Lineth Beerensteyn experienced a difficult period during the 2023 World Cup. The Orange striker lost her mother in the lead-up to the tournament, which also impacted her game. “People don’t know how much effect that difficult period had on me.”
Beerensteyn is now scoring frequently for Oranje, but that hasn’t always been the case. The 114-time international received a lot of criticism during the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. She missed several chances, including in the lost quarter-final against Spain.
The 28-year-old Beerensteyn explains in the podcast Vrouwen 1 that she understood the criticism, but that not everyone realized what a difficult period she was going through. Earlier in the season, her mother, who meant “everything” to her, passed away.
“Losing your mother is not nothing. People don’t know how much effect that difficult period had on me. I don’t want to blame it, but I know how I felt around that time. That’s different from how I feel now,” says Beerensteyn.
Meanwhile, Beerensteyn is doing well sportingly. She has had a top season and became the top scorer of the German competition on behalf of VfL Wolfsburg. “If you feel good, you fly across the field. But if you have mental struggles, not everything can always go well.”
Beerensteyn further elaborates in the podcast on the impact that her mother’s death has had on her life, on working with a video analyst and a mental coach, on her clumsy statements at the World Cup about the United States and at the European Championship. Beerensteyn missed the last international period due to an injury but is expected to be fit in time for the final tournament.