Orange women not yet fit for World Cup, Norway too strong in exhibition match | dutch soccer

The World Cup doesn’t start for another nine months, so new national coach Andries Jonker got to experiment to his heart’s content in his first defeat as lord of choice.

In September, that World Cup ticket was still being dragged along under the time-tested and age-old 4-3-3 system in which Orange players had to stay as close to themselves as possible, was Jonker’s thinking. . Tonight at the ADO Den Haag stadium, against Norway, it was the turn of the 3-5-2 system, although this concept was already abandoned halfway through the first half.

Thanks to a goal from Esmee Brugts in the last minute of added time, the Netherlands finally qualified for this World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Brugts is one of those new players who can prove themselves in the coming period for Jonker who left veterans such as Stefanie van der Gragt, Dominique Janssen and Lieke Martens at home, while Vivianne Miedema canceled due to illness and Lineth Beerensteyn for private reasons. Tonight in The Hague, Jonker also started without the well-selected Daniëlle van de Donk and Jackie Groenen, which gave the exhibition match against the now fallen superpower a completely experimental character. The latter duo came into play in the second half.

Since the last disappointing European Championship which ended under former national coach Mark Parsons, only regular starters Lynn Wilms, Jill Roord, Sherida Spitse and revelation keeper Daphne van Domselaar were on the ball. mail.

The national coach had already experimented with the concept of play with the three defenders of the week during the exhibition matches against ADO Den Haag and Feyenoord which canceled in haste the canceled match against Zambia. Also because the national coach wants to have an alternative to the World Cup as Orange face the best countries in the world. Including last night’s opponents Norway who qualified unbeaten for this tournament in a group with Belgium but are now a somewhat regressed women’s football nation. Although most players play in fairly reputable clubs.

And apart from their male colleagues, the change in concept of the flagship of Dutch women’s football cannot be seen either. Virgil van Dijk and co will also play in Qatar under the modern system devised by national coach Louis van Gaal, the coach under whom Jonker often worked as an assistant, for good reason. In any case, it is a break with the successful past. Under successful national coach Sarina Wiegman, the old 4-3-3 has always been played.

In the concept of the game, it was good yesterday to see a player like nineteen-year-old Esmee Brugts in action as an up-and-coming talent who yearns for more playing time in an orange jersey. She waits patiently with all those big names ahead of her in the pecking order, but the minutes in The Hague leave you wanting more. Victoria Pelova has also been showing up for a while and had her chance against Norway. The Spaniard Damaris Egurrola, naturalized Dutch, was placed in defense for half time.

But all in all, there was no fun in The Hague to get to the World Cup carefree. Norway took the lead half an hour before the end thanks to a goal from AS Roma player Sophie Roman Haug. And Orange’s defense didn’t look great either with Norway’s second goal thanks to an own goal from captain Sherida Spitse. Worrying also, the mediocre attacking game of Oranjevrouw, who hardly created chances.