Vivianne Miedema balt haar vuisten en laat haar tranen de vrije loop na haar treffer. © BSR Agency Vivianne Miedema clenches her fists and lets her tears run free after her goal. She lost her biggest fan who followed her on every national team trip after the last Orange match, her grandfather. Because of her opa's presence at the Orange matches the Lionesses were familiar with him too, thus making it an even more emotional thing for the whole selection. Condolances to Vivianne and strength wished to her and loved ones in the coping with the loss.
Saw a Barcelona tweet that showed Martens jogging around a practice field. I couldn't read the rest of the post, which was in Spanish, but there was one quote in English from her: "I'm confident that I will come back stronger than ever." Not sure how close she is to resuming full training. If there is a positive to the injuries that some of the Dutch NT players have suffered--and there have been four or five--it might be that a break from soccer will help to reinvigorate them. They've all played a LOT of soccer over the last three years, and a break from the rigors can in fact be a good thing for the legs and the mind. Let's hope that is the case.
https://www.ad.nl/buitenlands-voetbal/meer-kijkers-dan-ooit-bij-wk-voetbal-voor-vrouwen~abe18a6f/ Women world cup drew record number of viewers with 400 million more than the one before.
They're back!!! https://www.ad.nl/nederlands-voetba...sanden-terug-in-selectie-leeuwinnen~a368b757/ De Leeuwinnen, met uiterst links Kika van Es, in het midden Jackie Groenen en rechts Shanice van de Sanden. © BSR Agency Van Es, Groenen en Van de Sanden terug in selectie Leeuwinnen
https://www.ad.nl/nederlands-voetbal/talenten-krijgen-de-kans-bij-freewheelende-leeuwinnen~ad5242b3/ PREMIUM Katja Snoeijs vervangt Vivianne Miedema © BSR Agency Talenten krijgen de kans bij ‘freewheelende’ Leeuwinnen Fluitend wandelen de voetbalsters van Oranje, die morgen om 20.00 uur in Arnhem tegen Slovenië spelen, door de EK-kwalificatie. Derhalve gaat de blik óók op de jeugd. Bondscoach Sarina Wiegman ziet dat nieuwe talenten zich laten gelden. Daniël Dwarswaard 11-11-19, 12:44 https://www.ad.nl/nederlands-voetba...e-aan-ons-er-een-feest-van-te-maken~a1dcb4b4/ They play in a sold out Gelredome against Slovenia, 24000!!
Funny headline given they barely ever get a 'chance' . One of the easiest qualifying groups and still playing with the same names as starters in almost all of the matches. Nouwen in is somewhat of a start but she can't actually defend at all (or maybe she has learned a trick or two to mask it in the mean time). Some more potent(ial) players in the junior NT's for that position I would say/think ... Could have also tried to replace/find a future replacement for Spitse already, find out who is another reliable PK taker and let Roord take the freekicks. Groenen should beef up and take over the 6 position ...
The Dutch DO need to find a successor to Spitze in the midfield. The coaches seem high on Pelova, but she is, what, an 8? I haven't seen Nouwen, so can't comment on her play--but certainly the team needs to find a good young centerback and outside back--and somewhat soon. The coaches may want or need to phase out Dekker, who's pushing 33, and Van der Gragt--who I thought was very good in the World Cup--has had a lot of injury problems. She's out now, again, with a knee issue (surgery, I think). I don't think her career is going to be very long, I'm afraid. Hope I'm wrong. The team needs an upgrade at left back, as Van Es and Van Dongen are no better than decent.
Nouwen’s been fine defensively these past two matches (goal was a miscommunication issue between both CBs and keeper), but the opposition is obviously of a lower quality. She very much seems to be a ball playing CB like Bloodworth. I’ve actually liked van Dongen’s play as a whole and thought she was hard done by Wiegman’s tactical changes in the final. I do get what you’re saying though. I’m not sure about the beefing up comment, but as a stopgap, Groenen could play as the 6 with Roord/Pelova taking her usual place. Not familiar with the Dutch youth system though, so maybe there’s a very promising holder in the ranks.
