It was ‘beautiful’ at Wembley. And the Games remain in sight for the Dutch team

Will they win? “It has to be done,” say two English fans walking towards Wembley Stadium in Northwest London. That road is appropriately called the Olympic Way: that’s what’s at stake on Friday evening. If England beats the Netherlands in the Nations League match, it still has a chance of participating in the Olympic Games in Paris next year – as Great Britain. “Losing is not an option. At Wembley of all places.”

In this stadium, the English women turned the country upside down last year by winning the European Championship, their first major prize. The iconic image of Chloe Kelly – in her sports bra, shirt in hand – after the winning goal against Germany hangs meters high in the corridors of Wembley.

But the Netherlands also comes to win and is just as keen on that Olympic ticket. And to show what it’s worth in front of 72,000 mainly English fans. The word ‘historic’ has been in the air for days: never before have the Dutch football players played in front of such a large audience. Extra luster is added by the visit of ten Dutch women who played the first women’s international match recognized by the KNVB football association fifty years ago, against England, somewhere on a back field in Zeist.

And then the match is against former national coach of the Netherlands Sarina Wiegman. An extra motivation, said wingback Victoria Pelova in advance. She always wants to “show it extra” to Wiegman. With a win, the Netherlands will already have the group victory, if Belgium fails to win against Scotland – which they also fail to do (1-1).

Superstars

Winning at Wembley does not seem at all impossible: the Dutch defeated Wiegman’s team in September in front of the home crowd in Utrecht (2-1). England has also been less in form lately. National coach Andries Jonker concluded in advance that the European title, which made the English players suddenly become superstars, and the (lost) World Cup final this year had made a difference. Whoever gets the furthest in a tournament on the crowded football calendar simply has given the most. Barely a month after the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the first edition of the Women’s Nations League started. The club competitions had already started.

For at least one half, the Netherlands seemed to be taking the win on Friday evening, with two goals from Lineth Beerensteyn – the first within fifteen minutes. But England fought back after the break. Star Beth Mead, recently recovered from a cruciate ligament injury, is brought in and Wiegman tells her team that they have to go the extra mile. After two goals in quick succession after an hour of play, from Georgia Stanway and Lauren Hemp, Ella Toone made it 3-2 in injury time.

That was what the crowd had come for: the screams of the spectators, always in a higher key than in men’s matches, almost hurt the ears. Like shortly afterwards Freed from desireEngland’s ‘football anthem’, echoes through the stadium, everyone is cheering.

Goal difference

England and the Netherlands are now together at the top of group 1, only the winner can continue to play for the place for ‘Paris’. If both teams win the last group match on Tuesday, the goal difference will be decisive. The Netherlands, which plays against Belgium, is in better shape. It is a strange situation, because players from Scotland could go to the Games in ‘Team GB’ if the English beat the Scots by a large margin on Tuesday. But both Wiegman and Jonker are convinced that mutual rivalry will ensure that the Scottish team does not give anything away.

Despite giving away a two-goal lead, the Dutch players had no intention of spoiling the women’s football party afterwards – after all, they had remained the leader. A beaming Shanice van de Sanden tells how “beautiful” it was to play at Wembley. Van de Sanden returned to the Dutch team after a long absence and came on in the second half. This week her friend also gave birth to their first child.

The experience made the difference in the second half, says Jonker. He had to change several routines after injuries. Jackie Groenen, who did not return after halftime, and then Sherida Spitse and Danielle van der Donk. So many “strongmen” lost, the team could not sustain it “in these kinds of circumstances”, according to Jonker.

‘Appealing football’

Before the match he talked about his ambition as national coach, why he accepted this job in August last year. “Apart from the fact that I like it, I want to help women’s football take a few steps forward.” In short, this means: “Playing appealing football. People want to see that. Then they join in: ‘Hey, that’s football. This is beautiful to look at’. Played by women who work very hard, who can really play football.”

And did that work at Wembley? Well, says Jonker, at least partly. “The people at home are now looking forward to an evening with the Dutch team.” He thinks they watched the first half with “extreme excitement”. Laughing: “And I think they spent the second half grumbling. See, it’s nothing after all.”

But, he says, that mission is only really successful when you win a major tournament as a team. The first chance will be at the Games next year. It should be noted that if the Dutch team makes it, the third major summer tournament in a row is just around the corner. Because unlike for the men, the Games really count for the women. That crowd is “ridiculous,” says Jonker. “I think those girls should be protected from themselves and from women’s football that organizes all this.” Discussions are now underway about the content of the football calendar after 2025.

When he was appointed, Jonker had even suggested skipping the Olympic Games, he says. “But I was blown away by my players. ‘Trainer, are you okay?’ Then I said: okay, but then we will go for it.”