Koster ready for tournament spotlight

Daphne Koster, the heartbeat of the Netherlands team, is relishing the chance to finally compete at the very highest level after having followed too many major tournaments on television.

Dutch debutants
The Dutch are not only making their debut at UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2009™ in Finland but also have the privilege of taking part in the first game of the tournament, in Group A, against Ukraine at Turku Stadium on Sunday. Koster cannot wait for the show to begin, saying: "We want to start and it is fantastic that we are playing in the first game. We are more excited than nervous but we are aware that it is only one of three games in the group phase of the tournament."

Only goal
All things looked possible for Vera Pauw's team when they opened the scoring in their first qualifying match against Germany. They went on to lose that match 5-1 – though they at least had the distinction of scoring the only goal conceded by the Germans in the qualifying campaign. The Netherlands rallied after the defeat and managed to finish second in their group before celebrating a play-off victory over Spain. It put them on the big stage for the first time, much to the delight of the Dutch captain.

Being there
"Of course, watching games in the finals on Eurosport is not a good feeling," said the 28-year-old central defender. "It is better to be there yourself and I'm proud that people will be able to see me on television. All the countries here are top countries and there are many top players. I know that because I have seen them for myself on television, but I wouldn't like to mention any one player above another."

Match focus
As for Sunday's opener, Koster made light of the weight of expectations for her country's debut at the finals. "There is not so much pressure [because it's a first game] but you do need pressure to do your best and to focus on your game," she said. The Dutch will certainly have to be on their guard in the face of the threat from Daria Apanaschenko, who scored six goals in qualifying for Ukraine. "It's not a matter just for the defence but for the whole team," Koster said. "You defend as a team."