With six players coming into the Dutch national women’s squad for their first piece of FIH Hockey Pro League action and three of those making their senior debut, the more experienced players could be forgiven for feeling nervous ahead of their next FIH Hockey Pro League match.
However, nothing could be further from the trust as captain Eva de Goede explains: ‘We normally don’t introduce so many new players at a time but we have a bigger squad now and they have all been training together for a year and a half. So you really see that the girls who come into the team know what to do and know how to play.
‘It might not always be 100 per cent right but, for example, it could be the case that someone is running with the ball and dropping a pass back – it might not be exactly where I want it, but it is the right movement and just needs tweaking.
‘Everyone comes into the squad as good players and it is amazing for us to play alongside athletes with new energy, new ideas and even if it might not be going 100 per cent for us all the time, we are all learning from each other.’
The Netherlands will be facing Belgium in the second of their FIH Hockey Pro League matches against their European neighbours. The first match saw the Olympic champions and world number one side beat Belgium 2-0, with goals coming at the start and finish of the game. For de Goede, the FIH Hockey Pro League offers an invaluable opportunity for the players to get international experience.
‘For the new girls, they get to experience what playing international game is like. To feel the pressure of the crowd, that is amazing and it is getting the players ready as the next generation. I really like what Alyson [Annan] is doing to give everyone a chance.’
De Goede also values the time between matches, explaining that it is a chance for the athletes to reflect upon their performance. This is something that is not always possible at competition time when one match follows another in quick succession.
‘Some of the girls who played their first cap, it has been amazing that they have had time to reflect,’ she says. ‘They might think, “ah, this is what I really want to do and I am so excited for the next game’, or they might feel ‘I am not sure if I am ready just yet, there are things I need to work on’.
With 250 caps to her name, three Olympic gold medals and two World Cup gold medals, it would be easy for de Goede to be complacent about an international fixture. Again, nothing is further from being the case. She is buzzing with anticipation for the forthcoming match against Belgium.
‘We love to play at home and it was fantastic to play in front of crowds again. Even though it [the first match] was a Wednesday evening there were lots of people, all wearing orange. It was a nice match to play, with a mix of girls who had been at the Olympics and new girls coming in. You could see we had not been training together that long but it was fun.’
The first match of the FIH Hockey Pro League saw the Netherlands rush to a 1-0 lead in the opening minute of the game. It was a classic goal, scored by Lidewij Welten and involving slick, non-stop passing moves into the circle. It was a match opening that de Goede thoroughly enjoyed.
‘When you score a goal like that, you just think, ‘okay, let’s go, it’s going to be an amazing game’. But, I think it stopped a bit after that and it would have been good to score a few more and build it up during the game. We lost ourselves a little for part of the match.
‘Belgium are a tough opponent. They have been building for both Paris 2024 and next year’s World Cup. At the same time, we have new youngsters in, so things won’t go 100 per cent for us, but that is fine. Belgium are strong, physical and have a great penalty corner routine. I hope we get a goal early and then build on it.’
Netherlands women will meet Belgium women at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen on 10 November (18:00 CET)
Watch the full interview with Eva on Watch.Hockey.
