to regain confidence when they meet Uzbekistan in New York. After a frustrating loss and mounting criticism from fans and analysts, a strong showing would provide much-needed momentum before the World Cup. The Oranje will begin their Group F campaign against Japan on June 14, fully aware that improvement is essential.