The Dutch national team would like to conquer the hearts of the public with effective and attractive football at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The team of national coach Andries Jonker showed its best side on Sunday evening during the ‘farewell match’ in Kerkrade against Belgium. The farewell to the Dutch fans was crowned with a convincing 5-0 victory. “We love Orange”, sang the fans of the Dutch national team.
The Dutch team shines on its way to the tournament down under again the impetus that the Orange was embraced by the people during the 2017 European Championship and the 2019 World Cup. The then national coach Sarina Wiegman succeeded in linking results and attractive play. The Dutch won the European title in their own country and became vice world champion in France two years later.
So far, these are the highlights of the Dutch team, which played a European Championship for the first time under Vera Pauw in 2009 and made their debut at the World Cup in Canada six years later with the same national coach. Pauw laid the foundation for the later successes of Wiegman’s offensive playing Orange with little attractive result football. Nevertheless, the basis of the Dutch national team was too narrow to be able to continue to measure up to the world top.
This was already apparent during the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021, where the Orange under Wiegman was eliminated in the quarterfinals by the United States. The Netherlands lacked the killer instinct that the outdated American team still had. After Wiegman had chosen to coach England, the Orange under Englishman Mark Parsons fell into decline with conservative play. Wiegman won the European title in 2022, the Orange was eliminated by France in the quarterfinals of that European Championship in England.
Maximum bet
When Jonker was appointed last year, he was faced with the task of breathing new life into the Orange squad. And he had to do that largely with the same players Parsons had at his disposal. The national coach explained his intentions to all internationals and quickly succeeded in creating clarity. Jonker outlined what he had in mind and demanded maximum effort and involvement from everyone. And where he could, overworked players were protected against themselves.
Jonker built a new team in a series of nine games last year. In addition to goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar, he held on to a core of experienced players such as Stefanie van der Gragt, Dominique Janssen, Sherida Spitse, Daniëlle van de Donk, Jackie Groenen, Jill Roord and Lieke Martens. The somewhat younger Victoria Pelova and Esmee Brugts got another chance against Belgium as wingbacks. And Lineth Beerensteyn is the alternative for Vivianne Miedema, the injured and almost irreplaceable striker who sat in the stands in Kerkrade on Sunday evening.
For example, Jonker ended up with a so-called 1-3-5-2 formation on his way to the World Cup. In theory, the system is similar to that played by Louis van Gaal at the Men’s World Cup in Qatar at the end of last year. In practice, Jonker’s team is much more attacking and the team always dares to take the initiative. This is the type of football that the Dutch internationals and the public under Parsons had missed so much.
Ideal team
The Dutch national team has been getting more and more face in recent weeks during the preparation for the World Cup. During training camps in Zeist and Horst, the selection of thirty players was reduced to 23 and two reserves. Striker Fenna Kalma dropped out permanently and attacker Shanice van de Sanden and keeper Barbara Lorsheyd will come along as replacements for players who may be injured. Jonker made his last painful decisions a few days before the exhibition game against Belgium. For example, no one had to fear a place in the World Cup selection on Sunday.
Jonker’s ideal team started the match and was a size too big for Belgium, which did not qualify for the World Cup. The Orange immediately took the initiative and took the lead after just two minutes thanks to a goal from Martens. With a striking penalty kick from Spitse and a goal from Beerensteyn, the Netherlands extended their lead to 3-0 before the break. Jonker was pleased to note that his team largely carried out what he had in mind.
Jonker used the second half to give players such as Caitlin Dijkstra, Katja Snoeijs, Damaris Egurrola, Aniek Nouwen, Renate Jansen and the only seventeen-year-old Wieke Kaptein playing minutes. Although Jonker stuck to the same system, things went less smoothly for the Orange after the break due to the many substitutions. Nevertheless, the Netherlands managed to run out to 5-0 thanks to goals from Pelova and Snoeijs. Jonker and his internationals said goodbye to the Dutch public on their way to New Zealand. On July 23, Portugal will be the first opponent at the World Cup in Dunedin, New Zealand.