“It’s not normal the number of balls Croon removes”

During Orange’s matches at the World Cup in India, an analyst is then asked to shed light on the performance of national coach Jeroen Delmée’s team. Today Bob de Voogd (146 international matches, 35 goals). He watched for us Netherlands-Chile (14-0).

“Well, I really have a nice game to analyze,” it sounds cynical and laughing from De Voogd’s mouth. The biggest win ever at a world championship immediately sparked discussions in the hockey world. Should countries like Chile be admitted to the World Cup? Wouldn’t it be better for the sport if the World Championship returned to a twelve-country format instead of sixteen?

No, De Voogd answers this last question firmly. Chile played well against New Zealand (3-1 loss) and Malaysia (3-2 loss). They could have easily scored a point in those games. In that case, they could have safely qualified for the knockout stage. Chile were unlucky in the last group game with the Netherlands, they ran into an opponent who wanted to stay in the flow and knocked him down. I think it’s good that countries like Chile have the chance to reach a knockout stage, so that they can develop further. In principle, the best countries already know with this format that they will survive the group stage, but that should not be a problem. The best matches are yet to come.

Jip Janssen scored four times against Chile at the World Cup in India. Photo: William Verne

Combinations (8)

“Of course, I could have given an even higher score, after the fourteen goals. But I’m not doing that. I’m trying to put this result into perspective. The Dutch kept it great, but it was against Chile It might have been a little messy at first, but once the spell was broken, it felt like a playground.

“Last week, I was on a hockey panel that included Moritz Fürste (three-time Olympian from Germany) and Mark Knowles (three-time Olympian from Australia). In it, Fürste said: you Aussies and Dutch never stop. The Germans stop playing hockey at 4-0, then they think it’s okay. But the Dutch and Australians are continuing, even though profits have long since returned, he said. In fact, you saw it yesterday. Personally, I think it’s good. The Oranges could have slowed down halfway through the game, but they kept going until the end. The fact that he ended up 14-0 is good for confidence.

Bob de Voogd is a fan of Thierry Brinkman. Photo: William Verne

Defense (7.5)

“I also want to put the performance of the defense into perspective. They have not been tested in this competition. I even believe that Pirmin Blaak did not touch a ball in the first half and Maurits Visser maybe two in the second half. They did what they had to do: take balls and start the game. The big question is of course how well they can keep the circle against the top countries, but luckily I don’t have to give that analysis in this game, haha.

“Offensively, the defenders made their contribution. Justen Blok scored his first goal for Orange. Jip Janssen (four times) and Teun Beins both scored from a corner. My compliments go to the guys on the wings: Tijmen Reyenga and Floris Wortelboer. They have so much running power. They really went on the attack. Excellent.’

‘I heard Maurits Visser say in an interview that he had taken into account that he was allowed to keep. His tension curve was therefore a little tighter in this match than in the previous two. A first pot like this is always exciting. But he held on well and made a great save. If necessary, the team knows he is ready. In this case, the initial tension is already gone with him.

Justen Blok scored his first goal for Orange against Chile. Photo: William Verne

Middle (8)

“Of course, we have already talked a lot about Orange counters. Where the focus may have previously been on attacks, you now see Orange playing from a strong organization. First defend all together, only when they have conquered the ball, wait impatiently. Jeroen Delmée has mastered this very well. ‘

“Not the defence, but the midfielder took the most balls against Chile. Typical was that goal from Derck de Vilder yesterday. He recovers the ball with his backhand, passes it, crosses it and hits it in the center These are the attacks you want to see.

𝐆𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐞 change and so it’s 2-0!💥
Derck de Vilder hits the ball fantastically 🤘#ZiggoSport #WKHockey #Orange pic.twitter.com/uOlIHM2BMv

— Ziggo Sport (@ZiggoSport) January 19, 2023

‘Seve van Ass also sets up a lot of attacks. And Jorrit Croon. It’s not normal how many balls he takes from the low midfield position. Yesterday he played two or three men with a lift and the whole court was opened up in one go. So there was room to combine wonderfully. I must add that it will be more difficult against the best countries. But the fact that Orange is ready to do defensive work first and then attack is very important. Belgium, Australia, Germany and Argentina will also think three times before taking risks. Every counter in the Netherlands is simply life threatening.

Attack (8.5)

“I thought the attack was the best line and I rate it with the highest score. Where there was still criticism on the attack in the first two games, I thought it was going well. Many players scored. The strikers are often selfish, but in this team we see that they give themselves a goal. It’s a good sign. You need it in important matches.

“I am a fan of Thierry Brinkman. He looks relaxed. It’s good for a team to have a rest point during peak hours. It is controlled, controlled and has feedback. He scores a lot of goals and often gives the right assist.

“The fact that Jip Janssen pushed his first corner is good for confidence. Teun Beins’ penalty corner is also going well. The Netherlands still pushed directly each penalty corner and did not play any variation. Nor was it necessary. At this point, it’s good to keep the variants on hand for a while.