By Mark Gleeson
(Reuters) – The Netherlands are looking to revive fading fortunes at this year’s Women’s World Cup after being crowned European champions in 2017 and finishing runners-up at the last global showpiece four years ago.
The popularity of the team has sunk with stadiums not attracting the sell-out crowds of six years ago, something the players and coach Andries Jonker want to change by lifting the mood in Australia and New Zealand.
“I think you only become European champions once in your own country. And then you have a kind of after-effect,” he said of the 2017 success on home soil.
“After that you don’t become world champions. You finish second. I think that’s still great, but then you see that interest starts declining a bit and that there is a phase where it is no longer that easy.”
Jonker knows from experience that, “it is never steady, but always in waves. We had a huge wave up in 2017. Then a bit down and hopefully now up again”.
They start against Portugal and then meet world champions the United States before finishing versus Vietnam in Group E.
Several players from the class of 2017 are still a major factor in the team, but the Dutch go Down Under without all-time top scorer Vivianne Miedema, who has 95 goals for her country.
The 26-year-old ruptured her ACL in December and said at the time she did not think she would make the finals.
There were hopes that a return might be quicker than expected but Miedema poured cold water on that last month.
“No hopes. I’m going to miss the World Cup, which is hard. But I hope to be back ready for the start of next season. I need to be realistic,” she said.
In her place could step Fenna Kalma, the 23-year-old who is joining Champions League runners-up VfL Wolfsburg next season. She scored 45 goals in 2022 for FC Twente.
Sherida Spitse captains the side while fellow veteran Shanice van de Sanden looks likely to make a surprise return.
The Liverpool winger won her last cap in November 2021 but was in the preliminary squad of 30 that Jonker named on May 31.
“She has been playing more and more lately and is getting into better shape,” he said.
But the major driving force in the team is likely to be Lieke Martens, who will take part in a third World Cup and is a past winner of the FIFA women’s Player of the Year award.
Without Miedema, she is now the player on whom the Dutch are hanging their hopes.
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Ken Ferris)
