Didn't see the match--hope to see a replay--but sounds like the Dutch were better than Brazil today, had more chances--but the finishing was poor. I saw two replays of missed opportunities. Van de Sanden had a great chance to one-time a nice centering pass into the net--she was directly in front of the goal--but she scuffed it badly. Van de Donk had a great chance to chip the keeper and score from top of the box on a breakaway, but she didn't shoot and a fast-arriving defender knocked the ball away. I read that there were at least three other decent/good chances--Groenen, Miedema and again Van de Sanden--but the first two missed the net and Van de Sanden shot it at the keeper. I'm a big fan of Van de Sanden but she is not a great finisher, to say the least. She is good with her head but she does not know how to place shots with her foot. I'm sure all the teams are a bit rusty. Two games in France and only 1 goal scored. I see that Wiegman moved Beerensteyn to right back--taking Van Lunteren's position. I think it's a good move as Beer is athletic and physical enough to work the flank. And Bloodworth was moved from centerback to left back, which I also think is a good move, in theory, depending on whether Nouwen or someone else can handle centerback. I'm curious to hear assessments of how Nouwen did today.
Nouwen did quite well I have to say, only on one occassion did she gloriously miss-time a tackle on a Brazil break but was an acceptable risk to take with backup not far away. Rusty is indeed how this game could be summed up, the passing was woeful at times, particularly from vd Donk and vd Sanden. Nouwen and vd Gragt could work but I'd rather see Bloodworth playing centrally as she lacked the pace against the Brazil players to make anything happen offensively. If Nouwen was a lefty she could definitely take that spot. RIght back: still harbouring some hope v. Lunteren will show up for the Olympics . Quite understandable she wanted a break from international football (and perhaps the demanding Wiegmann approach) for a little while. Saw on instagram her new house has almost completed it's build as well. Obvious choice to try first, with Lunteren and vd Most (knee injury, out for months and will definitely miss the Olympics) out of the picture, I would have thought was v. Es since she is right-footed but still not getting an opportunity. Roord was supposed to play instead of vd Sanden as well but picked up a slight injury [before the match or something], Beerenstein of course was then supposed to overlap but now with vd Sanden in front of her it didn't quite work out. vd Donk didn't bring anything (again), she started out her career as a right back at PSV, maybe they should move her back there again and let Roord or Pelova play in a proper position . I saw v.Diemen mentioned in the previous thread and she is indeed one of the U17 squad I mentioned that is bound to be a senior international in the future. The other one is still her partner in defence I noticed in the Tricontinental Cup (Auee, who kinda reminds me of Nouwen except perhaps better defensively and weaker on the ball; read she was considering a scholarship from Texas Christian for next season). But as you can see in this list of 20 biggest talents (hadn't seen in mentioned?), there is a lot of competition for that position: https://nos.nl/artikel/2315535-toek...en-de-20-grootste-talenten-van-nederland.html
Should rather be this list from the year before that holds a lot of central defenders: https://nos.nl/artikel/2264633-toekomst-van-oranjevrouwen-de-20-grootste-talenten-van-nederland.html Don't think it was TCU for Auee but some Baptist University, (TCU I would have recognised but what I read was completely unknown to me and sounded like a small school). Can now only find a reference to living in Dallas next season: https://www.destentor.nl/amateurvoe...a-dieren-en-zwolle-door-naar-dallas~afa5512b/ (being named captain for the Tricontinental Cup came as a surprise as well apparently). Edit: Dallas Baptist University, letter of intent signed.
