The Netherlands 2019

On the first Spain goal R. Jansen was late getting over to cover the winger who made the cross, and then van Lunteren, normally very reliable, got beat into the box by the player (Hermosa, I think), who scored the goal.

I'm interested to know why Jansen was playing left back: Was it simply out of necessity--the coaches wanting to give Van Es a rest and not having anyone else? I think Van Dongen could have played the spot; she is, I think, an experienced defender, unlike Jansen, but it appears there was a plan for Van Dongen to play centerback in the second half, replacing Van der Gragt who is working to get game fit again, so maybe the Dutch didn't have another fullback option. Or maybe they really wanted to get a look at Jansen in another position? My instinct tells me that it was mostly out of necessity.

Speaking of Van Dongen, she was at fault on the second Spain goal: She opted to move inside to cover the ball--but the ball was already being covered--and in doing so failed to cover the Spanish player on the outside, who got the pass and slipped the ball past Geurts. Basic, fundamental mistake.

One really saw yesterday the Dutch problem with depth. There is, sadly, almost no quality depth. The starting 11 is and will be good, especially if Van der Gragt gets fit again and the coaches can settle on the starting centerbacks. But other than Beerensteyn, The Netherlands have no players who can come in for starters and play at almost the same level. Am I missing anybody? I don't think so. In contrast, the U.S. could put a second unit on the field at every position and lose little to nothing in quality. England could almost do the same, I think. No so The Netherlands. Let's hope the U20s have some players with potential--but I wonder about that, too. Pelova is one, but if there were other really promising young players, we might have seen them with the national team by now, and we haven't. A bit worrisome for fans!

 

Van der Gragt has pain in one of her thighs and has left the Dutch training camp--just when it looked like the starting centerback was past her various injury issues and ready to get match fit again. The young woman just can't seem to get healthy. It's crazy--disappointing. If she isn't able to get on the freakin' field and play, and soon, she's going to be watching the World Cup on TV, I'm afraid. And the Dutch need her....

 

Saw highlights of the match against China. The Netherlands dominated and should have won it in regulation but the Dutch were a bit unlucky and not clinical in spots. Miedema had a nice header off a corner that hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced straight down and apparently didn't cross the goal line. A little later she thumped a shot from inside the box that the Chinese keeper saved with an extended leg--excellent save.

In the 2nd half Martens was in on goal and uncharacteristically missed the net--kind of symbolized how this tourney went for the Dutch. She could have/should have chipped the keeper, who, as keepers usually do, came charging out to cut down the angle--but she didn't and missed. It's amazing how many scoring opportunities are missed in the women's game by players who don't think to chip the ball over a keeper who comes running out low to the ground. Later in the half E. Jansen welped a very nice left-footed shot from top of box, right, that hit the underside of the crossbar, bounced straight down and...no goal. And so it went.

China scored in the first half on a centering pass that got through to an onrushing Chinese forward, who knocked it in. Dutch leftback Siri Worm--who was on the NT roster in the past but had been dropped, and then was brought to Portugal after the tourney started to fill the spot vacated by an injured Pelova--botched the play. She saw the ball and could see that a centering pass was likely to come; she saw her mark and was between her mark and the goal as the play unfolded, and yet her mark accelerated past her and beat her to the ball in front of goal. Terrible play and another example of weak play by a reserve. I believe Worm plays for Everton but must check to see if she starts. She seems too slow to be even an adequate defender at international level.

As I read it, the Dutch have only 1 more friendly scheduled between now and the World Cup. They play (mighty) Mexico on April 5. I thought they had a 2nd friendly scheduled--maybe one just announced?--but can't remember. Either way, it is a very light, soft schedule as prep for the World Cup, especially compared to what, say, the U.S. is doing--many games against a lot of good teams--but maybe it will work out for the Dutch, who pretty much know their starting lineup, the players know each other, and the big goal is to stay healthy between now and June. Fingers crossed!

