The Orange Women are harsh in their judgment about the game in the last half hour of the friendly against England. After a missed penalty by Sherida Spitse, the English women went from 1-1 to 5-1 and that was also the final score on Elland Road on Friday.
“We should be ashamed,” said Daniëlle van de Donk just after the final whistle for the camera of the NOS† “The distances on the field became too big, while England played fantastic. We have to see this as a learning moment towards the European Championship.”
That European Championship starts for the Orange in two weeks with a tough group match against Sweden. Van der Gragt also spoke and she said that a lot still needs to be done in the next fourteen days. “It will really have to be better against Sweden, because this was unworthy of the Netherlands,” said Van der Gragt. “After rest, we overrun.”
Nevertheless, the players also pointed to the good first half, in which the Netherlands took a 0-1 lead against the team of national coach Sarina Wiegman through a striking header from Lieke Martens. In the 52nd minute, the Netherlands could have taken the lead again, but Sherida Spitse shot a penalty from the outside of the post. “It’s better that I miss him now than at the European Championship,” said the midfielder, who played her two hundredth international match.
The English scored no less than four times in the last twenty minutes.
The English scored no less than four times in the last twenty minutes. Photo: Getty Images
‘We had less power forward’
According to Spitse, it is important that the players of Orange realize that despite the painful result, not everything was bad. “We played a good first half with good intensity. But in the second half we had less power forward and the spaces became too big.”
The 32-year-old Spitse, who wore the captain’s armband against England because of her anniversary international match, saw her missed penalty as a key moment. “If I shoot in that penalty, the game will be very different. We must not forget that. Many things went well, but certain things could be better.”
The Orange squad has two more games until the start of the European Championship. A World Cup qualifier with Belarus awaits on Tuesday and on Saturday 2 July a friendly match against Finland is scheduled.
Keeper Sari van Veenendaal made several mistakes.
Keeper Sari van Veenendaal made several mistakes. Photo: Getty Images