Vivianne Miedema was forced to leave the Orange Women’s training camp on Monday. The 124-time international is in a race against time to be fit for the European Championship in Switzerland. “She is sacrificing a lot.”
Miedema suffered a hamstring injury at the beginning of April and has not played since. She did report to the training field in Zeist during this international period with the aim of a substitute appearance against Scotland, but that match, like the match against Germany (4-0 defeat), comes too early.
“That is of course very sad for herself in the first place,” Sherida Spitse said in an online press conference on Monday. “She really wants to play and participate, but you have to be fit. That gnaws at herself in the first place, of course.”
National coach Andries Jonker “feels sorry for her”. “It is unbelievable that you work so long, so hard and every time something happens that ultimately prevents the goal from being achieved. Every time.”
Jonker draws a comparison with cycling. “It’s as if you can’t quite keep up with the peloton. That you come back from 100 meters behind to 5 meters and think: I’m there, but then you drop out again. That drives you crazy.”
The target date for Miedema to be fit is June 19, when Orange begins preparations for the European Championship in Switzerland. The Manchester City player can then still play minutes in the farewell match against Finland (June 26). In just over a month, Orange will play the first group match against Wales.
It is a race against time for Miedema, reminiscent of Arjen Robben in 2010. The former attacker injured his hamstring just before the World Cup in South Africa and was made ready for the final tournament in just under three weeks.
“Arjen Robben was also injured and became so angry that he prepared himself perfectly and was eventually able to play football at the World Cup. Vivianne also has that drive,” says Jonker. “She is cut from the same cloth. We have made a very ambitious plan in which she will focus on her recovery in the coming weeks.”
“She has an enormous focus and sacrifices a lot to achieve this. I can only praise it. It characterizes the top player: I want to, I will and I have to be there. In theory it is correct. This time the rider must catch up with the peloton.”