Orange not in New York, but in the boring suburb of White Plains: ‘Just having a coffee, that’s not really possible here’ | Sport

On Saturday there was still time for a relaxing evening in the center of New York, on Monday the practice match with Uzbekistan will be the big dress rehearsal for the World Cup. Crysencio Summerville is very close to a starting spot, national coach Ronald Koeman has already confirmed.

In the modest Sonesta hotel in White Plains, Ronald Koeman was bluntly honest on Sunday, as he often is. “The hotel could have been better, yes,” said the national coach with a mild smile. “It’s fine for now, but if we had been here for three weeks, it could have been a bit better.”

The KNVB opted for relatively modest accommodations, partly in view of the high costs in the United States during this World Cup. “Luxury can make you lazy,” top football director Nigel de Jong said earlier.

But that also meant that the Dutch had to travel quite a distance on Saturday for a night out in Manhattan and a photo in Times Square. Not a disaster of course, but the internationals might have imagined something different about ‘New York’ in advance.

White Plains is a rather boring suburb with only a few typical American, soulless malls.

“It’s nice if you can have a coffee with the boys in the neighborhood, for example,” said Micky van de Ven. “That’s not really possible here.”

At the same time, the Dutch team had nothing to complain about the training facilities in nearby Orangeburg. At the training complex of New York City FC, the fields were a lot better than those of the first World Cup opponent Japan. “We were able to train really well,” said Van de Ven.

The big dress rehearsal against Uzbekistan awaits the Dutch national team on Monday evening. In the Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island, the Dutch team will play an exhibition match against the Asian World Cup debutant, the current number 50 in the world rankings. National coach Fabio Cannavaro’s team normally plays in a 3-4-2-1 formation, similar to Japan’s playing style.

“Although you always have to be careful with that, because we also expected Algeria with five defenders,” said Koeman about the 0-1 lost away match in Rotterdam.

It is clear that the Dutch team will play with largely the starting team that will play against Japan in Dallas on June 14. “We want to change as little as possible,” said Koeman. It is almost certain that Crysencio Summerville will again be given a starting place as a right winger, if only to refine the interaction with right back Denzel Dumfries.

“That makes sense, yes,” said Koeman. “Summerville did good things against Algeria, but also some bad things. The coordination with Denzel (suspended on Wednesday, ed.) must also be good: when do you look for depth without the ball.”

Immediately after the practice match against Uzbekistan, the reserves also play an unofficial match of two thirty-five minute matches. In this way, Koeman hopes to get all 26 players fit at the start of the World Cup. Memphis Depay and Jurriën Timber, among others, have not played much in recent months due to injuries.

The practice period in New York is also intended to allow the Dutch team to gradually get used to the heat and humidity, before flying on to home base Kansas City. “It is really very hot and spicy,” said Van de Ven.

“That’s why it’s good to train and play here for a few days now, so that our bodies can get used to it. To prepare ourselves well, we drink a lot of water, cool ourselves with ice towels and sometimes go into the sauna after training to soak up the heat even more.”

Assistant national coach Ruud van Nistelrooij reported to the Dutch team in White Plains at the end of the afternoon on Sunday. The former top striker later joined due to ‘nice family circumstances’. “I had known that for a number of months,” said Koeman. “When we had our first conversations about his role with the Dutch team, he already indicated that he wanted to be with the family this Saturday. That should be possible.”