Yan Valery's nightmare World Cup campaign ends as Sheffield Wednesday departure expected
Yan Valery’s first World Cup campaign came to an end with a 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands in the early hours of Friday morning in Kansas.
Sheffield Wednesday defender Yan Valery’s World Cup adventure came to an end with a third defeat in as many games after Tunisia were beaten 3-1 by the Netherlands in Kansas.
Tunisia went into their Group F finale knowing they had already been eliminated from the tournament after losing their opening two games at the hands of Sweden (1-5) and Japan (0-4) respectively.
Despite sacking Sabri Lamouchi and replacing him with Hervé Renard after their defeat to Sweden, it made little difference to their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages of the World Cup for the very first time. Their hopes of avoiding a third successive defeat were all but quashed within the opening ten minutes against the Dutch.
The Netherlands, who had amassed four points from their opening two games, found themselves two goals to the good with just seven minutes on the clock at the Kansas City Stadium, benefiting from an own goal from Ellyes Skhiri and then Brian Brobbey’s third goal in two matches.
Tunisia, who had ambitions of progressing to the knockout stages of the tournament for the very first time ahead of it getting underway just over a fortnight ago, did pull a goal back nine minutes into the second half when Hazem Mastouri headed in Hannibal Mejbri’s corner from the right flank.
The Eagles of Carthage had gone close to pulling a goal back just before half-time when Valery’s excellent cross from the right found the head of Norwich City’s Anis Ben Slimane, but he headed straight at goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
Unfortunately for Tunisia, Mastouri’s header, which offered them a route back into the contest, giving them confidence they may be able to earn at least a point from the contest, counted for nothing when Ronald Koeman’s side restored their two-goal lead eight minutes later when Jan Paul van Heck headed home.
It means Tunisia have brought the curtain down on their World Cup campaign having lost each of their three group games, conceding 12 goals and scoring only two. The Netherlands finished top of the pile in Group F and will face Morocco in the round-of-32.
As far as Valery’s individual performance against the Dutch was concerned, he completed the full 90 minutes, completed 62 per cent of his attempted passes, made two key passes, produced two interceptions and made three clearances.
He is expected to leave Hillsborough on a permanent basis this summer after spending the second half of last season on loan at Swiss club BSC Young Boys. Wednesday, amid the anticipated departure of Svante Ingelsson, are prepared to sell players this summer to raise funds that can go towards their squad rebuild.