By Jeroen van Barneveld
Feb 28, 2024 at 10:36 PM Update: 4 hours ago
The Orange Women missed out on a ticket for the Olympic Games in Paris on Wednesday. The team of national coach Andries Jonker lost the all-deciding Nations League match for an Olympic ticket to Germany in Heerenveen: 0-2.
The mediocre Dutch team escaped a deficit in the first half, when Germany hit the post via Sjoeke Nüsken. After the break the Germans scored twice. Klara Bühl made it 0-1 halfway through the second half and ten minutes before the end, Lea Schüller decided the match.
The Orange Women will therefore be absent from the Olympic Games in Paris next summer. Only two European countries are allowed to participate in the Games, plus host country France. The Olympic tournament consists of twelve countries and every continent must be represented.
The Netherlands had already lost its first chance at the Games against Spain in the semi-finals of the Nations League on Friday by losing 3-0 without a chance. Because host country France reached the final at the expense of Germany on the same evening (2-1), the Dutch team got another chance in the consolation final. So it is not spent on the Netherlands.
Spain, Germany and France will compete on behalf of Europe at the Games. The absence in Paris is a big downer for Jonker’s team. The Dutch team participated in the Games in Tokyo three years ago, but the strict corona measures in Japan ruined the Olympic debut of the football players. They ended up in the quarter-finals at the time.
Olympic Games participants
France (host country), Spain, Germany, United States, Brazil, Colombia, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Zambia/Morocco, Nigeria/South Africa.
Paal and Janssen save the Dutch team
Right from the kick-off, the loss of the injured Vivianne Miedema, Victoria Pelova and Jill Roord made itself felt at the Dutch team. With the recovered Daniëlle van de Donk and top talent Wieke Kaptein in the starting line-up, the Netherlands barely had time to play football in the first half in the packed Abe Lenstra Stadium.
The first attempt came from the Netherlands, but Kaptein’s shot went wide via a German leg. Creativity was hard to find in Jonker’s team, although Germany did not do much better. It was a festival of mistakes for a long time.
It was thanks to Dominique Janssen and the post that the Dutch were not behind at halftime. The defender of the German club VfL Wolfsburg made some crucial interventions when Germany again quickly came out through top striker Alexandra Popp.
After 25 minutes of play, goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar seemed to have been beaten by a shot from Nüsken, but the inside of the post saved the day. That escape seemed to be a wake-up call for the Dutch team, which then started playing better football, without creating any opportunities.
Dominique Janssen was the saving angel for the Netherlands a few times. Photo: Getty Images
The Dutch team collapses after halftime
After the weak first half, Jonker reverted to a 4-3-3 formation, just like on Friday against Spain, so that his players were better able to attack. It had no effect whatsoever: the Dutch team did not become more dangerous and were still just as vulnerable defensively.
Immediately after the break, Van Domselaar made a graceful one-handed save from Nüsken’s shot. Moments later, the deserved 0-1 seemed to fall for Germany, when substitute Schüller found the far corner with a nice shot. However, the goal was disallowed for offside. The Netherlands could only counter that with a shot from Lineth Beerensteyn.
We had to wait for a German goal and it came in the 66th minute. Jule Brand crossed from the right and the ball arrived at Bühl’s feet via Janssen and Lena Oberdorf. This time Van Domselaar had no chance: 0-1.
The Oranje’s hope of a comeback seemed to have disappeared by then. When Schüller headed in the 0-2 in the 78th minute, it was all over for the Netherlands. The Olympic dream of the football players shattered in front of more than twenty thousand fans in Heerenveen.
Germany goes to the Olympic Games at the expense of the Netherlands. Photo: Reuters
2024-02-28 21:36:16
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