Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. L'orange

    L'orange Member+

    Ajax
    Netherlands
    Jul 20, 2017
    feyenoordsoccerfan repped this.
  2. hotjam2

    hotjam2 Member+

    Nov 23, 2012
    Club:
    Real Madrid
  3. hotjam2

    hotjam2 Member+

    Nov 23, 2012
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    my bad, looks like Bereensteyn starts over van de Sanden. That could be a mistake, but we'll see
     
  4. hotjam2

    hotjam2 Member+

    Nov 23, 2012
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    0-0 halftime, but the Swedes had the more dangerous chances as the Dutch gotten away from their high, long ball to the wides, game. hopefully they'll be able to once again have a stronger 2nd half
     
  5. L'orange

    L'orange Member+

    Ajax
    Netherlands
    Jul 20, 2017
    It's hard to win a World Cup with a stopgap left back. Van Dongen, to her credit, is working hard but she doesn't have the qualities one would like out there. She had a lot of errant passes and isn't quite physical or fast enough. Let's hope she plays tough in the second half. Her counterpart on the right, Van Lunteren, has been a beast--she was marvelous in that half.

    Swedes have been a bit quicker to the ball in the midfield. The Dutch need to make it happen in transition, get some corners, get the ball in the box. While Spitse has been good in this tourney, I think she has a tendency to want to settle play too much when the Dutch win the ball in midfield. Take the ball toward goal. I thought Miedema had a chance to shoot from the right side of the box after that nice backheel from Groenen but she didn't--ended up dribbling into traffic. Let it fly, girl! She might have had a goal early on when she attempted a shot but a Swedish defender got in on the ball right as she was kicking it. Oh, my. It was a tough, physical half of play. This game is looking like a 1-0 affair, so it is time for The Netherlands to score.
     
    blissett repped this.
  6. L'orange

    L'orange Member+

    Ajax
    Netherlands
    Jul 20, 2017
    Who is Roord in for?
     
  7. L'orange

    L'orange Member+

    Ajax
    Netherlands
    Jul 20, 2017
    I'm getting a sense that the Dutch are tired. Let's remember that they played four additional qualifying matches just to get into the World Cup. They had a light friendly schedule in the runup to France, but I wonder if the legs are getting weary--and this is a team that has not rotated its personnel at all.
     
  8. L'orange

    L'orange Member+

    Ajax
    Netherlands
    Jul 20, 2017
    Shoot the friggin' ball--and laser it into the box. The Dutch have a counter and they are constantly over-passing. Make a move and shoot. They dither with the ball and then one or two more Swedes get back behind the ball and the opportunity is lost.

    Roord in for Martens--I'm not sure how that's going to work out. Are we playing a 4-4-2 now?
     
    Reign Man repped this.
  9. hotjam2

    hotjam2 Member+

    Nov 23, 2012
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    well Groenen finally got one, and it was enough. Wiegmann got a little off the usual game plan, but the once again, excellent condtioning of the Dutch had the Swedes tired during overtime.
     
  10. L'orange

    L'orange Member+

    Ajax
    Netherlands
    Jul 20, 2017
    Ha, ha, ha, HotJam: You now have a spend a weekend as Jackie Groenen's butler. You are up for it, I hope! You underestimate her greatly. She is an absolute warrior on the pitch. Not a great finisher--and yet she had a superb finish today to win what was an absolute battle. I thought the Dutch were looking tired--wrong: They were more fit than the Swedes and cranked it up late, when it mattered. This is not just a talented team but very tough-minded.

    I think the Dutch futz around too much with the ball around the box--just shoot the damn thing. What was Van de Dong doing on the opportunity she had in the second half left of goal. She was close to goal, with no defender in front, only the keeper, and instead of just whelping the ball with her left foot she doodles around with the ball and doesn't even get a shot of. She worked very hard as usual but was up and down today.

    I can't imagine that the Dutch will have enough energy left after today to handle the U.S.--but we shall see. Playing the semifinals on two different days is completely unfair, let me say--and FIFA should change the Extra Time rule calling for 30 minutes regardless? Why 30 minutes after you've already played 95? It makes no sense. It should be one 15-minute period, and if someone scores during that period and sees out the period with the lead, the match should be over. To have to play another 15 minutes...why? What is the point after both teams have already played 110 minutes? It's a dumb rule.

