Netherlands: Eva De Goede, Biggest Surprise in Oranje World Cup Selection

Eva de Goede is the biggest surprise in the World Cup selection of interim national coach Jamilon Mülders. The captain of the Orange Women has not played a single game since her knee injury, but is still fit in time to participate in the world championship to be held from July 1-17 in the Wagener Stadium and the Spanish Terrassa.

De Goede (251 caps) suffered a serious knee injury during the Pro League match against Belgium on November 10, 2021 . The chance of participating in the World Cup was nil at the time. In recent months, the Orange captain has been working hard behind the scenes on her recovery.

That race against the clock has been successful, although De Goede has not yet played any game minutes and has not yet fully trained with the Orange selection. According to the KNHB, De Goede is expected to make her comeback in Orange in the Pro League against China (21 and 22 June).

In any case, De Goede will soon join the group, which is preparing for the world championship. She will find no fewer than thirteen players in the selection, with which the captain also won the Olympic gold medal last year. Only the retired Caia van Maasakker, Lauren Stam and Malou Pheninckx are missing from that golden group. Anne Veenendaal and Freeke Moes, who were reserve in Tokyo, also belong to the World Cup group of eighteen players. Mülders has just not made room for Stella van Gils. The Pinoké player won the European Championship last year and was reserve at the Games.

Debutants

The World Cup in the Netherlands and Spain will be the first major tournament for Yibbi Jansen (SCHC), Renée van Laarhoven (SCHC) and Sabine Plönissen (Amsterdam). Plönissen won the competition against, among others, Ireen van den Assem. The player of promotion division Tilburg put an end to her international career last year after missing the Olympic Games due to an injury . Mülders persuaded her to make herself available again. Van den Assem made an impression against England on Sunday with a goal and assist. That turned out not to be enough to force a place in the World Cup selection.

This also applies to Maxime Kerstholt, who recently made her comeback under Mülders in the Pro League against Argentina. Kerstholt and Van den Assem are no reserves either. Those two places are reserved for Lisa Post (Oranje-Rood) and Joosje Burg (Den Bosch). Post and Burg may be added to the selection in the event of serious injuries during the World Cup.

The duo is therefore training with the World Cup selection. During the preparation and the FIH Pro League matches against Germany (11 and 12 June in Hamburg) and China (21 and 22 June in Rotterdam), Marente Barentsen (Hurley, 9 international matches), Kyra Fortuin (SCHC, 22 international matches) and goalkeeper also train Julia Remmerswaal (HDM, 16 international matches) to be able to hook up if necessary.

Full squad 2022 World Cup

View below the full eighteen-man selection that interim national coach Mülders has selected for the World Cup, which will be held from 1 to 17 July in Amsterdam and Terrassa.