2021 The Netherlands thread

Discussion in 'Women's International' started by desinho, Jan 22, 2021.

  1. Dutch first selection by Parsons:
    upload_2021-9-8_15-21-4.png

    He added 22-yo Caitlin Dijkstra from FC Twente with her first call up.
    Matches are sept'17th vs Czechs and sep'21st vs Iceland.
     
  2. L'orange

    L'orange Member+

    Ajax
    Netherlands
    Jul 20, 2017
    Do you know anything about Bajings and Dijkstra?

    Players are JUST getting into the swing of club action after the Olympics and yet another international match (WC qualifier) is only 9 days away! Crazy.

    Apparently, Spitse is healthy again. That's good news--but Wilms and Smits still out. Has anyone heard what's ailing Smits?
     
  3. desinho

    desinho Member

    Liverpool FC
    Spain
    Aug 7, 2007
    Holland
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina


    Now Casparij is someone who has shown flashes of offensive potential at right wing but has been (mis)used as a utility player at Twente last season (and this), mostly at right back. The lack of speed in the Twente offense has been exposed by Benfica and she is one of the few with some proper pace (shown to bring that change of pace as a substitute in attack for Twente before becoming the starting right back as the season went along but also played on the left at times)
    I guess Dijkstra fancies herself as a central defender. Signed for Twente this season, coming from Ajax (where the signing of vd Gragt pushed her into compeition for a midfield spot and subsequently the signing of Spitse cut her playing time even more). The Dijkstra - van Es central pairing has looked quite weak so far for Twente, van Es certainly has no business playing there after the latest league performance (4-1 defeat at home to a weaker team). Dijkstra seemed like a natural midfielder to me when I saw her playing there at Ajax so probably the typical Dutch 'footballing defender' type rather than a real defender :D
     
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  4. L'orange

    L'orange Member+

    Ajax
    Netherlands
    Jul 20, 2017
    I saw a brief translation of Miedema comparing new NT coach Mark Parsons to Wiegman. She said that while Wiegman was direct wit her comments, didn't talk a lot and focused on technical aspects of play--in other words, very Dutch--Parson is talkative and seems keen on building team spirit. And of course she noted that the players had to all start listening/talking in English, which I doubt will be too much of an issue. Parsons has said that people told him that following Wiegman and her success would be difficult--but he's clearly ambitious, has a lot of experience for a guy who's only 35, seems to have a high degree of respect for the squad and the players, and he wants to push the team to an even higher level of play. I hope he can. As always, it will be interesting to see his personnel decisions as we move along.
     
  5. shlj

    shlj Member+

    Apr 16, 2007
    London
    Club:
    FC Nantes
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    I just hope he is learning Dutch right now. And from my conversations with him, he is a nice guy.
     
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  6. Bauser

    Bauser Member+

    Dec 23, 2000
    Norway
    Club:
    Fredrikstad FK
    Weird demands. For me that would be an issue. And I'm quite sure also for x number of players in that squad.
     
  7. shlj

    shlj Member+

    Apr 16, 2007
    London
    Club:
    FC Nantes
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    I think the schooling system in the Netherlands is quite good in term of foreign languages. When I was uni with students from around the world, many of them were able to speak fluently two, three or even four languages.
     
  8. Klingo3034

    Klingo3034 Member+

    Dallas FC
    United States
    Oct 11, 2019
    I’m sure they can just use google translate.
     
  9. Bauser

    Bauser Member+

    Dec 23, 2000
    Norway
    Club:
    Fredrikstad FK
    For me it's not about that. A national team is different than a multicultural top club team where such language guidelines would be understandable. But forcing Dutch players to communicate in English between each other is unnatural. Making such a demand as a young head coach is quite odd, but may be I'm reading too much into it.
     
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  10. :ROFLMAO:
    That is so bad.
    I myself use it for a quick translation of the text and then go through the translation to correct the errors, sometimes google missing the point of a text completely.
     
  11. L'orange

    L'orange Member+

    Ajax
    Netherlands
    Jul 20, 2017
    Google translation is funny with names. Groenen always comes out as "Greens."
     
  12. Ethan Frank

    Ethan Frank Member+

    Chelsea
    United States
    Jun 11, 2019
    Between each other? I assumed it's just when conversing with Parsons or maybe in training when he's overseeing a particular exercise/drill/scrimmage.
     
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  13. L'orange

    L'orange Member+

    Ajax
    Netherlands
    Jul 20, 2017
    Yes, I think it's just when interacting with the coach during training--not at all times. I'm sure that is all that Miedema meant with the comment.
     
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  14. Klingo3034

    Klingo3034 Member+

    Dallas FC
    United States
    Oct 11, 2019
    Think many of the players know English well since many play in FA WSL and he’s British so they know the accent.
     
  15. JanBalk

    JanBalk Member+

    Jun 9, 2004
    I think most of the players a fluent in it since they are Dutch and not very old.
     
  16. WoSoFan

    WoSoFan Member

    Dec 23, 2017
    On the Lyon team I have heard interviews with Endler and a Spaniard done in English.
     