    That's 12-straight big-tourney wins for the Dutch. Lucky 13?
     
    blissett repped this.
  11. L'orange

    L'orange Member+

    Ajax
    Netherlands
    Jul 20, 2017
    Van de Sanden could have sealed the win in the 2nd extra time period when she was in on goal--but she tried some weird toe poke on the ball and didn't really come close. You have to do better than that. She is a very good crosser of the ball but her striking and finishing leave a lot to be desired--although she did hit one well late in regular time that might have gone in had Lindahl not palmed it away--but even that shot could have been better placed, perhaps.

    I think the Dutch were pretty sloppy with their passing today at times--especially in the first half. Sweden did a good job of anticipating and intercepting passes--but a lot of passes were just inaccurate. Van Dongen was particularly bad, IMO, but she hung tough defensively even though she gave up a lot of corners.

    Van Lunteren is my player of the match--she had a huge game.
     
    Reign Man repped this.
  12. hotjam2

    hotjam2 Member+

    Nov 23, 2012
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    I wouldn't be putting down over-time, I think they might have a great chance of beating the US if it does go to o.t. as they were really well condtioned. But the defense gave up way too many corners & then looked suspect in defending them. Dont think either Martens toe is going to heel by Sunday
    This got to be the first we saw 2 of the 3 fwds missing at the same time. Van de Sanden needs to start next time around. Bereensteyn is only a good 1v1 player, but can't get behind the defense.
     
  13. L'orange

    L'orange Member+

    Ajax
    Netherlands
    Jul 20, 2017
    What formation were the Dutch playing when they took out Martens and replaced her with Roord? Roord is a mid and certainly doesn't have the pace to play wide effectively. We might see Beerensteyn and Van De Sanden starting on Sunday and maybe Martens can give them 30 minutes in the second half.
     
  14. hotjam2

    hotjam2 Member+

    Nov 23, 2012
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    looked like Roord took over van de Donk's spot while the latter moved over to Martens left wing side
     
  15. Probably Roord was placed between the defense and the midfield.
     
  16. L'orange

    L'orange Member+

    Ajax
    Netherlands
    Jul 20, 2017
    One thing about Van de Donk: She knows how to work an official. She is an absolute expert at drawing fouls. I know she led Arsenal this past season in drawing fouls--or maybe she led the entire league in drawing fouls, I can't remember.

    I was worried that Spitse was going to get a second yellow today. She is a physical player and very good at putting her body on opponents--throughout a match--and very rarely gets carded. She got booked today, however, and I thought she might get another but managed to avoid it, thankfully, in what was physical match.
     
    Reign Man repped this.
  17. Ethan Frank

    Ethan Frank Member+

    Chelsea
    United States
    Jun 11, 2019
    True, but I actually thought Roord was pretty good as a whole out wide. It seemed like she might have played more central at times though.
     
  18. I think she was placed to aid the defense when necesary and help the attack when possible.
     
  19. Ethan Frank

    Ethan Frank Member+

    Chelsea
    United States
    Jun 11, 2019
    Wiegman said in the press conference that Roord started out wide in place of Martens, then van de Donk played out wide like you posted, and then, the two kind of just interchanged with each other.
     
  20. L'orange

    L'orange Member+

    Ajax
    Netherlands
    Jul 20, 2017
    Why is this team struggling so much in the attacking third? They do good work in the middle of the field, win the ball, get the ball down around the opponent's box--and then struggle to find openings, struggle to combine--and in the end struggle to create quality chances. I saw this in the first half of the Italy match and it was the same today. I would like to hear Wiegman get asked this question. It is of course a combination of reasons, but it's been frustrating. To their credit, the Dutch do seem to get stronger as the game goes along. I think it was Bloodworth who said at the pre-match press conference that the Dutch hoped they could wear down Sweden, and that's what they did, and what they've done to other teams (except for the Japan!). It would be nice to see this team test the opposing keeper at least a couple of times in the first 45. But maybe I'm being picky--they are in the final, so they're doing a lot of things right!
     
