Netherlands Women Held to Goalless Draw in Veurink’s Debut
Arjan Veurink’s first match as head coach of the Netherlands women’s national team ended in a 0-0 friendly draw against Poland in Gdansk. Veurink’s starting lineup featured Lize Kop in goal and a surprise start for Wolfsburg’s Janou Levels at left-back. Esmee Brugts was also restored to her preferred position as a left-winger.
The Dutch team controlled possession for large parts of the match but struggled to find a breakthrough. Lineth Beerensteyn created the first significant chance in the 11th minute, nearly forcing an own goal after a dynamic run along the byline. She had another opportunity in the 25th minute, but her mishit shot was deflected for a corner.
Despite numerous substitutions in the second half aimed at increasing attacking impetus, the deadlock remained. In the 70th minute, Beerensteyn was denied in a one-on-one situation by a last-ditch tackle from defender Wiktoria Szymczak. The Netherlands came closest in the 82nd minute when a powerful header from Dominique Janssen was cleared off the goal line by Oliwia Woś. A late chance fell to substitute Nina Peddemors, but her shot sailed high over the crossbar.
The match serves as preparation for the team’s next friendly on Tuesday against Canada, which will be the farewell international appearance for Sherida Spitse after more than 200 caps.
Eredivisie Live: Injury Mars First Half of Heerenveen vs. NAC
Lineups Announced
SC Heerenveen: Klaverboer; Braude, Van Overeem, Willemsen, Zagaritis; Linday, Meerveld, Brouwers; Trenskow, Vente, Rivera.
NAC Breda: Lamprou; Valerius, Greiml, Hillen, Kemper; Lucassen, Balard, Holtby, Sowah; Van Hooijdonk, Reulen.
The Friday evening Eredivisie clash between SC Heerenveen and NAC Breda is underway, with 17-year-old forward Pepijn Reulen making his first career start for the visitors. NAC manager Carl Hoefkens also made a key change in goal, starting Kostas Lamprou over Roy Bielica.
Heerenveen created the first clear chance in the 6th minute when Daniel Trenskow cut inside from the right of the penalty area, but his curling effort went just wide of the top corner. The home side again threatened in the 24th minute with an intricate passing move between Luuk Brouwers, Fedde de Jong, and an unnamed player, but the promising attack broke down before they could find striker Dylan Vente.
The first half was disrupted in the 34th minute when NAC defender Justin Hillen was forced to leave the field with a shoulder injury sustained in a challenge. After attempting to play on, he was replaced by Terence Kongolo. The 31-year-old former Dutch international, who once earned a €15 million transfer from Feyenoord to AS Monaco, comes on to make his appearance for the Breda side.
Football Briefing
Feyenoord’s Request to Reschedule PSV Clash Denied
The top-of-the-table Eredivisie match between Feyenoord and PSV will take place on Sunday at 14:30 as originally scheduled. Feyenoord had requested the KNVB to move the fixture to a later time slot to allow for more recovery time following their delayed Europa League match on Thursday. However, the local authorities in Rotterdam ultimately denied the request. Ahead of the highly anticipated clash, both Feyenoord manager Robin van Persie and PSV manager Peter Bosz agreed that their teams represent “the two best in the Netherlands” at the moment.
Go Ahead Eagles Defender Nauber Sidelined with Serious Injury
Go Ahead Eagles centre-back Gerrit Nauber is facing a lengthy spell out of action after suffering a serious leg injury during the club’s Europa League match against Aston Villa. Nauber was stretchered off early in the game. The injury cast a shadow over a historic night for the club, which secured a stunning 2-1 victory over the Premier League side. The result was hailed by the British media as a “humiliation” for Villa and a “David versus Goliath” triumph, with Aston Villa manager Unai Emery graciously stating, “This is why I love football.”
Netherlands Boosts UEFA Coefficient Ranking
A strong week in European competitions has solidified the Netherlands’ sixth position in the UEFA coefficient rankings. Wins for PSV, Go Ahead Eagles, Feyenoord, and AZ earned valuable points, extending the Eredivisie’s lead over rivals Portugal (7th) and Belgium (8th) and strengthening the country’s claim for future European qualification spots.
Blind Denies Son’s Influence on Ajax Departure
Danny Blind has publicly dismissed “malicious fabrications” suggesting his recent departure from the Ajax supervisory board was linked to the club’s decision not to re-sign his son, Daley Blind, from Girona. In an interview, the former Dutch international stated he wanted to “clearly distance himself” from the “nonsense” reports.
Spurs Manager Demands More from Xavi Simons
Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has called for “more intensity” from new signing Xavi Simons. While praising the Dutch international’s passing and vision, Frank noted that the player, who joined from RB Leipzig for approximately €60 million, has shown signs of fatigue late in matches and still needs to adapt to the high tempo of the Premier League.
