Netherlands:

He will be in a final with the Orange Ladies for the first time today. In the final match of the European Championship in Mönchengladbach, national coach Raoul Ehren would have liked to hit his old love Belgium. But things turned out differently. As with the men, the European gold for the women will also be divided between the Netherlands and Germany. The biggest question beforehand is also the same. Who will be under the crossbar this time?

The goalkeeper story of Anne Veenendaal and Josine Koning has been told many times. The generation-mates, who were born just five days apart, are condemned to a lifetime of competition under the crossbar in their top hockey careers. Since 2016, when Joyce Sombroek quit as an international, every tournament the question comes up. What are the agreements between the goalkeepers? Does everyone get the same amount of playing time? And, perhaps most importantly: who will be goalkeeping the final?

At the Olympics, a first goalkeeper must be assigned. There, only one goalie may be part of the 16-man selection. In Tokyo (2021) it fell to Koning, last year Veenendaal was chosen. At the European Championship it is different. May both goalkeepers be used and swapped. So did Ehren. In the first game with Ireland, the rivals both got thirty minutes of playing time. After that it became a matter of alternating. Koning kept goal against Germany and in the semifinals against Spain, Veenendaal only in between against France.

Ehren never claimed to give both goalies equal playing time.

So in terms of number of games, Koning is ahead. But what exactly does that say? Ehren – unlike men’s national team coach Jeroen Delmée – has never claimed that the playing time between both goalies would be equal. ‘Only that they would both be in action in this tournament,’ the national coach underlined.

WV2025 WV1R4894 scaled - Netherlands: - He will be in a final with the Orange Ladies for the first time today. In the final match of the European Championship in Mönchengladbach, national coach Raoul Ehren would have liked to hit his old love Belgium. But things turned out differently. As with the men, the European gold for the women will also be divided between the Netherlands and Germany. The biggest question beforehand is also the same. Who will be under the crossbar this time?

Photo: Willem Vernes

‘Nothing has been agreed on the final yet,’ King responded Friday, just after the semi-final against Spain. The game where she appeared the entire match under the crossbar. ‘I heard on the morning before the match that I would play sixty minutes against Spain. I think it could go either way.’ Ehren: ‘I think our opponent has to look at both goalkeepers in their preparation.’

In short, the smoke screen is raised again towards the final. A surprising final against Germany. In his heart, Ehren would have preferred to play against Belgium. Logical. He coached the Red Panthers for almost four years, until he left his team last fall for the dream job as women’s national team coach at the KNHB. It led to anger and some crooked faces among the Belgians. So another reunion would have been both interesting and spicy. But Janneke Schopman and her Germany put a stop to that. Germany surprised the Belgians and was the better team after shoot-outs. After sixty minutes it was 1-1.

Netherlands-Germany twice

Ehren watched that semifinal match from the players’ hotel in Venlo. With his legs up, as he calls it. Quietly watching, while his own match was already in a thousand pieces in front of him. Divided into 101 game situations. After a glowing speech about a reunion with Belgium, Ehren thought that a match with Germany also had its advantages. ‘An EC in which twice Netherlands-Germany is on the menu. Those days are sold out anyway. That’s also kind of nice.’

WV2025 WV2R4416 scaled - Netherlands: - He will be in a final with the Orange Ladies for the first time today. In the final match of the European Championship in Mönchengladbach, national coach Raoul Ehren would have liked to hit his old love Belgium. But things turned out differently. As with the men, the European gold for the women will also be divided between the Netherlands and Germany. The biggest question beforehand is also the same. Who will be under the crossbar this time?

Photo: Willem Vernes

Schopman and her staff have undoubtedly done their analysis as well. Still have the footage from last Monday, of course, when the Dutch defeated the Germans 5-1. They will be extra apprehensive about the corner of Yibbi Jansen, who was on an extraordinary roll against Spain herself. ‘I think she pushed three of her five corner kicks,’ Ehren said with admiration in his voice.

‘We have a nice corner at home,’ says Ehren sense of understatement. ‘In June, we won 11-2 over Spain. Then Yibbi pushed five in. All to the right of the goalkeeper. Then it’s always interesting to see how they’re going to solve that. Well, the goalie was up against the goalpost. But the first goal went in there. That’s her class. She gets it around the outrunner with insane speed.

Yibbi Jansen in and out again

Ehren is smart about deploying his superstar. ‘She gets about three minutes of rest per quarter. Yibbi had just been substituted when Spain got a card. It was 1-1 at the time. Hup, immediately Yibbi went back in. Just for whoever was closest, just as a left back.’ Smiling: ‘Right after that we were on the attack and got a corner. Yibbi pushes it in. 2-1. I can enjoy that, a situation like that.’

In the run-up to the final match, the coach noted an upward trend with his team. The Brabander saw his team struggle with Ireland. Against Germany the first half was very convincing, against France the Dutch had their opponent on their knees after 45 minutes. And on Friday, after that difficult initial phase, a tough Spain was conquered. ‘We are playing better and better. Showing offensive field hockey, radiating a lot of fun. I am very satisfied with that. We are more than justified in the final.