Leeuwinnen coach Veurink praises “passion and execution” as Netherlands beat France 2–1

Arjan Veurink, head coach of the Dutch women’s national team, said the 2–1 win against France did not come as a surprise, though it filled him with pride. “That’s because of how the group translated the game plan onto the pitch and the level of passion they played with,” Veurink said during his press conference.

The Dutch team was without seven experienced players in Breda against the world’s number 6. “That was the focus for those on the outside, but my focus was on the players who were available. What I saw in training already gave me confidence, but you still have to hope it comes together in the match. And it did,” said Veurink, who was appointed last year.

According to the national team coach, the World Cup qualifying win carries significant weight looking ahead. He emphasized that achieving such a result with the current squad underlines the team’s depth, benefiting both the side as a whole and the future of women’s football in the Netherlands.

Goals from debutant Renee van Asten and Esmee Brugts secured the result for the Netherlands. After 3 games, the Dutch side sit top of the group on 7 points, ahead of France on 6, with Ireland and Poland trailing. Only the group winner earns automatic qualification for next year’s World Cup in Brazil, while the others must navigate playoff matches later in the year. The Dutch will face France again on Saturday, with the return fixture taking place in Auxerre.

Even with a full squad, facing France would have been a difficult task for the Dutch side. The Leeuwinnen have not beaten “Les Bleues” since 2015 and were defeated 5–2 at last year’s European Championship.

In the lead-up to the match, injuries sidelined key figures such as captain Dominique Janssen, record scorer Vivianne Miedema, and midfielders Jackie Groenen, Daniëlle van de Donk, and Jill Roord, removing a significant amount of international experience from the team.

The Netherlands opened the scoring in the 11th minute in unexpected fashion. A free kick from Lynn Wilms led to the ball dropping kindly for Renee van Asten, who calmly slotted it into the far corner. Her reaction showed pure disbelief. Only a little over a week earlier, she had netted her first goal for AFC Ajax Women, marking the moment in just her 14th Eredivisie appearance.

Van Asten “didn’t know what she was feeling” after the goal. “I’ve never felt this before. It was pure luck, excitement. Honestly indescribable. I almost collapsed,” said the 19-year-old defender.

France came out stronger after the break. A driven cross by Sandy Baltimore deflected off Lynn Wilms and awkwardly went through the legs of Daphne van Domselaar to level the score at 1–1. Shortly afterward, the Dutch goalkeeper made an important save to stop France from taking the lead.

The Leeuwinnen regained the advantage in the 68th minute through Esmee Brugts, who finished off a rare counterattack. A pass from Wieke Kaptein broke kindly for her, and she found the net with the help of a deflection off the French keeper. The 22-year-old attacker marked the moment by lifting both arms in celebration.

Veurink is advocating for earlier kickoff times for the Dutch women’s national team, aiming to boost attendance at home fixtures. The game, which started at 8:45 p.m., drew a crowd of roughly 6,500 to the Rat Verlegh Stadion in Breda, just over a quarter of the stadium’s capacity.

A large portion of the crowd at the Dutch women’s team consists of families with young children. Arjan Veurink said, “It’s a challenge to get them to the stadium when you play late. I don’t have influence over everything, but this is being discussed internally, and we’re going to address it even more.”