Pretty much agree with desinho on Nouwen. The first chance van de Sanden missed (the one you highlighted) was one of two very good team moves in the game. Beerensteyn to Groenen to Miedema to van de Sanden. She just took her eye off the ball and mishit it. Miedema’s miss was the other great team move. Van de Donk to Spitse to Miedema for a great give-and-go with Groenen. Not the worst miss, but she’ll want that back. I think van de Donk was caught in two minds from the get go with her chance, and she ended up not playing in Martens or shooting. Groenen’s chance wasn’t the easiest, but it’d be nice if her finishing started to match the quality of her movement. Van de Sanden had a half chance and a great chance on Miedema feeds in the 2nd half; it just wasn’t her day. I’m admittedly biased, but the Dutch were definitely the better side. They defended well as a whole and created enough to win by at least a goal or two in my opinion.
Well, you sometimes have to take a fan saying the team he or she supports was the better side with a grain of salt. That being said, I probably shouldn’t have felt the need to add that qualifier; the Dutch were clearly more dangerous throughout the match.
Scattered thoughts: Van de Sanden just isn't a great finisher. She is with her head but she struggles to convert with her feet. She could have chipped the keeper in the second half when Miedema sent her through on goal with the great pass--but didn't. She hits the ball well, often--but it's usually right at the keeper. Would have been a goal if she'd chipped it. Likewise, Van de Donk could have chipped the keeper as well on her breakaway--but maybe thought she had more time than she did; the Brazilian defender closed very quickly, to her credit, and Van de Donk didn't even get a shot off. Frustrating. I always think that professional players should be able to shoot better with their off foot--but many don't. Groenen missed her chance/half chance in the first half largely because the ball was on the left side of her body, and she was on the left side of the Brazilian goal (from her position) and yet she struck the ball with her right foot. She couldn't get her hips turned sufficiently to get the ball on net. It was a ball that needed to be kicked with the left foot. Van de Sanden had--and took--and a shot close to goal with her left foot--but she couldn't do enough with it and ended up hitting it straight at the keeper. Again, I think a little chip would have gone in the net, but one needs Miedema-like talent to finesse a shot like that. As for Bloodworth at left back, she may not be ideal but she's probably better than Van Dongen. With Van Lunteren retired from international play--I, too, hold out faint hope that she will change her mind and don the orange again in time for Euro21 --and Van Es out of favor, and Van Most injured and out, the outside back position is one (two!) that needs fixing. I like the idea of Beerensteyn at right back. I don't know how she looked today but think she has the athletic qualities to handle the position. The decision to start Roord at outside forward (before her injury) was interesting. I think both she and Van de Donk have played some outside, but not sure either has the pace and qualities one wants at that spot.
Injuries and health issues are putting a damper on the Tournoi de France for The Netherlands. Pelova, as we know, had knee discomfort and was sent home. Now young centerback Nouwen and the goalkeeper coach have been sent home because the district where they live in Holland as some coronavirus worries or somesuch. Both the player and the keeper coach are said to have a cold but not a fever and do not have the virus, so this is a precautionary move. It's unfortunate because the Dutch need both Nouwen and Pelova to get some international playing experience. Meanwhile, Roord is out of action again today with her upper leg injury, and Miedema is questionable, also with a knock to an upper leg. I'm betting she won't play today either. And then there was this from a Dutch paper, I think (can't remember from which site I pulled it!) "During the practice tournament Tournoi de France, Sarina Wiegman focuses on the defense game of the Dutch squad. For example, the national coach of Dutch football players experimented in the match against Brazil (0-0) with attacker Lineth Beerensteyn as right back, because the regular right back Desiree van Lunteren bade farewell to the Dutch team. Daniëlle van de Donk confessed that she had tried to change Van Lunteren's mind, but to no avail. "I thought Desiree was the best player at the World Cup with us. No other player has impressed me that much. I am going to miss her very much, because I have always enjoyed playing with her ", says Van de Donk, who was satisfied with the performance of stand-in Beerensteyn." There were still some beginners mistakes, but she is right I once played as a right back myself, but that was a long time ago. " Ends--
One more thing: I saw that the U.S. U19 team beat the Dutch U19 team in a friendly in La Manga, Spain yesterday, 2-1. KNVB has the story. The Dutch gave up two goals in quick succession early in the match--something like the 14 and 18th minutes--off of mistakes in the back but The Netherlands scored late in the first half to cut the deficit to 1. According to the Dutch coach, the Dutch "played the United States off the grounds" in the 2nd half but couldn't turn all the possession into great scoring chances and failed to equalize. He said his team was far more technical than the Americans, which isn't a huge surprise. In any case, nice to see the team perform well in the 2nd half against a top youth opponent and too bad they couldn't get a deserved result.
