With 121 minutes of Netherlands' 2014 World Cup quarter-final against Costa Rica gone, the match was drifting towards a penalty shootout. The score remained 0-0 on what had been a tense evening in Bahia on the southeast coast of Brazil, but something unusual was unfolding on the touchline at the Fonte Nova Arena. Despite still having one substitute remaining, Dutch boss Louis van Gaal had back-up keeper Tim Krul engaged in a rigorous warm-up.
Moments later, the legendary manager made one of the most iconic decisions in World Cup history. As the fourth officials' board went up, first-choice keeper Jasper Cillessen was withdrawn, much to his disbelief, and replaced by Krul for the final seconds in an unprecedented move. It was a decision that became World Cup folklore, as Krul went on to save two penalties to send the Netherlands into the semi-finals via a 4-3 shootout victory.
Bart Verbruggen will start this summer's World Cup as the Netherlands' No 1 goalkeeper. Verbruggen has impressed during his three seasons at Brighton after joining from Anderlecht. 'I was 12, a goalkeeper and had just started at my first professional club,' current Netherlands and Brighton No 1 Bart Verbruggen recalls. 'You see that, and all of a sudden Tim Krul is your biggest hero.'
Van Gaal later admitted the move was as much psychological as tactical, designed to unsettle a Costa Rica side that had converted all five of their penalties in a shootout win over Greece in the previous round. Krul won only 15 caps for the Netherlands, yet his impact that night has never been forgotten and Verbruggen believes the current squad can draw inspiration from him this summer.
'It shows how important squad depth is,' he says. 'That's a big strength for us, because even those who don't start the first game can decide a World Cup. It's so important that everything clicks and falls into place, and that everybody is ready to make an impact whenever called upon. Tim Krul was the best example of that.'
Twelve years on from Krul's heroics, Verbruggen carries the responsibility of being his country's No 1. It caps an impressive rise for the 23-year-old, who has developed into one of the Premier League's best goalkeepers over the past three seasons since joining Brighton from Anderlecht. With 27 caps for the Oranje, Verbruggen impressed at Euro 2024 and has established himself as Ronald Koeman's first choice ahead of Robin Roefs and Mark Flekken.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler recently praised Verbruggen's increased professionalism, fitness, and development off the pitch, while the arrival of goalkeeping coach Jelle ten Rouwelaar last summer has also proved influential. The pair first worked together when Verbruggen was 15 at NAC Breda before reuniting at Anderlecht and now on the south coast.
'Your whole career is one battle with good moments, bad moments, and positive and negative emotions,' Verbruggen adds. 'To overcome that and get to a point where you can play for the Netherlands at a World Cup is something I am proud of. But I am not satisfied because you want to win stuff and get to the next level.'
Verbruggen and the Netherlands cruised through World Cup qualification, collecting 20 points from eight matches where they scored 27 goals and conceded only four. Koeman's side also beat tournament dark horses Norway 2-1 in a friendly in March. Their star-studded squad is packed with Premier League talent, including Jurrien Timber, Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo, while Verbruggen is also joined by Brighton team-mates Jan Paul van Hecke and Mats Weiffer.
'It makes my life a lot easier,' he says. 'As a competitor you always want to play against the best teams, but you also want to beat them. To do that you need the best players as well. I've got a big privilege to play behind a defensive line up there with the best in the world.'
Yet with Netherlands' strong defensive unit, which also includes Micky van de Ven, Jorrel Hato, Denzel Dumfries and Nathan Ake, many have questioned the quality of their attack. 'I get it when people say that because our defensive line is that strong and has so much depth,' Verbruggen says. 'If you look at the defenders we have on the bench, it's ridiculous. But people forget how good our attackers are. If you look at the level they played at this season, it's very high, and they always make the difference for us. We have huge belief in everyone.'
Verbruggen's first World Cup memories come from 2010. He still remembers Iker Casillas' famous save from Arjen Robben in the final, a moment that left him heartbroken as Spain edged the Netherlands 1-0 after extra-time. That absence of a World Cup triumph remains a source of frustration in Dutch society, with the Oranje having been runners-up on three occasions.
They aren't among the favourites this time around and will have to navigate a relatively tough group that sees them drawn against Sweden, Tunisia and Japan, but are they being underestimated? 'I don't know, to be honest,' Verbruggen adds. 'I don't pay attention to what others say about me, my team or team-mates - and I don't care. I know the quality we have and the people who underestimate us will be surprised.'
Koeman is now more than three years into his second spell in charge of the Netherlands and Verbruggen has relished working under the former Barcelona, Everton and Southampton manager. 'He's calm, always in control, never too high or too low, and always focused on the next step,' he says. 'He's had great experiences and that gives all the players confidence to go out there, help the team and show how good they are. Obviously he gives us tactical instructions to make everything fall into place, but his personality, character, experience and calmness are something that, when I first joined, I thought was high level, and I still am impressed by.'
For now, attention turns to the Netherlands' World Cup opener against Japan in Texas next Sunday. 'Everyone thinks it's their time,' Verbruggen says. 'That's the beauty of the game. Every team has quality and should be confident. But I am confident we can win the group and win every game. It's not going to be easy, and we need to be at our best, but that's the biggest challenge and what makes it fun. I'm very excited.'
