Orange with Cillessen, Taylor and Simons against France – Beginning of Koeman II era
Koeman: ‘Wieffer not armpit fresh’
The first lineup was a puzzle for Ronald Koeman. He acknowledged that himself before the match. His lineup is “half or almost half” different from the one he envisioned at the beginning of the week.
The national coach also says Mats Wieffer is not “armpit fresh.” The Feyenoord player was a serious option for a spot in midfield, though.
Koeman says he is not nervous either.
Koeman explains lineup: ‘Wieffer not armpit fresh, that’s why Taylor plays’
Lineup Orange, with Geertruida, Taylor and Simons
The eleven names Ronald Koeman will send into the field tonight are known. The most notable names are goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen, defender Lutsharel Geertruida, midfielder Kenneth Taylor and Xavi Simons, who will be posted on the outside.
Geertruida is at center back and Jurriën Timber at right back.
Koeman not with strongest team
Koeman begins his new period as national coach with a depleted squad. Frenkie de Jong and Steven Bergwijn did not report to training camp due to injuries. Later, Bart Verbruggen, Matthijs de Ligt, Sven Botman, Joey Veerman and Cody Gakpo dropped out due to a viral infection.
Mbappé ‘capitaine’ with OneLove band in first international after losing World Cup final
France will play its first international tonight since the lost World Cup final against Argentina in December. Goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris is no longer there, making star striker Kylian Mbappé the new captain. He, like Virgil van Dijk, plays with the OneLove captain’s armband.
Karim Benzema and Raphaël Varane also quit the French team.
Mbappé faces debut as captain of France: ‘Huge honor’
Also goal for world champion Messi
Argentina won its first match as reigning world champions last night. Led by captain Lionel Messi, national coach Lionel Scaloni’s team was too strong for Panama 2-0 in a practice match in Buenos Aires.
Messi completed the Argentine celebration just before time by scoring the second goal from a free kick. He thus signed for the 800th goal of his prolific career.
It was party time in Buenos Aires anyway, as the Argentine team was loudly applauded. This caused emotions among the players and national coach Lionel Scaloni.
Messi and Argentina shine in ‘World Cup party match’ against Panama
Ronaldo continues to score for Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo attracted attention in Group J. He scored twice in Portugal’s 4-0 win against Liechtenstein.
In this pool, Slovakia and Luxembourg shared the points and Bosnia-Herzegovina recorded a 3-0 victory over Iceland.
Back from the off: king pair Depay-Wijnaldum
National coach Ronald Koeman likes to think in pairs, in players who add value when combined. Tonight’s EK qualifier match with France (8:45 p.m., live at NOS) could mean the return of his former king pair, the combination Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay.
It offers something of staying power after a week full of setbacks.
Without the suspended Denzel Dumfries, without the injured Steven Bergwijn and Frenkie de Jong and without the sick Cody Gakpo and Matthijs de Ligt, Koeman begins his second term as national coach on Friday night. With vice-world champion France as opponent at the Stade de France and, in that regard, lousy past results as a frame of reference.
The Netherlands did not win any of the last nine away duels with France. The Orange’s last victory over France on French soil predates World War II. Thanks in part to a hat trick by Beb Bakhuys, the Orange won 6-1 in January 1936.
Netherlands earlier under Koeman against France
In September 2018, the Netherlands also played in and against France. Then they lost 2-1. For France, Kylian Mbappé and Olivier Giroud scored. Ryan Babel scored for the Netherlands.
Koeman does know how to win against France as national coach of Orange. More than two months after the defeat at the Stade de France, the French were defeated 2-0 at De Kuip.
PSV leases American Ledezma
There is also transfer news a little closer to home: PSV is renting Richard Ledezma to New York City FC until the end of 2023.
The American (22), who had extended his contract in Eindhoven last week until 2025, played 23 games in the main force of the Brabanders.
In those, he scored one goal. Ledezma made 11 appearances for PSV this season.
Tuchel succeeds Nagelsmann at Bayern Munich
But before era Koeman II begins, we take a quick trip to Germany, where Bayern Munich has made a coach change. Thomas Tuchel succeeds the sacked Julian Nagelsmann
Tuchel, who signed a contract until mid-2025, was without a club following his dismissal from Chelsea last September.
The 48-year-old coach won the 2021 Champions League with Chelsea and previously worked at Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and Mainz.
Nagelsmann’s resignation from Bayern came as a big surprise. ‘Der Rekordmeister’ is one point behind leaders Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. In the Champions League, Nagelsmann’s team impressed by eliminating PSG with conviction.
Koeman II era really gets going now
With the match against France, Ronald Koeman’s second term as Oranje national team coach will really begin. Koeman has known for more than a year that he is the new national team coach and the players have been together since Monday, but tonight the first game in the Koeman II era will be played.
Koeman was previously national team coach of the Netherlands between February 2018 to August 2020, when he left for FC Barcelona. The last game of the Dutch national team under Koeman was played back in November 2019 due to corona. Back then, Estonia was defeated 5-0.