https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/the-netherlands-2020.2108631/page-2#post-38553751 Kalma vervangt geblesseerde Miedema 7 mrt 2020 21.32 uur Kalma replaces injured Miedema
I take the “we ran them off the Pitch” stuff with a raised eyebrow. About the only worse excuse is “we shoulda scored”. you are trying to play out of a hole, the other team isn’t.. and you got in the hole from poor play. if you had such great dominance, why weren’t you scoring before the USA did?? A team thats ahead will let you pass the ball around all day. It kills clock. Even Barcelona sits back and counters sometimes with a lead.
I didn't see the match--but would like to find a replay--only reporting what I read on a Dutch website about the game and the coach's comments. Dutch coaches and media tend to be extremely candid about how their national squads play--whether positive or negative. It's true that in the end you've got to put the ball in the net--but I highly doubt that the U.S. sat back and let The Netherlands pass the ball around. That's never what the U.S. wants to do. And I don't doubt that the Dutch were more technical than the Americans. It's hard to get much info on a lot of U.S. youth NT games if they're friendlies. I do not like the US Soccer website at all.
Wilms starting at right fullback for the Dutch today. Didn't really see the first half so can't comment on her play so I hope she carries on the 2nd half. The Netherlands needs some good young players to take over the outside back spots. Bloodworth with a dumb giveaway gifts the French a goal late in the first half to make the score 2-1, Netherlands. Need a strong second half.
Good grief: I only saw the very end of the first half--just in time to see Bloodworth give France a goal with a terrible giveaway--and I'm sorry I watched the second half. Except for a class goal by Martens, set up nicely by Beerensteyn, the Dutch were absolutely terrible in the second frame. France was just far too fast, quick and athletic for The Netherlands; their mids and fowards ran circles around the Dutch mids and defenders, who seemed like they were wearing lead cleats. It was embarrassing, really. Van Es, Roord, Spitse, Wilms--the whole group couldn't cope with the athletic French. What was disappointing was that there was very little good possession soccer by the Dutch, which you HAVE to have when playing a more athletic and pacy team. The Dutch seemed unnerved by the French pressure and were just poor: they were beaten to the ball constantly, made bad passes, got dispossessed, fouled a lot. After Spitz was called for a handball in the box, which led to France tying the game at 2, it seemed only a matter of time before France would win it--but in fact the Dutch took the lead again--way against the run of play-- at the 76' mark on Martens goal and then tried to hang on for the last 18' (including stoppage time). The hung on for 17 minutes, alas, and then gave up the tying goal in the waning seconds of the game when Wilms got beat on the wing, and then a centering pass was nearly knocked in by the French only to roll past the goal mouth. It seemed like the Dutch might be saved--but another French player was waiting for the ball on the other side, and she centered again, and Sarr--one of at least half-a-dozen thoroughbreds for France, equalized with the Dutch defenders scrambling and falling all over themselves. That was a shame, but one can't say it was unexpected. It's nice that the Dutch won Euro17 because they won't win Euro21 or the Olympics because the team has serious talent issues in the back and probably needs at least two years, if not longer, for some of the younger talent to reach a level where they can play effectively for the national team. The outside back situation is absolutely dire: Van Es was game today, played her tail off, but just isn't athletic enough to defend a team with the forward talent of France--but that was true of just about everybody on the Dutch side except the forwards. It's too early to say whether Wilms might be the answer at one of the spots, as she struggled today, like everybody--but she did score a goal, which was very nice for her. If I'm Wiegman, I'm begging Van Lunerten to come back and give the National Team one more go for Euro21. The centerback position isn't much better. I've never seen Bloodworth play worse than she did today at centerback. Bad decisions, bad passes. I think she and Van der Gragt can be OK--or better; after all, they helped lead Holland to the WC final--but they lack the quickness to deal with a team like France and there are as good as the Dutch have got. Nouen seems like another big player who would be left in her tracks by speedy, athletic forwards. And the same goes for Kerkik. What's more, Van der Gragt was injured again today. I did not see the play, but saw her walking off the field with a trainer and not looking happy. She seemed to have a very slight limp. I very much hope she doesn't have another knee issue. She's been plagued by knee problems and seems likely to have a premature end to her career because of them. And while the midfield situation is more solid and dependable, that group could use another good young player or two as well. You watch the French and wonder: How did that group not win the World Cup? And how was The Netherlands leading going into the last seconds of the game? I think it was a tribute to the grit and resourcefulness of the Dutch, so that's about the only positive note I can think of to end on!
