When you go into a World Cup fortnight knowing that almost everyone in the stadium will be cheering you on and that you are as ready for the challenge as it is possible to be, then you can enjoy the experience.
That was the situation that Netherlands midfield duo Eva de Goede and Xan de Waard found themselves in at the 2014 Women's Hockey World Cup. For de Waard, the previous year had seen her part of the squad that had won the Junior World Cup and, for de Goede, this was one of a number of career highlights, including two Olympic Games – but for both athletes the event in The Hague ranked as one of their most momentous moments.
In the first section of this two-part interview we hear how the team made the stadium their own; how the Hague turned orange for a fortnight; and how the team just kept playing one game at a time during their march to the final.
Get the inside track with Eva and Xan before tuning in to the whole match on Watch.Hockey on 14th January 2021.
#LegendaryMoments
