Victoria Pelova, the Netherlands and Arsenal midfielder, is one of many Gunners expected to shine at this year’s World Cup. She and her colleagues are eager to make history and depart New Zealand as World Champions, having come close in France in 2019.
The Netherlands will be aiming to resurrect their flagging fortunes in this year’s World Cup. It would have been fantastic for them to win the France 2019 World Cup after winning the 2017 Euros, but they did not. In the 2019 World Cup, they were in it to win it. In fact, they reached the Final but were defeated 2-0 by the United States.
Though much has happened between now and 2019, the Netherlands hopes that this year will revive football fans affection for their team following their 2017 fortunes and gain their complete support as they attempt to make 2023 their year.
“I think you only become European champions once in your own country. And then you have a kind of after-effect,” Andries Jonker, the Dutch head coach, said as per Reuters of his team’s 2017 success on home soil.
“After that, you don’t become world champions. You finish second. I think that’s still great, but then you see that interest starts declining a bit and that there is a phase where it is no longer that easy.”
Jonker knows from experience, as he adds: “it is never steady, but always in waves. We had a huge wave up in 2017. Then a bit down, and hopefully now up again”.
Even without Vivianne Miedema, I’m sure you’ll be rooting for Pelova and her Dutch colleagues to have a successful campaign in Australia and New Zealand. They’ll open their World Cup account on July 23rd at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, playing against Portugal. They will then face the United States on July 27th at Wellington Regional Stadium in an attempt to avenge their finals loss in 2019. After getting the better of the US, they will return to Forsyth Barr Stadium on August 1 to conclude the group stages against Vietnam.
Good luck Victoria!
Michelle Maxwell
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Victoria is “probably” our best signing since Viv. Long may our Dutch Connection continue to yield titles.