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

The World Cup is only nine months away and so new national coach Andries Jonker has been able to experiment to his heart’s content in his first loss as election lord.

In September, that ticket to the World Cup was still being dragged along according to the time-tested and age-old 4-3-3 system in which Orange players had to stay as close to themselves as possible, such was Jonker’s thinking. . Tonight, in the ADO Den Haag stadium, against Norway, it was the turn of the 3-5-2 system, although this concept had already come out in the middle of 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 himself in the near future 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 well-selected Daniëlle van de Donk and Jackie Groenen, so the practice match against the now fallen superpower took on an 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 goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar were up for grabs. sending.

The national coach had already tried out the game concept with the three defenders of the week in training matches against ADO Den Haag and Feyenoord, who hastily canceled the game against Zambia. Also because the national coach wants to have an alternative to the World Cup if Orange competes with the best countries in the world. Including last night’s opponents Norway who qualified unbeaten in a group with Belgium for this tournament 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 soon be playing in Qatar under the modern system devised by national coach Louis van Gaal, the coach under whom Jonker so often worked as an assistant. It is in any case a break with the successful past. Under successful national coach Sarina Wiegman, the old 4-3-3 was invariably 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 around for a while and had her chance against Norway. The Spaniard Damaris Egurrola, naturalized Dutch, was placed in defense for half a time.

But all in all, there was nothing to feast on in The Hague to go to the World Cup without worries. Norway took the lead half an hour before the hour thanks to a goal from AS Roma player Sophie Roman Haug. And Orange’s defense didn’t look great with Norway’s second goal on an own goal from captain Sherida Spitse. The poor attacking game of the Orangeuse, who hardly created any chances, was also worrying.