 

Many thanks for the game clip!

I'd love to see Bloodworth in the midfield for The Netherlands. It is her preferred position, and she is a wonderful passer. I think it would upgrade the Dutch midfield--give it a bit more size and athleticism in the middle of the field. But it's not going to happen because 1) Spitse takes all of the free kicks for The Netherlands, and is good at them; 2) because she's the team leader--vocal and strong-minded on the field; and 3) because Bloodworth is most needed at centerback for a squad that has precious little defensive depth. You'd think that The Netherlands, with its own league, would have at least two good reserve centerbacks who could play in place of Dekker, who is 32 and slowish and does not have good ball skills, and Van der Gragt, who has been hurt for more than a year and can't seem to get healthy--but they don't! We saw that in the Algarve tourney, alas!

 

What's Groenen's injury? I hope it is not too serious, obviously. Happy to see Roord getting some playing time--she needs it. The Netherlands needs about 3 more players with the physical/football qualities of Bloodworth! Thanks for the game highlights.

 

Yea, I expected The Netherlands to beat Mexico by more than 2-0, as Mexico isn't very good, but seems like Dutch dominated the game. So much of football is about finishing chances. I was glad to see Van de Sanden actually taking shots as she in the past has passed up shooting opportunities to pass. Roord could have done a lot better with her last chance when she came in on goal from the left--it's a goal if she chips the ball, but it was her weak foot and she ended up with a weak shot directly at the keeper. Given that keepers in 1v1 situations are almost always coming out to challenge the ball in a low body position, the chip is often there and yet so few players do it.

I'm certainly not as confident in the Dutch potential at the WC as I was a few months ago--mainly because Van der Gragt is out and just can't get healthy (She's basically not played in a year and a half, at least, and my bet is that Barca will not renew her contract, whenever it comes up, because she's hardly been on the field since she signed with the Spanish side.) Without her Dekker has to play and she is not very fast and lately has been in the habit of making at least one big gaffe a game--including yesterday. Good teams will expose her, I fear. And while Bloodworth has all the size and athleticism you want in a centerback, and she's been forced into playing the position for the Dutch for a year, she's still not all that experienced at that position. And there are /no/ quality backups.

I'm glad Roord got a start--she needs it. My question about Roord is: Can she challenge effectively and win 1v1 battles in the midfield? That is what so impressed me and everybody else about Groenen in the Euro Championship--her tenacious play and ability to win challenges. You absolutely need one or two mids with that quality, and I haven't seen it from Roord--but then I haven't seen her play much because she hasn't been on the field much for either BM or the Dutch. Maybe it's there!

Canada is going to be a tough match for The Netherlands at the WC. I saw most of its match with England yesterday and while they are not great in attack, they are strong defensively. They are hard to score on. Buchanan and Lawrence, two of the three players on their back line, are very fast and athletic and hard to beat. Canada pressed England and was the better team in the first half of their match yesterday, and while England had much the better of play in the 2nd half, Canada stole the win thanks to a late Sinclair goal. (England looked a little off yesterday.) The Netherlands will have to pass and possess well in the match, for sure. If I'm the Dutch coaches I'm trying to score as many goals as possible in the first two matches (Cameroon and New Zealand) and hope for a draw against Canada and win the group on goal differential. Won't be easy but certainly possible.

 

Playing Australia as the last friendly before the World Cup seems a good move by The Netherlands, IMO. The Dutch have not played anyone above them in the world rankings for a /long/ time, as far as I can remember. I think the last top team they played was England in the Euro17 semifinals (and the Dutch were good that day). They need a good test--and Australia should provide it, though they certainly weren't very good against the U.S. a few days ago.

Why is Australia called the /Westfield/ Matildas? What does the word 'Westfield' signify? It's an odd term: Is Westfield where the NT is based or what?

 

The Dutch have named their World Cup 23 roster.

De WK-selectie!
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