The World Cup atmosphere is coming to life little by little. Amateur trainers Marciano Nonneman of SV De Meer and Berry Smit of RKAV Volendam hope that more people will run the orange polonaise. “I think it’s loose now.”
“The neighborhood doesn’t do much about it,” says Nonneman, who watches almost every game on TV. Volendammer Smit finds it striking that so little happens. “We had a large orange street here, but everything has blown away there. It is alive with the youth, because the dike will soon be full again. But building tents with beamers and standing tables is no longer there. It is a strange World Cup feeling. I think it’s loose now, because football is being talked about everywhere now.”
Nonneman follows the World Cup with great interest and saw Argentina and Germany both lose surprisingly. “Suppose the Netherlands comes first, then that offers perspective if you look at the other groups. But you see that you should not underestimate any country this World Cup.”
De Ligt of Timber
“The positional game must be better,” says Nonneman looking ahead to the meeting with Ecuador. He therefore argues for a basic place for Jurriën Timber in place of Matthijs de Ligt. “I found De Ligt vulnerable in defending, very rash in moments. With him you miss football on that side. De Ligt is not comfortable on the ball there.”
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“That is a diesel, a powerhouse. You have to let it grow in the tournament. An Italian defender, not yet a German defender. They need time. They will float to the surface of their own accord. You need De Ligt’s physical strength terribly. they are the same, you choose the strength to keep the tent closed.
Davy Klaassen scored the second goal against Senegal. The Hilversum himself feels that he is close to the base of Orange. “Klaassen is a fantastic midfielder in the opponent’s box. Good luck if you have to sprint after him at the end of the game,” says Smit.
The Dutch national team will play against Ecuador this afternoon at 5 p.m.