Groenen was a European Junior Bronze medalist judoka, it is ridiculous how easy she get's shoved around to me (as a Groenen fan. First time I heard of and saw her was at the Algarve Cup before the 2017 Euro's and was an immediate fresh breath of air for the squad). Needs to hit the weights instead of the guitar . For me Dekker could've filled in the 6 position at the World Cup (I believe that's her position still at Montpellier) but that's a far as her journey should have gone (if you want to move on to the future at least). Not a fan of Spitse I should add, for me reminiscent of a relic from women's football 10-15 years ago. In 4-5 years I've only ONCE seen her play a ball with her left foot . You should've seen Nouwen play in the European Junior and World Junior Championships, terrible defensive performances (they way she positioned herself was befuddling, fundamentally incomprehensive). These last two matches were meaningless as they were barely tested. In the squad that played in the U17 Euro's final this year there are two CB's with more potential for me ... But of course in keeping to Dutch 'tradition': footballing skills for defenders are valued above defensive ones . Kelly Zeeman at one point looked like she could've been a potential pick for the 6 position but I think that ship has sailed now, especially after her injury last season and stalled progress. Groenen could be a Kante type of 6. Pelova for me is a 10, replacement for vd Donk. Quite like her but seems to play quite submissive for now as mostly a substitute and simply put poor performances when starting. Roord could be an 8 but still inconsistent, especially when it comes to workrate. She is probably easily the most naturally gifted player in the squad but overly reliant on her talent.
Interesting news, Denise van Lunteren is retiring from the Dutch NT. She is only 26; maybe it's burn out.
Yes, a shocking decision given her age. I can only think that the physical demands were becoming too much for her--especially given the demanding position she plays. She has been an absolute defensive stalwart for the Dutch for a few years--strong, athletic, tough and underrated on a team with a bunch of attacking stars. I should think that she will be difficult to replace. It's especially problematic for the team because I would say that the other outside back position, left back, is one of the weaker spots on the team, and so now both outside back positions are a bit problematic. I guess Van der Most will replace her, at least in the short term. I have not seen her play much and do not have a bead on her, but she's 26 herself and hasn't gotten much playing time with the senior team. My hope is that Van Lunteren gets a needed break from international play--rests her body a bit while still playing for her club--and then decides to return to the NT for Euro21. I doubt that she will do that, but we'll see.
I imagine that a lot of the players are fatigued at this point. It's a grind when you think that, coming straight out of Euro17, it was into the extended qualifying for the World Cup--and the Dutch ended up having to play 4 extra qualifying matches to get into the tournament; then the World Cup itself is hard and demanding, and then after a brief respite it's straight back to club play and then back into qualifying for Euro21, with all that it entails--days of training followed by trips to Slovenia and Turkey and then back to the club again. I don't know how many matches the NT's play to qualify for Euro 21 (or World Cup)--must check--but it seems a lot. It makes me tired just thinking about it. I, for one, think that FIFA can and should look for ways to shorten the qualifying process for the big tournaments. And think about those who are also playing Champions League--Miedema, Van de Donk, Van de Sanden, Van Veenendaal and others. I can see why there comes a time when players need both a mental and physical break.
It's worth noting that van Lunteren did not choose to move on to a higher level club but returned to Ajax. It may be that she feels more comfortable in Holland rather than moving to England or Spain.
Well, there's now an extended break until the Algarve Cup and the next Euro qualifying matches. I can't imagine the Champions League has been all that draining for Miedema and van de Donk so far; their matches have been very straightforward. I believe van de Sanden hasn't played all that much with injury concerns, and even when she's fully fit, I don't think she plays a large amount of minutes with the competition she has at Lyon. Van Veenandaal did have a tough Champions League round against Man City, but she's a goalkeeper. Maybe I'm being naive, but a professional goalkeeper definitely should be able to handle this kind of schedule. Add in the fact that these Euro qualifying matches have mostly been a stroll, and I don't really see that much of an issue. I know we've disagreed on similar topics though when it comes to cup competitions and number of matches.
I wonder: Did she get an offer and turn it down? I thought after the WC she'd get an offer from one of the better clubs in Europe and was frankly surprised to learn she'd signed with Ajax. Van Lunteren is one of the few veteran starters for the Dutch NT who hasn't cashed in, so to speak, on the team's success and her play--and I wonder whether playing for a bigger club--and making more money--would have delayed this decision. Making good money can be a strong incentive for an athlete to keep playing. If I'm Wiegman, I'd say to Van Lunteren: "Take a break from international play, rest yourself, and maybe in six months think about whether you might want to come back and help us defend the Euro championship. I won't ask you to do so, won't bug you; we will consider you returned from international play, but in six months or so, if you feel the competitive embers starting to heat up again, let me know." You never know....I mean, Van Lunteren is no Bronze, but she's been a stalwart defender for the Dutch and the team's chances of defending the European championship have just gone down a notch.
