The Orange Lionesses shoot hard and meet England: ‘Special to play against Sarina Wiegman’ | Women’s World Cup

The Netherlands were in Pot 2 in the draw and therefore had at least one tough opponent to rely on. So it was the hardest on paper. Wiegman served as Orange’s national coach from 2017 to 2021. During that time, she won the European title in her own country. In 2022, Wiegman put the Netherlands aside against England by winning 5-1 in a friendly match.

Jonker responded with satisfaction to the draw. ,,In general, I’m happy with the draw, especially if you compare it with other groups,” he said. “As reigning European champions, England are the toughest opponents we can face. It will be a big challenge and for the Netherlands who love women’s football, the players and also for me, it’s special to play against Sarina Wiegman’s England.

,,Belgium is an opponent that we will also meet in our farewell game in the run-up to the World Cup. It is a country that is developing well and an adversary that should not be underestimated. Scotland should not be underestimated either. In my first international match in September, we narrowly beat Scotland 2-1. It’s a tough team with some good players individually,” Jonker said.

“I have mixed feelings about this new setup,” Jonker admitted. “From a sporting point of view, it’s a good thing that we are playing more high-level matches. On the other hand, these high-level matches again mean an extra burden for the same players.

This is the first edition of the Nations League in women’s football. Partly due to the success of the men’s variant, this was put in place for national teams to play more equal international matches. The tournament has three divisions. “League A”, to which the Netherlands belong, is the highest rung of the pyramid. In this document, 16 countries are divided into four groups. The winner qualifies for the semi-finals, the number 2 remains, the number 3 plays a play-off against a number 2 of League B for his survival and the last player is relegated.

The Nations League is also being used as a qualifying tournament for next year’s Summer Olympics in Paris. The two finalists of the “Final Four” qualify for Paris 2024. The four group winners of Ligue A will participate in the Final Four. As with the men, the semi-finals and the final take place in a single country. Matches are played on neutral ground. So there is no question of a back and forth game.

If France reaches the final, the winner of the match for third place will go to the Olympics. The French, under the direction of Hervé Renard, have already been placed as hosts. The first edition of the tournament starts in September, the final round is scheduled for February 2024.