Five Things To Know About: Netherlands

The U.S. Women’s National Team will play the Netherlands for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup title at Stade de Lyon  on Sunday, July 7 at 11 a.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on FOX and Telemundo. 

 

Here are Five Things to Know, presented by Thorne, about the 2017 European Champions Netherlands.

GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Sari van Veenendaal (Arsenal, ENG), 16-Lize Kop (Ajax), 23-Loes Geurts (Goteborg, SWE)

 

DEFENDERS (8): 2-Desiree van Lunteren (Freiburg, GER), 3-Stefanie van der Gragt (Barcelona, SPA), 4-Merel van Dongen (Real Betis, SPA), 5-Kika van Es (Ajax), 6-Anouk Dekker (Montpellier, FRA), 18-Danique Kerkdijk (Bristol City, ENG), 20-Dominique Bloodworth (Vfl Wolfsburg, GER), 22-Liza van der Most (Ajax)

 

MIDFIELDERS (6): 8-Sherida Spitse (Valerenga, NOR), 10-Danielle van de Donk (Arsenal, ENG), 12-Victoria Pelova (Ajax), 14-Jackie Groenen (Manchester United, ENG), 15-Inessa Kaagman (Everton, ENG), 19-Jill Roord (Arsenal, ENG)

 

FORWARDS (6): 7-Shanice van de Sanden (Lyon, FRA), 9-Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal, ENG) ,11-Lieke Martens (Barcelona, SPA), 13-Renate Jansen (Twente), 17-Ellen Jansen (Ajax), 21-Lineth Beerensteyn (Bayern Munich, GER)

Netherlands head coach Sarina Wiegman is an experienced Dutch footballer, holding 104 international appearances with many as captain. She transformed the women’s program for the Netherlands since being appointed as head coach in 2017. Wiegman has claimed two KNVB Cup titles with Dutch clubs Ter Leede and ADO Den Haag since becoming a coach and led the Netherlands to the 2017 UEFA Women’s Euro title on home soil six months after becoming head coach. Wiegman’s triumph with the Dutch team earned her the 2017 Best FIFA Women’s Coach award. 

The Oranje Leeuwinnen qualified for its first Women’s World Cup in 2015. The Dutch came out of group play with some impressive results, including a 1-0 victory over New Zealand in its opening match and a draw against Canada. However, in the Round of 16 against defending world champions Japan, the Dutch fell 2-1. In the 2019 Women’s World Cup, the Netherlands have won all six of its matches, persevering against tough opponents such as Japan and Italy in the games leading up to the semis. Jackie Groenen sent the Dutch through to their first Women’s World Cup Final with her overtime goal in the 99th minute of the semifinal against Sweden.

The USA is 6-1-0 all-time against the Netherlands and will meet the Dutch for only the fourth time in the 21st century on Sunday. The USA won the most recent meeting which took place in Atlanta, Georgia in September of 2016, getting a goal from Carli Lloyd, Allie Long and an own goal to claim the 3-1 victory. Shanice van de Sanden tested the U.S. early with her early counter attack to finish in the 2nd minute. Prior to that, the teams hadn’t met since April of 2013, which resulted with a 3-1 U.S. win in The Hague, Netherlands. In 2006, the U.S. claimed a 2-0 win at the Peace Queen Cup in Suwon, South Korea. The teams met in a pair of friendlies in 1999 with the USA winning both. The 1996 meeting, the first match for the U.S. Women in California, was a 6-0 win at Cal-State Fullerton. Prior to that, the first match between the two sides came in 1991, a 4-3 victory for the Netherlands.  

With a balance of experienced footballers and newcomers, the Netherlands has a versatile team. Midfielder Sherida Spitse has been a consistent call up for the Dutch since 2006 and holds the most caps on the roster with 168. She was a vital player for the Netherlands in its first appearance in the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada and contributed to the country’s first UEFA Women’s Euro title in 2017. Spitfire forward Vivianne Miedema is the Netherlands’ offensive superstar. Having sharpened her finishing skills with Bayern Munich for three years and now with Arsenal, she holds the most goals on the current roster of 61 in only 81 appearances. Miedema is one of the youngest on the team at the age of 22.  Miedema and Spitse both netted five goals in the qualifying matches for the Women’s World Cup, showcasing the dangerous offensive capabilities of the Oranje Leeuwinnen.