The Orange Lionesses descend underground, in search of new footballing success. Between July 20 and August 20, 2023, the FIFA Women’s World Cup will take place in Australia and New Zealand. What does the Netherlands timetable look like? Can you follow the matches, despite the big time difference? And what are the chances of a new success, after the European title in 2017 and the final of the World Cup in 2019?
The road to Australia and New Zealand
In autumn 2021, after the postponement of the Olympics, the Netherlands will start qualifying for the 2023 World Cup. Britain’s Mark Parsons took over from successful Sarina Wiegman, but the collaboration is not going smoothly. Parsons initially combined domestic coaching with his club obligations in the United States. For example, he arrives too late for the preparations because of a missed flight from the United States. Moreover, the Orange Lionesses are falling behind in the seemingly easy qualifying group, due to 2 draws against the Czech Republic.
In the meantime, the (already postponed) European Championship in England will be held in the summer of 2022. But that turns out to be a disappointment for the reigning European champion. The Orange Lionesses did not get up to speed and lost to France in the quarter-finals after extra time. Parsons has to start again and Andries Jonker takes over. Its first mission in September 2022 is immediately important. Orange must win against its competitor Iceland to still access the World Cup. It takes some effort, but it succeeds in the end, thanks to Esmee Brugts’ 1-0 in injury time. All’s well That ends well.
Opponents in Australia and New Zealand
The Orange Lionesses will kick off the tournament on Sunday 23 July. The Netherlands will then face Portugal in Dunedin, just like during the European Championship in England (3-2 victory). 4 days later, the best team in the world of women’s soccer, the United States, is waiting in Wellington. A new chance for revenge for Orange, after the 2019 World Cup final and the penalty shootout lost at the Tokyo Olympics. This squatter starts in the New Zealand afternoon, when it’s 3am in the Netherlands. On Tuesday August 1, the Netherlands will be back in Dunedin for the last group match, against Vietnam, debuting in the World Cup.
Read also: All about VAR in football: what, how and where?
Australia and New Zealand travel schedule
The Orange Lionesses will therefore remain in New Zealand during the group stage. They must commute for the match against the American team, between Dunedin on the South Island and Wellington on the North Island. If the Netherlands finish 1st or 2nd in the group, a trip to Australia awaits them. Because on their side of the calendar, the 8th finals take place in Melbourne or Sydney. Sweden, Italy, Argentina and South Africa are possible opponents.
The quarter-finals and semi-finals take place in New Zealand, including Wellington and Auckland. The final leg of the tournament will take place on Australian soil, with the final in Sydney and the bronze medal game in Brisbane. First go through the group stage, but then the Lionesses can do a lot of flying hours.
Selection in Australia and New Zealand
6 years after the European title, the core of the Orange Lionesses is still united. Lieke Martens, Jackie Groenen, Sherida Spitse and Daniëlle van de Donk are still key players for the national team. This certainly applies to Vivianne Miedema, but the star player is recovering from a serious knee injury and is out of the World Cup. Other known absentees are Sari van Veenendaal, Kika van Es (both retired) and Shanice van de Sanden (not selected). But with Brugts, keeper Daphne van Domselaar, Jill Roord, Victoria Pelova, Wieke Kaptein and Lynn Wilms, a new generation of Lionesses has emerged. The full selection looks like this:
Guardians: Daphne van Domselaar (Aston Villa), Lize Kop (Ajax), Jacintha Weimar (Feyenoord)
Defenders: Kerstin Casparij (Manchester City), Caitlin Dijkstra (FC Twente), Merel van Dongen (Atletico Madrid), Stefanie van der Gragt (Internazionale, retires after World Cup), Dominique Janssen (VfL Wolfsburg), Aniek Nouwen (Chelsea ), Lynn Wilms (VfL Wolfsburg)
Midfielders: Jill Baijings (Bayern Munich), Daniëlle van de Donk, Damaris Egurrola (Olympique Lyon), Jackie Groenen (Paris Saint-Germain), Wieke Kaptein (FC Twente), Victoria Pelova (Arsenal), Jill Roord (Manchester City), Sherida Cracher (Ajax)
Forwards: Lineth Beerenstein (Juventus), Esmee Brugts (PSV, chooses a new club after the World Cup), Renate Jansen (FC Twente), Lieke Martens (Paris Saint-Germain), Katja Snoeijs (Everton)
Read also: Why is football the only team sport without pure playing time?
Opportunities in Australia and New Zealand
Can this selection win a medal in a major tournament, like in 2017 and 2019? In any case, the Orange will have to be there immediately in the opening match. Portugal is a tough opponent, we know it since the difficult 3-2 victory at the European Championship, 1 year earlier. Previous meetings with the United States have always been the same, with United States team still a winner. Is the New Zealand penny heading in the right direction? The last pool game against Vietnam shouldn’t be a problem, but the Netherlands will have to work hard for it. During the tournament, going back and forth between different time zones can always play a role.
The Netherlands are not among the big favourites, partly due to the absence of Miedema. On the other hand, the calendar is favourable. Passing the group stage is not easy, but certainly not impossible. After that, maybe Sweden, Italy, Argentina or South Africa will wait. Sweden are the strongest team on this list, but Orange haven’t lost to this Scandinavian opponent for a long time. In the quarter-finals and semi-finals, Spain, Norway and Japan are the most attractive potential opponents. Strong countries, but normally equivalent to the Netherlands. Big favorites such as England, Germany, France, Brazil and USA will not be met (again) by the Netherlands until the final at the earliest.
The calendar in Australia and New Zealand
Group stage:
Sunday July 23, 2023: NETHERLANDS-Portugal (Dunedin, 9.30 a.m.)
Thursday, July 27, 2023: United States-NETHERLANDS (Wellington, 03:00)
Tuesday August 1, 2023: Vietnam-NETHERLANDS (Dunedin, 9 a.m.)
Knockout stage (optional):
Sunday August 6, 2023: Round of 16 (Sydney, 4 a.m. or Melbourne, 11 a.m.)
Friday August 11, 2023: Quarter-finals (Wellington, 3 a.m. or Auckland, 9:30 a.m.)
Tuesday August 15, 2023: Semi-final (Auckland, 10 a.m.)
Saturday 19 August 2023: 3rd place match (Brisbane, 10am)
Sunday August 20, 2023: Final (Sydney, 12 p.m.)
Kick-off times are Dutch times. In Australia it is 8 hours later than in the Netherlands, in New Zealand it is 10 hours later. You can follow the live broadcasts of the Oranje Leeuwinnen via the NOS.
(Source: UEFA, FIFA, KNVB, The Athletic, NRC, Algemeen Dagblad. Photo: Gerrit van Keulen/ANP)