The failed battle for a ticket for the Olympic Games in Paris exposed all the pain felt by the Orange Women. Now that the veterans are on their way out, there are too few top players available. National coach Andries Jonker could not come up with a trick either.
The symbolism dripped from the substitution sheet for the Orange Women on Wednesday evening. Jonker brought in Sherida Spitse, Daniëlle van de Donk and Lieke Martens in the hopeless Nations League match against Germany (0-2).
Especially in the most important international match of the year, the thirtysomethings did not give in to the Dutch team. Captain Spitse lost a crucial header at 0-1, attacker Martens was completely invisible and midfielder Van de Donk’s engine faltered, partly because she had been ill in recent days.
It couldn’t be a surprise anymore. The football players of the golden generation, who enchanted the Netherlands in 2017 with a European title in their own country and won World Cup silver two years later, have been on their last legs for some time. The failed battle for a ticket for the Games in Paris was only a confirmation. Only Jackie Groenen and Dominique Janssen escaped the malaise.
The decline started three years ago, towards the Olympic Games in Tokyo. National coach Sarina Wiegman saw this and left for England. After a failed year under Mark Parsons, the Netherlands bounced back under Jonker, who was appointed in 2022. Highlights included a group win at the World Cup in a group with the United States, a Nations League victory over England and a place in the final round of the Nations League.
They have been upheavals, even though Jonker and his players make everyone believe that they still belong to the world top. After hopeless defeats against world champion Spain (3-0) and superpower Germany (0-2), the conclusion remains that the Dutch team is a sub-topper on the world stage.
Routiniers at Oranje
Sherida Spitse (33), Renate Jansen (33), Daniëlle van de Donk (32), Lieke Martens (31), Shanice van de Sanden (31), Merel van Dongen (31), Dominique Janssen (29) and Jackie Groenen ( 29).
The lack of top players made itself felt
The Dutch team can now only surprise against top countries such as Spain, England and Germany if they have all the top players at their disposal. Things did not go well for Jonker when Vivianne Miedema, Victoria Pelova and Jill Roord dropped out due to injuries.
The lack of the golden triangle was clearly felt against Germany. The Netherlands barely got around to playing football without its best players. Their replacements could not even stand in their shadow, captain Spitse also acknowledged.
It showed again that the foundation at Oranje is still fragile. Daphne van Domselaar and Esmee Brugts have connected effortlessly in recent years and eighteen-year-old top talent Wieke Kaptein has a lot of potential, but there is no further growth of top players.
Caitlin Dijkstra turns out not to be Stefanie van der Gragt, Kerstin Casparij and Lynn Wilms are simple backs. The Spanish-Dutch Damaris Egurrola is highly regarded, but she has not yet made an indelible impression.
It is all in stark contrast to, for example, England, who, despite many injuries, reached the World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand last summer. The Netherlands can only dream of such a large pool of top players.
Top players Vivianne Miedema and Victoria Pelova dropped out of the Dutch team after the match against Spain. Photo: Getty Images
The Dutch are not playing better under Jonker
Jonker was also unable to sufficiently camouflage all of the Oranje’s vulnerabilities. The ever-optimistic national coach brought laughter back to a battered team and struck a chord with the veterans with his demanding approach.
But when viewed soberly, the Netherlands has not played much better under his leadership. At the World Cup and in the Nations League, the attacking play in the 3-5-2 system he devised only came out at times.
Against both Spain and Germany, he had to fall back on the 4-3-3 system familiar in the Netherlands after a hopeless first half. This raises the question of whether he has not chosen the wrong track all this time.
Jonker remained positive even after two hopeless defeats. “It’s not as bad and dramatic as you say. I don’t just look at the results. After the break we played excellently against Spain for twenty minutes. Only tonight against Germany we didn’t bring what we can and should bring. But there There’s no need to panic. It’s going well.”
National coach Andries Jonker could not get the Dutch team to play football better. Photo: ANP
Rejuvenation is necessary
The question is whether the Dutch team will progress with Jonker at the helm. Even after the sobering evenings in Seville and Heerenveen, the national coach sees no reason to make drastic further selection, while his team is in desperate need of fresh impetus. There is also time until the 2025 European Championship to introduce new players.
Jonker says he always selects the best football players and does not look at age when making his choices. But right now he ignored the talents of Ajax, who are working on a fairy tale in the Champions League. Introducing the flaky Shanice van de Sanden felt like a statement against the youth.
The KNVB directors Nigel de Jong and Jan Dirk van der Zee will have to worry about this. A critical evaluation with the 61-year-old Jonker, who still has a contract until July 1, 2025, should not be missed for the future of the women’s team.
The Netherlands hopes to organize the World Cup for the first time with Germany and Belgium in three years. If the Dutch want to shine in their own country, just like in 2017, a new era will have to be ushered in now.
2024-02-29 14:09:43
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