Women's EURO 2022 inside track: Netherlands
Sunday, July 10, 2022
Article summary
UEFA.com's Netherlands reporter Derek Brookman believes the OranjeLeeuwinnen have a strong chance of retaining the title.
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Team profile
Nickname: OranjeLeeuwinnen (The Orange Lionesses)
Women's EURO best: Winners (2017)
Women's EURO 2017: Winners
Why can the Netherlands win Women's EURO 2022?
As reigning European champions and World Cup runners-up, the Dutch have every right to believe the can retain their title. The return from injury of talismanic striker Lieke Martens, voted 2017 UEFA Women's EURO Player of the Tournament, should boost their chances of success still further.
Who are the Netherlands playing and when?
09/07: Netherlands vs Sweden (21:00 CET, Sheffield)
13/07: Netherlands v Portugal (21:00 CET, Wigan & Leigh)
17/07: Switzerland vs Netherlands (18:00 CET, Sheffield)
Who is in the Netherlands' final squad?
Goalkeepers: Barbara Lorsheyd (ADO Den Haag), Daphne van Domselaar (Twente), Jacintha Weimar (Feyenoord)
Defenders: Caitlin Dijkstra (Twente), Dominique Janssen (Wolfsburg), Aniek Nouwen (Chelsea), Stefanie van der Gragt (Ajax), Merel van Dongen (Atlético), Lynn Wilms (Wolfsburg)
Midfielders: Kerstin Casparij (Twente), Damaris Egurrola (Lyon), Jackie Groenen (Manchester United), Marisa Olislagers (Twente), Victoria Pelova (Ajax), Jill Roord (Wolfsburg), Sherida Spitse (Vålerenga), Daniëlle van de Donk (Lyon)
Forwards: Lineth Beerensteyn (Juventus), Esmee Prugts (PSV Eindhoven), Renate Jansen (Twente), Romée Leuchter (Ajax), Lieke Martens (Paris Saint-Germain), Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal)
Who is the Netherlands coach?
Mark Parsons. The Englishman took the Netherlands reins in 2021 as Sarina Wiegman moved in the opposite direction. He took his first step into management with Chelsea reserves in 2004, before going on to lead Portland Thorns to honours in the United States.
Who is Netherlands captain?
Sari van Veenendaal. However, having picked up a shoulder injury only 22 minutes into their campaign, the Netherlands No1 has been forced to withdraw from the squad. Vivianne Miedema wore the captain's armband for the rest of the opening match against Sweden.
My favourite Women's EURO memory
Standing in Copenhagen's main square, surrounded by approximately 20,000 overwhelmingly Danish supporters, watching on a giant screen as the Netherlands beat Denmark 4-2 to become European champions in 2017. The atmosphere was carnivalesque, and the locals took their side's defeat in great spirit.
Did you know?
Martens revealed in an interview with NOS Kid's News that, when playing in a mixed youth team, the boys she played with were very supportive, but the opponents often weren't. They would pull her hair or give her an extra kick simply because she was a girl – and was better than them. "It didn't bother me," she said. "It just made me more determined to succeed."