Anyone who's followed the French since 2012 should not be asking how that group did not win the World Cup. It's confusing to me how France is always still a big favorite going into major tournaments; their results for most of the previous decade didn't justify such confidence in their ability. Bad luck for you. It wasn't perfect, but I thought the Dutch looked pretty comfortable for the first half before Bloodworth's defensive error. They might not have handled the press that well at times, but France created few dangerous openings in that first half. I don't disagree with a lot of what you say, but I thought van de Sanden and Beerensteyn also didn't help matters with a number of their touches. Her great play for Martens' goal is the only good control under pressure from Beerensteyn in the second half I remember at the moment.
Even without France's history of underperforming, it's not surprising given the match today. For all their dominance, they didn't actually create that much from what I remember (will try and watch again if I can), and the equalizer was a whole sequence of defensive errors from the Dutch rather than good/great play from the French players.
Nouwen is by far the fastest central defender of the bunch, if any of them won't be left dead in their tracks it will be her. I certainly hope it was an eye opener for Wiegman as the commentator also mentioned it was the French playing like the Dutch aim to. Still maintaining you never will as long as Spitse is running the midfield. Roord get's positioned all over the field for club and country, it would be nice if she at least could get a couple of games on this spot. Vd Donk did quite well in Groenen's spot before she got injured. Leaving Groenen free to bump Spitse out. With vd Gragt and Nouwen in her back should he do-able. Kaagman also did quite well in midfield, can also shoot from distance and could replace Roord (but probably won't knowing Wiegman by now). Didn't see much of the second half, too tempting to watch Leipzig humiliating Spurs [emoji16].
I've been re-watching all of The Netherlands matches in the World Cup. Still have game one, against New Zealand, and the final against the U.S. to watch (may skip that one!), but it's been fun to relive the excellent WC run by the Dutch. On the whole the team played quite well. It was a group with quite a lot of talent and chemistry--and everyone worked hard against some strong defensive opponents. Spitse played well in the WC, as did the midfield generally. Van Lunteren was particularly good throughout: She's not great in attack--very few outside backs really are--but she bossed the right side of the field in at least two or three games, including the Semifinal against Sweden. She will be greatly missed for a while. I'm still not sure why Van Es was benched in favor of Van Dongen following, I think, the Cameroon game. She wasn't at all bad in that game, that I saw. I hate it that the Euros have, or may be, postponed for a year as I've already been looking forward to that tourney, which will be crazy competitive whenever it happens. Anybody heard anything about Van de Donk's ankle injury?
