The Netherlands 2019

Who do you like in this one? I suppose one factor will be whether both teams play their top lineups or will some starters be rested.

 

Beerensteyn can play on the left--but Wiegman is not going to bench Martens. She might rest her, but won't bench her--and you are overreacting. Martens had a good year for Barcelona and played well against NZ. She remains an excellent player who is in her prime. This is a very good group defensively--NZ, Cameroon and Canada are three of the best defensive teams in the tournament.

 

I have trouble rating a lot of players after merely watching a match on TV or on the PC--there are so many plays, so many individual challenges, aerial challenges, shots, completed passes/missed passes etc.--that it can be hard to evaluate players. You can tell with some players, for sure--it was obvious, for example, that Marten was more effective against New Zealand than against Cameroon. But with mids, I think it can be difficult. Some statistical services seem to boost a player's rating if s/he scores a goal, even if overall her performance was somewhat lackluster in other respects.

After today's England-Japan result, it is definite, isn't it, that the Group E winner gets Japan, with the second-place team getting Sweden assuming Sweden does not beat the U.S. tomorrow. You've got to be good with your passing in your defensive half when playing Japan as they are a quick group--quick individually, quick to loose balls and can counter pretty quickly. They also anticipate the target of opponent passes quite well. England was lucky not to have given up a goal today as they gave the ball away quite a few times in their half but managed to escape punishment. England, at the same time, pressed Japan into mistakes as well--and that is how they scored their first goal.

Will the Dutch roll out their regular starting field 10 tomorrow? I imagine so, but Wiegman might choose to rest a regular or two. Regardless of tomorrow's outcome, I like the side of the draw the Dutch are on. I'll say that much.

 

Absolutely: Groenen is an outstanding defensive mid who can also make penetrating passes, and she was excellent today--as were Spitse and Van de Donk, both of whom, I think, had their best games of the tournament. Those three really kept Canada on its heels for the middle two-thirds of the match. Canada's pacey, athletic outside banks created some problems--especially when the Canucks fell behind and they came forward more aggressively--but Van Dongen and Van Lunteren were solid, by and large. A good win today against a good opponent.

 

She struggled to be influential in attack--again--in my opinion. I think she's faced a lot of good defenders/defending in this tourney. She did pretty well against NZ, but found it tough going against the Cameroonian (sp?) defender who was quite fast and physical with her--and then today she was going up against A. Lawrence, who is one of the best defenders in the game, a player with size, pace and athleticism. Beerensteyn came in for Martens and made a difference--started and finished the game-winning goal. Beerensteyn is stronger, more physical than Martens--and we may see more of her going forward. At the same time, I think Martens may find it a little easier now that the Dutch are out of group play. Group E had some very good defensive teams.

 

Yes, the Dutch need more out of her, for sure--and I think they will get it.

 

Here's an article on one of the Dutch squad's unsung stars--Desiree Van Lunteren. A constant at right back for The Netherlands for a few years now, Van Lunteren is strong and dependable--one of the sinews of this excellent national team. The next match will mark the 75th cap for the 26-year-old. That is quite the accomplishment. Who knew that she started, like a lot of defenders, as an attacker--one who scored 67 goals in 166 games over 6 seasons for Ajax, playing at the no. 10 position. No wonder Van Lunteren chafes at any suggestion that she is only a defender--and indeed she has an assist at this World Cup. She played for Freiburg last year in the Bundesliga but did not like the experience and left after the season. The team doesn't have much money and the facilities were poor, she says, and there were too many long bus rides. She's now looking for a new team, and there ought to be a number of good squads who see her very considerable qualities.

https://www.topics.nl/desiree-van-l...ferrerUserId=45d8ca6afa254bf6bf7f3e645e8e5d3b

 

I'll be interested to see how these two teams play tactically today. Will it be an open game, which could be dangerous for both sides--maybe more dangerous for Japan than The Netherlands? Will both teams high press or sit back a bit? I think if I'm the Dutch I sit back a bit and really try to put the squeeze on Japan in the midfield area and then take my opportunities. I wouldn't have my forwards chasing a very good possession team all over the field and risk losing defensive shape. Japan will have its own worries. Win the midfield battle and win the game. I'd like to think we'll see more from Martens this match. She and Van de Sanden were both marked pretty tightly and pretty well in the group stage. Maybe they'll both find a bit more space today. Let's hope so!