Michael Reiziger seems to have found his ideal team with Jong Oranje. The national coach plans to give confidence in the European Championship quarter-final against Portugal to the players who ensured a necessary victory against Ukraine.
The first two matches against Finland and Denmark yielded only one point. Jong Oranje had to win against Ukraine on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals and did so. Thanks to the FC Groningen duo Luciano Valente-Thom van Bergen, it became 2-0.
“We are satisfied with the previous match,” Reiziger tells Ziggo Sport. “Whether I will stick to these eleven guys? There is a good chance of that. It is plausible. So far, everyone is fit, so we have a choice.”
Reiziger is satisfied with the contribution of Van Bergen, who came into the team for Noah Ohio after the 2-1 defeat against Denmark. “Thom has brought a lot of energy and scored. Then it is logical that you cannot ignore him.”
Van Bergen lobs the ball in for Jong Oranje against Ukraine
Also, moving central defender Ryan Flamingo to midfield has pleased the national coach. “Ryan took a lot of balls, is good in the rest defense and gave the central defenders some air.”
Portugal, which finished first in a group with France, Georgia and Poland, awaits on Saturday. “A good team, currently one of the better teams in the European Championship,” says the national coach. “Where we are more attacking, they play more in transition. So it will be a very interesting match.”
The kick-off of Netherlands-Portugal is Saturday at 6:00 PM in the stadium of the Slovak club MSK Zilina. If Jong Oranje reaches the semi-finals, it will play on Wednesday in Bratislava against England or Spain.