    Reign Man and blissett repped this.
  21. hotjam2

    hotjam2 Member+

    Nov 23, 2012
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    well obviously Wiegmann gotten away from the previous game plan of consistantly long balling it to van de Sanden & Martens. There's several reasons for this,

    1)Martens broken toe & van de Sanden's exhausting lately

    2)opposing teams getting wise to this & bunkering

    3)Wiegmann not wanting to look too predictable, hence, from day one(vs NZ) we saw that tactic of coming down the middle with grounded, short passes (rather than going wide with high balls)

    it be hard to figure out what strategy will work this time? If we scout the US; we know by now they like to go on an all out blitzkrieg for the first 15 mins or so. but in doing so thy pull their back line way up(possibly to the halfway line). This is when we need to strike back via high, long balls. That's why I hope van de Sanden starts this time(as well as Martens, broken toe n all)

    but it's really going to be hard, defending wise. Tobin Heath will burn Van Donegen, 1v1, look for the US to especially go to her). The Swede, Alsani, an slightly above average playmaker, had a field day penetrating vs Spitse?

    The US has a deep bench, so much so that now Americans are openly boasting that it's got the world's 2nd best team sitting on the bench(cmpare that with Wiegmann & her two subs in 120 min. of play) Here's a poll that got at right now, the US winning with 6-1 odds.
    WWC19 USA v THE NETHERLANDS, FINAL, pre/pbp/post | Page 2 | BigSoccer Forum
    anybody wants to give their opnion how the Dutch can win this shindig?
     
  22. The match vs Sweden was watched by over 5 million in the Netherlands and made it the best watched soccer match in the last 5 years:eek:
    The Euro 2017 Final pulled in 4.1 million!
    Wonder what the numbers for this Final are going to be.
     
    Gilmoy and L'orange repped this.
  23. I would start with a fresh Beerensteyn over Martens with her toe problem, even if it's just to keep the US defenders and midfielders holding back from running rampant forwards in the first 30 minutes. If they have to take in account two sides of speedy players looking for the ball dropping behind the defensive lie, their MO game plan is sabotaged. Let Beerensteyn wear down the midfielder and defender on the left side with intense play, so that Lieke can make the second half appearance against not so fresh players.
     
    blissett repped this.
  24. It's always stupid to have in a final odds that wide, while the opponent is the Euro Champions and havenot lost a single match in the last two tournements. It's a great opportunity however to make a small inlay bet with a potential huge pay out.
     
  25. L'orange

    L'orange Member+

    Ajax
    Netherlands
    Jul 20, 2017
    Anybody wants to give their opinion how the Dutch can win this shindig?

    Well, the first thing Dutch fans must hope for is that the team has sufficient energy and legs to play a competitive final, given that they played an extra time game yesterday and now have one fewer day of rest. (FIFA should change its extra time rule to 1 15-minute period, not 2. If a team scores to take the lead and sees out the period, the match is over and the team with the lead wins. If there is no score, then, but only then, do you play a second 15-minute period. I don't understand why FIFA thinks it necessary to play a full 30 minutes--it makes no sense. If you are behind after 110 minutes, you deserve to lose--that is more than enough time.)

    Beyond energy, the Dutch must defend and defend well in the first part of the game, get the ball out of their defensive half and down the field, and then hope that the midfield gets going and The Netherlands can grow into the game. The U.S. might go after Van Dongen, but Heath does not worry me so much as other forwards who have great pace. Heath is clever and good with the ball--and whle she has some pace, she is not all that speedy. The English did not mark tightly enough in the first 30 minutes of their semi, did not get up on the ball tightly enough, and gave the U.S. players time to get crosses off. The U.S. moves the ball around nicely, the players know each other very well and they have can score with different people in different ways--that is their strength and thus the challenge for the Dutch. The Americans like to get balls into the box and onto heads, and so the marking has to be comprehensive and good. England did not do a good job defensively in the first 30 minutes and paid the price.

    The thing underdogs always must do is get a foothold in the game, and then try to gain some confidence in the game as it goes along. Getting into the game means not giving up an early goal. The U.S. has scored early in all of its matches, so keeping the ball out of its net is Job No. 1 for The Netherlands. After that, as I say, try to get some possession going and hope that the midfield trio can win ball battles with Ertz, Horan, etc. --and, yea, get the ball down the flanks and hope that Van de Sanden and Martens can do something with it, and maybe Miedema can find some space to receive passes and shoot, which hasn't happened much at all in this tourney. The Dutch have been underestimated throughout this tourney, so maybe they can use that as motivation in this final game.
     

Share This Page