The Dutch hockey players did not play attractive hockey at this World Cup. But that was completely different in the final against the rival of the last decades, Argentina. In it, midfielder Laurien Leurink gave the most beautiful cross pass of the tournament, a ball that continued to roll through the Argentine defense over the blue artificial grass in Terrassa, into the stick of goal-getter Frédérique Matla.
The striker – one of the initiators of the team’s ‘revolution’ against a sick performance culture – slowed brilliantly for Belen Succi until the Argentine goalkeeper went to the ground. Then Matla shot the ball high into the ropes.
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The goal saved a troubled team. As if all the stress and sadness of the past year – the investigation into the culture of fear, the disturbed relationships, the forced departure of coach Alyson Annan – could be thrown off like a heavy backpack. The Dutch hockey players looked to be freed to a 2-0 lead. “That second goal was beautiful. Then you will fly”, said veteran Eva de Goede (33) after the final.
Later in the match, the most beautiful goal of the tournament fell, after pure gallery play. An attack set up from the own back line, with delicate one-twos, completed by the lightning fast Felice Albers. It was a masterclass for the seven thousand spectators in the sweltering Estadi Olímpic in Terrassa, north of Barcelona.
Talking is more important than training
Major tournaments can also be won with a healthy performance culture, the hockey players have proven in recent weeks. Under the leadership of the German interim coach Jamilon Mülders (46) and with an eye for the social relations within the team, the world title was won for the third time in a row, the ninth in history.
And that without proper preparation. After the forced departure of Annan last January, there was only six months left for the World Cup, which was partly played in the Netherlands. Months in which talking became more important than training the penalty corner. Mülders said in front of the Ziggo cameras on Sunday that the Orange was actually “dead” at the beginning of this year.
As a result, the Netherlands was not supreme in this tournament, as so often. This ‘new’ Orange had to grow in the tournament. Even a sold-out Wagener stadium in Amstelveen turned out to be no cure for a team that was looking for itself. In the quarterfinals against Belgium (2-1) it was exciting until the last second.
The Netherlands then had to go to Spain, where there was a worse synthetic turf and the temperature was about twenty degrees higher. With fight hockey, the defending champion won in the semifinals of Australia. Lidewij Welten forced the decisive penalty corner in the semi-final against the physically strong Australia, which was pushed by Matla. It was also the experienced Welten (32) who defused an Australian penalty corner in the final seconds, at the risk of his own limbs.
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Where in the ‘old’ Orange the hierarchy was experienced as stifling by many players, this World Cup showed that everyone can be important. Nevertheless, the team with De Goede (258 international matches), Welten (243) and Margot van Geffen (235) still had a lot of experience. The ‘middle group’, with Xan de Waard (181 caps), Marloes Keetels (176), Maria Verschoor (169), Laura Nunnink (157) and Leurink (133), has also been around for a while. Keetels stops from this group, who was one of the three captains this tournament. She received the World Cup as a parting gift.
The road to Paris 2024
The question is what the new national coach Paul van Ass (61) will do towards the Olympic Games in Paris. He seems difficult to get around De Goede and Welten, they still add something special to Orange. But the talent that is present in large numbers in the Netherlands will also have to be tapped towards the 2024 Games.
At the beginning of 2012, as national coach of the Dutch men, Van Ass left celebrities such as Teun de Nooijer and Taeke Taekema out of the selection when the performances were disappointing. “If you take tall trees out of the forest, the sun will shine,” was his statement at the time. De Nooijer made it to the London Olympics, where silver was won in offensive hockey, Taekema did not.
Such a scenario does not seem necessary for the hockey players. The fact that the Netherlands has again become world champion after a year full of internal struggles says something about mental resilience, but also puts competition in perspective. Belgium and India have reached the (sub)top, Argentina, Australia and Germany have in any case not gotten worse. But in an international small sport like hockey there is simply no real serious rival at the moment, and the Orange would deserve it.
The biggest opponents of the Dutch hockey players turned out to be their own corrupted performance culture. And ignoring the signs of this by the KNHB and the guidance of the national team. That the players got over that, without falling apart, is perhaps their biggest victory ever.