In the shade of the trees, a small platoon of police officers from the New York City Police Department relax on a dike watching the Dutch team against Uzbekistan. In the background, with a branch of the Hudson River in between, the skyline of Manhattan shines. Traffic rumbles along highway I-278 not far from the stadium. Yellow dots flash everywhere this Monday afternoon in New York, from taxis to classic school buses.
The modest Icahn Stadium on Randalls Island, Manhattan, with its bright blue cinder track, is more focused on athletics than football. Usain Bolt ran his first world record in the hundred meters here in May 2008. Although this place also has an illustrious football history: Brazilian legend Pelé made his debut for New York Cosmos there in June 1975.
Now the Dutch national team is completing the final test for the Football World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico here, without spectators. The KNVB football association was unable to organize a practice match with an audience in a large stadium in New York. The city is currently captivated by the NBA basketball finals. On Monday evening, the New York Knicks played the third game against the San Antonio Spurs in Madison Square Garden. President Donald Trump was expected to come.
‘Too bad, too bad’
While the Dutch team led to a migration to Dortmund in the semi-finals of the European Championship two years ago, this World Cup campaign in the US is off to a sober start. In relative peace they completed a four-day training camp in Orangeburg, north of New York. Before leaving for the base camp in Kansas City this Tuesday, the Dutch played two practice games against World Cup debutant Uzbekistan, 51st in the FIFA world rankings. Only the first match counted as an official international match.
“I am very curious,” said director of professional football Marianne van Leeuwen on Monday morning at a press moment at the Dutch Consulate General on 3rd Avenue. Because, she explained: national coach Ronald Koeman had said that he will start with the starting eleven that will also start in the first World Cup match against Japan next Sunday. So a dress rehearsal.
Substitute Guus Til (far right) receives a red card after handball in the final phase.
Photo ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN / ANP
“Go ahead!”, shouts captain Virgil van Dijk when midfielder Ryan Gravenberch threatens to take a long shot halfway through the first half. “Too bad,” he shouts, when the attempt goes wide – towards Manhattan.
In the first fifteen minutes, Koeman stands on the sidelines irritated by two careless passes from the same Gravenberch. Twice it resulted in loss of ball. If Gravenberch can open on the left to the emerging left back Micky van de Ven, Koeman points out: that is where he should play. Gravenberch only does this in the second instance. “Earlier!” Koeman then shouts.
The Dutch dominate in the first half, but shortly before halftime the defensive organization is lacking several times. And it becomes clear how vulnerable the team is under pressure. Uzbekistan does not have the creativity and strength to take advantage of this.
Players sometimes do not yet sense what is needed in the decisive phases of a match. Koeman calls out to defender Van de Ven who, in his opinion, is too high towards the end of the first half, with a 1-0 lead. “Micky come back, one more minute.” Van de Ven walks back calmly.
Chaotic final phase
For example, the doubts among the Dutch team are visible six days before the first World Cup match. Just like in the lost practice match against Algeria last Wednesday, it is not possible to control a match against a relatively limited opponent. The Dutch team narrowly won 2-1, after a chaotic final phase.
Cody Gakpo took two penalties, the winning one deep in injury time. Shortly before, Igor Sergejev scored the 1-1 in a particularly sloppy phase by the Dutch team. That was frustrated about a red card for substitute Guus Til due to handball. A downer was the injury of goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen – it is still unclear how serious it is.
Cody Gakpo scores the winning 2-1 from a penalty kick.
Photo ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN / ANP
The many missed opportunities are problematic. Striker Donyell Malen misses an imposed opportunity, after he also failed several times against Algeria on Wednesday. Right attacker Crysencio Summerville is launched in the opening phase, but plays the ball just too far in front of him. After a good attack, midfielder Tijjani Reijnders fails to head in. Later, Summerville, who creates a lot of threat with his speed, also misses an open chance.
A positive thing for Oranje is that it does create those opportunities. On the flanks – with the Van de Ven-Gakpo couple on the left and Denzel Dumfries-Summerville on the right – the team is very creative, fast and therefore dangerous. But the attackers are not efficient. Koeman calls it “under par” that no goals have been scored from open play in two consecutive practice matches. “If you create such opportunities” but only use two penalties, says Koeman, “then we are not going to get far.”
Static in construction
There are more problems. In its construction, Orange often looks static. Right central defender Jan Paul van Hecke is less mobile than Jurriën Timber, who was injured, and who brings more dynamism and creativity. There is also a lack of variation in midfield – with Reijnders and Gravenberch often playing next to each other.
“It is clear that we have to adjust things,” says playmaker Frenkie de Jong. “I think that the positioning in possession of the ball can sometimes be slightly different. So choices on the ball, that we also [beter] know where we are playing towards. If we change that, we will automatically play better.”
For example, the Dutch team will fly to Kansas City on Tuesday with some challenges. “There are plenty of things that need to be improved,” says Koeman, with a red face – his dark cap that he wore after half-time has now been removed.
Behind him, the reserves are warming up for the second practice match against Uzbekistan – in which two 30-minute games are played. The Dutch lose that 2-1.