Mark Pearsons has revitalized the Netherlands team before the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The Orange Lionesses are once more exhibiting characteristics of Sarina Wiegman’s legendary generation, which reached its pinnacle in magnificent style in 2017 with a triumph at the European Championship and silver at the World Cup two years later. Jonker put himself into the squad full-time from the beginning, in contrast to Parsons, who only worked part-time in the Netherlands during his initial months due to club obligations in Portland. Additionally, he visited all of his players, even the group of internationals playing abroad, to stay in touch with them.
The advantages were enjoyed by the Lionesses. Jonker granted several of his star players a break during international windows after taking into account the intense effort they faced. However, Jonker, who spoke to the Arsenal star over the phone once a week in the run-up to the World Cup, has served as a sounding board for the injured striker. His group is cohesive because of behaviours like these.
The Manager
Andries Jonker is obsessed with football. Although he was never a great player, his resume lists some prestigious clubs. The native of Amsterdam held positions at FC Volendam, MVV, Willem II, and Wolfsburg in addition to working as a coach for the KNVB and serving as Louis van Gaal’s assistant at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, among other places. For three years, he served as the Arsenal Academy’s director as well. Since 2022, following the European Championship in England, he has served as the national team’s coach. In 2001, he served as the temporary coach of the women’s national team.
Star player
In the absence of an injured Vivianne Miedema, Jill Roord is the most prominent figure in the Oranje machine. She has a strike rate of 21 goals in 86 international games, which is outstanding for a midfielder. Roord had a successful season with Wolfsburg in the Frauen-Bundesliga and the Champions League. She was unable to contribute much to Barcelona’s thrilling 3-2 victory in the championship match. In 2022, Barcelona made an unsuccessful attempt to acquire Roord. However, the Netherlands star is relocating this summer to join Manchester City for a new challenge following the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Rising star
The newest Dutch football prodigy is Esmee Brugts. Watch the 19-year-old winger dribble and you can see her street smarts. Brugts spent as much time as she could playing on boys’ teams for FC Binnenmaas. She later decided to sign with PSV Eindhoven. Brugts, who made her debut on February 16, 2022, against Brazil, gave the Lionesses their chance to win the World Cup in the final seconds of their match against Iceland at home.
Fun Fact
At the KNVB headquarters, the Netherlands played one of their final warm-up games before the World Cup against a squad of men under 18. If journalists occurred to witness a game in which adolescent guys defeated the national women’s team, the Dutch Federation worried negative publicity. The ladies won 2-1, so there was no need for the fuss.
State of Football
Women’s football has greatly expanded; numbers have more than doubled since 10 years ago. From the age of six, you may register with the KNVB (Dutch federation), and from the age of four, you can practise with registered coaches in neighbourhood football clubs. In the Netherlands, there are 1,862 clubs that have female players registered. Football’s appeal among TV viewers is also evident.
Our Prediction
The Dutch have been getting better every game in friendlies, and although losing to Germany 1-0, they played really well. The Netherlands is seen as a genuine underdog to win it if it can maintain or improve on that form, especially given that Jonker’s players seem to be in better shape than they were under Parsons. Jonker is obsessed with fitness, and he was startled to see the Dutch squad at the Euros in England appear to be less physically fit than elite teams like England, Germany, France, and Spain.
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