In a match between thunder and lightning, the Dutch hockey men won the European Championship final against England 2-1. Brabant, with midfielder Tijmen Reyenga from Den Bosch, defender Joep de Mol from Berkel-Enschot and defender Floris Wortelboer from Tetering, is well represented among the champions. National coach Jeroen Delmée and his assistant Eric Verboom both come from Boxtel.
It was a nerve-racking game on Sunday afternoon in Mönchengladbach, which was interrupted halfway through by thunder and hail. The Dutchmen led 2-0 for most of the game, thanks to De Vilder and Telgenkamp, after a nice pass from Reyenga.
Rejected
According to Verboom, the final was also the best match of the European Championship. “We seemed to play with less nerves than during the semi-finals,” he recalls. “We had many great chances, also on the 3-0.”
Although the game seemed decided after the second goal, it was still a nerve-wracking last fifteen minutes. With a disallowed goal and several penalty shots for the English, the Netherlands had to do everything possible to stay ahead.
Sprinkle with cards
“It should not actually happen that it escalates like this at the end,” says assistant coach Eric Verboom after the game, who calls the goal against a defensive error. “But I also don’t understand why the referees started throwing cards from one moment to the next; it wasn’t the game for that at all. Playing with ten men is disastrous in hockey.”
According to Verboom, that made the final phase extra ‘bizarre’. England then even scored the 2-2, but the video referee decided, after much deliberation, to reject this and to give England a penalty. Dutch goalkeeper Maurits Visser stopped this, but came off the line too early. He also failed the second attempt.
To Paris
With this victory, the Dutch hockey men have secured a ticket for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. “It prevents us from having to try to get to the Games through qualifying competitions. Of course we had also thought out that scenario in advance. But the fact that this is not necessary now gives the players peace of mind.”
Verboom calls the ticket to Paris the main goal of the European Championship. “The fact that we have now achieved this feels good, super good. We are now going to drink a nice beer,” he laughs.
Eric Verboom was a trainer at HC ‘s-Hertogenbosch for eight years, but exchanged the club last year for a role as an assistant with the Dutch team. For the Netherlands it is the fourth European title in the last five editions and the seventh in total. It makes a visibly moved Delmée ‘happy and proud’.
READ ALSO:
Boxtel hockey coach is one match away from the Olympic Games
Hockey players also win European Championships and continue to win prizes