The first confrontation between the Dutch national team and Sarina Wiegman turned out to be a win for Wiegman on Friday evening and blunders on the Dutch side. England won the friendly match in preparation for the European Championship, in Leeds, 5-1.
By Lisette van der Geest
The gloved slap on her right shoulder by Sari van Veenendaal and the laugh that follows, like: here you are, for the 200th time. It is the day of the friendly match, this Friday evening in Leeds, which starts cheerfully on the Dutch side, but ends in disappointment.
It is the day of meeting former national coach Sarina Wiegman, now as a major competitor at the helm of the opponents. And just before kick-off, it is above all the day of the 200th international match of Sherida Spitse, who, as an occasional captain, is at the front of the row during the national anthem, next to Van Veenendaal and her right hand.
But once the whistle blows, it’s not about sentiment. The gigantic bunch of white and red roses that Wiegman gave to Spitse just before, has already been forgotten. Today is not the day of truth, it will be in a few weeks, when the Netherlands starts defending the European Championship title. If England wants to prove themselves as a host country, as a football nation, with the moment of truth for Wiegman. In the twelve previous matches under her leadership, England remained unbeaten.
Profit today is good for morale, it is good for self confidence. But in the end this is preparation. At the European Championship, or for the Netherlands at the World Cup qualifier that will be played against Belarus next Tuesday as an annoying interruption.
But where both teams gain morale in the first half and go into halftime with 1-1, the match completely turns in the second half, to the disadvantage of the Netherlands. Striker who misses a penalty, followed almost immediately by Beth Mead who brings England to 2-1, Van Veenendaal with another miss and the 3-1, the sloppy play that follows and lets England run even further it’s a short grasp events in a match from which the English and Wiegman eventually get their morale with 5-1 and the Netherlands learns: they, the reigning European champions, are absolutely not among the top favorites in this European Championship.
Read the live blog below
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and never miss a thing from the stars.
#European #Championship #favorite #England #saddles #title #defender #Orange #punishment #mountain #homework