  17. L'orange

    L'orange Member+

    Ajax
    Netherlands
    Jul 20, 2017
    The Dutch need a late Miedema goal to rescue a tie against Czech Republic. Very surprising, but then Dutch struggled to score in WC qualifying last time and had to go through playoff just to get in the tourney. I’m sure Parsons is chagrined. Didn’t see match; sounds like Dutch had quite a few chances but could put nothing away. KNVB story on match seemed to question the fact that Van de Sanden (rather than Beer)!and Folksmerta started and Spitse left in bench, but the writer is being petty. Beerensteyn has typically been a second-half sub, and who else but Folksmerta should play RB with Wilms out? She admittedly hasn’t impressed me that much but she has very little International experience and need to see if she can grow into the role. Otherwise, you’d have to put Janssen there and bring in Van Dongen to play LB. But Janssen’s natural position is on the left. And Spitse is coming off a new injury. Dutch men always struggle with the Czechs, and now too the women. I was shocked at how high the Czechs were playing when Miedema scored at 82’.
     
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  18. Klingo3034

    Klingo3034 Member+

    Dallas FC
    United States
    Oct 11, 2019
    Czech did a good job til that Miedema goal but it was a good interception and pass.
     
  19. kolabear

    kolabear Member+

    Nov 10, 2006
    los angeles
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Good post and analysis, but it's funny in that I think Parsons, as a new coach in his first game, should be good-natured and relaxed about it
    It's kind of a key early moment for him, isn't it?

    In spite of a couple gripes I have about Parsons, he's a very good coach and I think he might be capable of doing just that, of joking with his team about the tie and setting an atmosphere around his team which isn't oppressive

    • "Now I see why Sarina left"
    • "Is this your way of telling me to go back to America?"
    • "Is this how you always test your new coaches, to see if their hearts can take it?"

    I think he has to be pleased that, like the US and like (he hopes) his Portland Thorns, Netherlands has real firepower, a real ability to attack and pour on the pressure when it needs to. But soccer is sometimes soccer. Sometimes the ball just wants to hit the woodwork instead of going into the net.

    I'm very interested in hearing how Parsons handles this moment with his team, with Netherlands. So if any of you hear anything...

    I like Netherlands a lot so I hope for their sake — and for their fans — that the new coach shows a really good side to him
     
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  20. L'orange

    L'orange Member+

    Ajax
    Netherlands
    Jul 20, 2017
    Thanks for those post-match Parsons quotes. I think it's good that he could make some lighthearted comments. I mean, it's a disappointing result but I don't really think there's a lot he can do with this team. It's a talented, veteran group--still in its prime. He can tweak some things, of course--but by and large he's going to have to let them do their thing--and their thing is usually pretty darn good, but they do seem to have trouble putting the damn ball in the net in WC qualifiers.

    As for personnel decisions, with Wilms injured--I hope not for too much longer, but who knows--RB is an issue, but options seem to be limited. And then he has to decide whether to play Roord in the midfield or up top, as Wiegman was doing, again bringing Beerensteyn in as a sub and perhaps limiting Van de Sanden's minutes. With Roord as a forward, Spitse would move back int her starting midfield role. Spitse is 31 now but there's hardly anyone in the game who can deliver long balls/free kicks with her accuracy.

    Otherwise, what other possible moves are there? Maybe give more minutes to Pelova--who apparently hit the post late--and Kaagman? Poor Kaagman has been a solid/good player in the FA WSL--she was on somebody's team of the week last week, and she can score--but Wiegman almost never played her. Given that Groenen (who is super) isn't a real scorer, and given that goals have been hard to come by in a lot of these WC qualifiers, maybe you give Kaagman some minutes--though of course the Dutch have plenty of others on the field who can put the ball in the net.

    Let's hope for better against Iceland, though they'll be another physical, defensive oriented opponent.

    Meanwhile, Wiegman's England squad wins 8-0--ouch--though admittedly over a team a lot worse than the Czech Republic.
     
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  21. kolabear

    kolabear Member+

    Nov 10, 2006
    los angeles
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Oh, sorry, I misled you. Parsons didn't (as far as I know) make any comments like that. Those are things I'm hoping he said or something to their effect.

     
  22. L'orange

    L'orange Member+

    Ajax
    Netherlands
    Jul 20, 2017
    Ha: I thought you were being serious--and they actually are comments I could see Parsons making....perhaps!

    Saw the highlights: Czech goalie made one exceptional save, and a Czech defender managed to save a goal with her head--both in first half. Martens should have scored--hit the bottom of the cross bar. Nouwen and Miedema at least rescue a point--great play by the centerback.
     
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  23. Disapproving Hippo

    Manchester United
    United States
    Jan 17, 2021
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That was a little bit disappointing but I believe the girls' psyche is just a bit out of whack right now dealing with such big change as having a new manager.
     
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  24. Ethan Frank

    Ethan Frank Member+

    Chelsea
    United States
    Jun 11, 2019
    Yeah, Groenen should have tucked away that chance; I'm not sure how the ref didn't give a corner for that though. I hope the Groenen-Spitse sub won't be a routine thing for Parsons; van de Donk and Roord are more likely to score themselves, but I don't think the team as a whole is any less likely to score with Groenen in place of one of them. I would have subbed on Spitse for van de Donk or Roord and pushed Groenen further up, but so be it.

    I wouldn't go so far as saying Martens should have scored, but it was indeed a chance that she's capable of putting away. A bit unlucky there, and Pelova was unlucky on her shot as well. Not included in the highlights, but Groenen and van de Sanden combined to set up a pretty decent header opportunity for Miedema in the 1st half that I think she normally at least gets on target. She maybe could have done better on a van de Donk cross in the 2nd half, but that header chance was more difficult. It was very much an off day in crossing/finishing for the Dutch.

    Very good play indeed from Nouwen. That was elite defensive work and a great carry and assist.

    Peculiar decision making from van de Donk on the Czech Republic's goal. I think she could have controlled the ball with her chest and then booted it forwards. The stooped header attempt looked very unnatural.
     
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