Maybe I need to rewatch it, but I remember thinking van Es was poor vs Cameroon. That being said, van Dongen did struggle as much in one match; I don’t quite remember which. A lot of people seemed to get on the Dutch’s case during the World Cup, but I also thought they did well as a whole. So many complaints were made about the quality of Sweden-Netherlands, but almost everyone decided to ignore how poor the second half of US-England was. The Euros are surely postponed since Dutch, Swedish, and English players are not going to play two major tournaments in one summer. Don’t know anything about van de Donk’s injury, but I think she’s still in a boot.
My two cents; the Dutch success over the last couple of major tournaments can be contributed primarily over 3 things; 1) producing quite a few superstars like Martens & Miedema, as well as decent backup for them) 2) Wiegman’s possible dragonian conditioning methods which kept them at full throttle in the major summer tournaments 3)Wiegman’s advanced.understanding that soccer needs to be ever evolving, in this case, way faster transitioning instead of the outdated, ball possession type of other NT but going back to 1)it helped having arguably 2 of the top 10 players in the world, but soccer is a team sport. Van de Sanden had shown potential of breaking into the top 10, but something gone astray with her; her timing was way off at the TOF from a few weeks ago & even Wiegman lost faith in her in the closing stages of the WC. I can only contribute this to playing for an over stacked pro club like Lyon who gave her a measly 200 minutes of playing time all season long. Midfield is a mixed bag; van de Donk looks brilliant at times/average on others. Spitse has an incredibly accurate, free kick, able to score countless goals with it, but lacks speed as an DM. Jill Roord has shown promise, but becoming a sort of jack of all trades(playing every position under the sun) has lost her identity. And don’t have to go into further detail what I think of our scoreless wonder from Man City.... that’s why it’s best to not go through the mids, which is what the Dutch did at Euro 2017(with long balls from the backs to forwards). Unfortunately opponents wised up to this & most countered by going into an shell(thus depriving the Dutch fast paced attacks) dunno what the future holds; I don’t see any budding superstars yet on their youth squads(Miedema in comparison was the leading scorer of the senior NT at the tender age of 17). I fear Germany has over taken them as the top NT in Europe(after all their coach is building her own squad of ‘mutant’ teens). on the good side; Netherlands’s registration of female soccer players of all ages is now 178K. That’s about equal to France(a country with more than 3 times of a population)and on par to about 3.75 mil(registered)if they had the US pop.
Ripping into the midfield when those three were critical in the Dutch getting to the World Cup final. I agree that Spitse’s game from open play isn’t the greatest, but her impact from set pieces made up for that. Van de Donk was quiet offensively, but she was her usual self from a work rate aspect. Groenen made a couple of clear mistakes, but she put up huge defensive numbers (tackles+interceptions) and made several good passes leading to chance creation. Martens was brilliant throughout the whole Euros, and Miedema showed up in the knockouts. However, overall, I don’t think you can attribute Dutch success at the World Cup to them. A number of players had better performances than them in France. Of course, you downplay our scoreless wonder’s performance in the Euros by saying the Dutch just bypassed the midfield. Groenen created the joint most chances from open play at the Euros and was defensively excellent throughout. Name one goal at that tournament (or even name a handful of chances) that was scored thanks to a long ball from a defender. Long balls leading to goals/chances were largely made by Martens, Groenen, and Spitse. The Dutch backline was easily the weakest area of the team at the 2017 Euros; I don’t know why you’re trying to rewrite history to elevate them while taking a shot at a midfield three that was excellent throughout the tournament. Again, we’ll just have to agree to completely disagree.
He is a troll. That's why he is rewriting history. Van de Donk news : 💬 Van de Donk on her ankle injury: "Luckily I didn't need to undergo surgery. I had to walk with protective boot for two weeks, but not anymore. I was allowed to take it off on Monday. I hope I can start running again next week." (https://t.co/HGE1ugWTlc) pic.twitter.com/oqTImSfe68— miedemastuff (@miedemastuff) March 26, 2020
I suspected she might have had the boot taken off since the last clip I saw, but I guessed incorrectly that she still had it on. Good news.