I actually think few have technically cashed in. I’ll give you van de Sanden; she has. Maybe van der Gragt. Bloodworth is debatable with her move to Wolfsburg agreed before the World Cup, but I don’t know. Martens comes close, but wasn’t the Barcelona move agreed before the Euros? Same with Miedema, and I doubt Bayern to Arsenal is that much of a pay raise (also relevant to Roord). Spitse is still at Valerenga, and van de Donk’s been at Arsenal throughout this upturn. Groenen stayed at Frankfurt after the Euros, and again, I doubt Frankfurt to Man Utd is that much of a pay raise. Van Es did move to the WSL, but it’s not like Everton is some big club. Don’t notice cashing in with Dekker. Completely agree that it’s surprising that van Lunteren went back to the Netherlands from a top European league, but I don’t think cashing in is as apparent in the other stalwarts of the NT as you believe.
I don't know what any of these Dutch players are making--but they're all at the biggest clubs and I'd venture to say are making quite a bit more than the average pro player. They're certainly making more than Van Lunteren is making at Ajax. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Arsenal recently renewed the contracts of Miedema and Van de Donk, and I'm presuming that got pay raises. I'm sure Arsenal's player budget is below that of Lyon, Barca and Wolfsburg--but it's surely higher than Ajax's, that's for sure. I think Martens is making seriously good money at Barca--she cashed in on her UEFA Player of the Year award, and she's got some endorsement deals, as does Miedema. I'm sure Groenen got a pay pop when she signed with ManU, and I'd be shocked if Bloodworth didn't get a significant pay raise when she jumped to Wolfsburg, which has a huge corporate owner and seems to have a hefty player payroll. In any case, have you seen Van der Most play? Can she hold down the position decently or will the Dutch be looking for a younger player to step up? Who'd that be, I don't know, but Wiegman has to be concerned about her back four right now. Coming out of the World Cup, I'd have said that the Dutch had three high-quality defenders--Bloodworth, Van der Gragt and Van Lunteren. Van der Gragt is now dealing with another knee injury and I can't see her playing too much longer--assuming she can return to full fitness after this last injury--and now Van Lunteren is gone. Without Van der Gragt you've got 32/33-year-old Dekker partnering with Bloodworth at centerback, unless Nouwen, at age 20 or so, is ready for prime time. She started the last qualifier, or two?, but I doubt she's anywhere close to the level of play we saw from Van der Gragt in the World Cup. At Left Back the Dutch have Van Es, who hasn't played much in months, and Van Dongen, who did an admirable job in the World Cup--but neither of those two is quite what you'd want in a perfect world. It all suggests that the Dutch are going to be weaker in the back for a while...I don't care much about the Olympics--but we do want a stout defense come Euro21!
I was strictly talking about moves, and both Martens and Bloodworth already agreed their big moves before their breakout tournaments (Euros and World Cup respectively). That’s why I questioned them cashing in based on Dutch NT play. That’s cashing in as much on club play. Don’t know the deal with Miedema and van de Donk getting new contracts, but alright. I think Man Utd Women were far off from matching a $30,000 (or was it 30,000 pounds) deal from Lyon to get Greenwood, who was the captain. If I’m analyzing this correctly, Groenen can’t have gotten that much of a jump in my opinion. I wasn’t doing any comparisons with Ajax; I was just looking at pre and post transfer clubs and when those transfers happened. Now, if the statement was that van Lunteren was the only established starter to seemingly backtrack in her career trajectory, I’d have completely agreed. Van der Most has looked fine when I’ve seen her (i.e. Belgium, Slovenia, and maybe a sub appearance or two). It’s a small sample size though and no big opponents. Nouwen looks to be more of a threat offensively from the run of play than van der Gragt. She seems like a ball playing CB. Can’t really say much about her defending because she had very limited defending to do. Honestly, I’m not too worked up about the defense. Van Dongen, Bloodworth, Nouwen, and van der Most looks to be the back line going forward, and I’m fine with that since I don’t know of any clearly better options.
Wiegman has turned down interest from the USA https://www.ad.nl/nederlands-voetbal/succescoach-wiegman-verkiest-oranje-boven-vs~ab93250d/ Succescoach Wiegman verkiest Oranje boven VS Ondanks interesse van de Amerikaanse voetbalbond blijft Sarina Wiegman (50) tot en met het EK van 2021 in Engeland bondscoach van de Leeuwinnen. De succesvolle coach van de Oranjevrouwen heeft haar contract met één jaar verlengd. De oude verbintenis liep tot en met de Olympische Spelen in Japan van aankomende zomer. Daniël Dwarswaard 09-12-19, 17:20 Laatste update: 18:43
Why would the US look at Wiegman when they just got a coach? I don't read dutch so I would appreciate some help.
Hmm.... reading it on a translator, it claims she was U.S. Soccer's first choice for coach, ahead of Vlatko Andonovski.