Netherlands has become one of KC’s most popular World Cup teams. What’s the outlook?
In the last question to Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman at the Hilton Garden Inn, a short walk from the team’s World Cup training base at the Kansas City Current facility, a Dutch journalist asked Koeman if he felt any doubts about the squad.
The question was fairly direct and forward — the team’s first World Cup match is Sunday — but it’s commonplace in international soccer media. The Dutch team reserved the first 10 minutes of Wednesday’s news conference for English-speaking media before switching to the native Dutch language.
But some words reverberate in any language.
“Nee (no),” Koeman repeated to end the news conference, shaking his head.
The Oranje are one of four teams based in and around Kansas City who believe they can win a World Cup.
Argentina is the defending champion with a storied history. Algeria appears as a long shot, but never say never. England also has a storied history, winning it all in 1966, but the nation has only gotten as close as two fourth-place finishes since.
The Dutch were prominent in the 1970s, falling short as runner-up in the 1974 and 1978 World Cups, losing to Argentina in the latter tournament. They were runners-up once more in 2010. And in 2022, the Netherlands eliminated the U.S. in the first round of the knockout stage but was once again rooted out by Argentina in the quarterfinal.
This year’s seventh-ranked Netherlands team is loaded with talent.
Star center back and veteran captain Virgil van Dijk also captains Liverpool, one of the biggest clubs in the world in England.
A few of his club teammates are also on the team: midfielder Ryan Gravenberch and attacker Cody Gakpo. Some of their teammates play for rivals in England, like Brighton & Hove Albion’s goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, fullback Mats Wieffer, and center back Jan Paul van Hecke.
Also on the squad: Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven and Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs, striker Brian Brobbey and defender Lutsharel Geertruida.
Others play in different European countries, except for one lone wolf: top all-time goalscorer and global star Memphis Depay. He plays for Corinthians SC in Brazil.
The veteran-laden group showed its chemistry in Wednesday’s open training session, a lighthearted and loose affair.
In front of about 1,000 selected fans at KC Current’s Riverside Stadium, the 70-minute practice was an apparent recovery session. They played a three-on-three footvolley tournament with a net in the grass as they used their feet and heads to pass and score points.
Van Dijk believes the group has a good collection of people, but knows the pressure is on them to win.
“We are getting along so well with each other, but obviously, at the end of the day, it’s all about the results, it’s all about performing,” van Dijk said.
He is competing in his second World Cup as one of the best and most popular center backs in the world.
“We all have dreams, big dreams, and we will give everything,” van Dijk said.
Among the concerns for the squad is Verbruggen, who is working his way back from a hip injury he sustained in the team’s last friendly against Uzbekistan on Tuesday in New York. Koeman said they have to wait on his status for their first match Sunday, as he is day to day.
German club Bayer Leverkusen’s Mark Flekken replaced him in the 2-1 win.
It comes after Geertruida replaced Arsenal’s Jurriën Timber, who was ruled out with a groin injury more than a week after he played 55 minutes in the Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
The path to a World Cup could be difficult for the Oranje in Group F.
They face 18th-ranked (by FIFA) Japan in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday and Sweden (ranked 38th) in Houston on June 20 before coming to their home in KC for the final group match against 44th-ranked Tunisia. All three opponents are beatable for the mighty Netherlands but could make for some close matches.
The North American heat will likely be a factor for the international teams, another concern that both Koeman and van Dijk shrugged off.
“We have everything that we need,” van Dijk said about the “incredible” Current facilities. “Now is the time to make sure that we start winning games.
“Sunday, there is a very, very difficult match made for us against a very good, general, disciplined (team) with a lot of quality. Something to look forward to.”
