Lieke Martens adds magic to Holland as they prepare for England semi-final | Priya Ramesh | Football
One of the main images from Euro 2017 comes from the group match between the hosts, Holland, and Belgium.
Lieke Martens, the Holland winger, with her back to goal, has drawn the Belgium right-back Laura Deloose to the touchline. With Martens shielding the ball and heading gently towards her own half, Deloose seems to have the danger covered. She had not reckoned on what would follow.
In the blink of an eye Deloose has collided head-on with her team-mate Elke van Gorp. Deloose looks distraught and disoriented in equal measure and Van Gorp is left on the turf.
And Martens? She has nonchalantly executed an exquisite Cruyff turn and set off on a long stride towards goal, oblivious to the carnage behind her.
It is a moment that typifies the spirit in the Netherlands at the moment: full of confidence and joy. In many ways and on many levels this tournament feels like a watershed moment for women’s football. It is no different for the host nation.
“Ons EK†(“Our Eurosâ€) has been the motto for the squad in interviews and on social media. Propelled by the raucous home support, Holland have a belief that distinguishes this from previous exploits. A sea of orange engulfs the streets in the leadup to each game, thousands bobbing along in unison. “Hup Oranje†banners and Dutch flags stand out like sails, blowing along with the wind of women’s football that has swept the nation. A passionate chorus of “Wij houden van Oranje†(“We love Oranjeâ€) sounds in the stadium during every Holland match â€" and they have won all four.
Speaking before the game against Belgium last week, the manager, Sarina Wiegman, who played more than 100 times for the national team, was aware of the significance: “We have said before the tournament that this must be an important moment for women’s football. And on the field, of course, we set the mood in the country. We must ensure the fun.â€
The Leeuwinnen have achieved that. Reminiscent of legendary Dutch sides in men’s football, Wiegman’s team play with a forward-thinking optimism and fluidity in possession that is set up to get the best from an ultra-talented front three comprising forwards from Barcelona, Arsenal and Liverpool.
The name dominating the headlines is that of Martens â€" and deservedly so. A Barcelona left-winger making the headlines is not a rare sight but arguably no one has been as decisive for their team as Martens, with her passes and dribbles just as crucial as her goals. The 24-year-old has scored twice and assisted another in four matches, second only to England’s Jodie Taylor, who has scored five times.
But that statistic does not do justice to Martens, who idolises Lionel Messi and whose two-footed ability inspires awe. In a friendly before Euro 2017, Martens scored a fantastic goal against Wales, cutting in from the left and ghosting past at least three defenders before finding the far corner. It was a carbon-copy of a goal she had scored a few weeks earlier for her then club, Rosengard, against Vittsjo GIK in Sweden. Except on that occasion she had bounded in from the right, glided past opponents as if they were cones and produced a thunderous left-foot finish.
Martens, who played with the Brazilian legend Marta for half a season at Rosengard, is an all-round creative force. In the quarter-finals against Sweden she spotted the surging run of Shanice van de Sanden and played a perfectly weighted crossfield pass to the Liverpool forward, who set up Arsenal’s summer signing Vivianne Miedema for a tap-in.
The prospect of Martens facing Lucy Bronze â€" arguably the best right-back in women’s football â€" promises an engrossing, and potentially pivotal, sub-plot to the semi-final.
A player just as crucial to the Holland cause, albeit not necessarily in the same highlights-dominating way, is Jackie Groenen. The 22-year-old, who grew up in Belgium and nearly declared for them, has been a contender for player of the tournament and earned praise from Louis van Gaal after her performance against Norway.
The FFC Frankfurt midfielder is intelligent and seemingly inexhaustible. A former national champion and European bronze medallist in judo, she has excellent balance and uses her strength smartly, despite being relatively small.
Sometimes nicknamed “The Ant†in her Chelsea days, Groenen â€" with her relentless running and attempts to nick the ball â€" is a player few opponents like to face. In possession she has proved the value of simplicity and has a keen passing vision.
In a setup that depends on extensive use of the wings but lacks overlapping full-backs, Groenen’s role is vital as the first point in an attacking axis, and she has created chances in every game. In at least two of Oranje’s goals, the attack began with a recovery by Groenen in her own half, before she played in Martens to carry the ball forward and find Van de Sanden in a quick switch of play.
If Martens is the icing on the cake, it is not far-fetched to suggest that Groenen may be the cake. As she detailed to Michiel de Hoog of De Correspondent, Groenen used to watch videos of Johan Cruyff on the long car journeys from Belgium to her first professional club, SG Essen. She dons that legendary shirt number and it is a joy to see a Dutch No14 put in dominating performances and lead by example.
In the buildup to the tournament, the leading Dutch magazine Voetbal International featured female footballers on its cover for the first time in its 52-year history. The shirt manufactuerers Nike switched the lion on the Dutch football federation (KNVB) crest for a lioness. The 21,732 attendance for the opening game against Norway set a Dutch record for a women’s football match, soon to be broken with the 30,000-seat De Grolsch Veste in Enschede sold out for the semi-final.
There is plenty more to achieve. At Barcelona Martens will earn around €200,000 (£180,000) a year â€" not too far off of what most of her male counterparts take home each week. But the fact that scores of young boys and girls will watch these Euros and find heroes and idols in players such as Martens, Van de Sanden and Groenen, just as they might look up to Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Arjen Robben, is something to be proud of and build on. Women’s football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the Netherlands and it is expected to grow further. In a video released last year by the KNVB about women’s football, the final shot features the word “vrouwenvoetbal†(women’s football) being replaced by “voetbalâ€.
“Everything is possible,†Wiegman said, speaking about her team’s chances of winning the tournament. If Holland do pull off a home victory, that may also stand true for the sport in the country.
Exposure and awareness are the beginning â€" and women’s football, given the chance to grow into its own sport, with its own legends and history, can truly take off in the Netherlands.
Four to watch
Lieke Martens (age 24)
The in-form attacker provides an all-round threat with her dribbles down the left, incisive passes in the final third and shooting.
Shanice van de Sanden (24)
The Liverpool forward’s pace gives her an edge, and although her crossing could be better, she has caused left-backs many problems this summer.
Anouk Dekker (30)
Not the fastest defender and is actually not even a defender, but has made the position her own with her aerial ability and anticipation. Will have to deal with the threat of the tournament’s top-scorer, England’s Jodie Taylor.
Sari van Veenendaal (27)
To say Holland’s three clean sheets are down to the goalkeeper is no understatement, and Van Veenendaal will likely be crucial again, against Euro 2017’s best attack.
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