The Netherlands: Variability in and out of possession

Marley led England to victory in the UEFA Women’s U-19 Championship in 2009. At club level, Marley left a lasting legacy at Everton, both as a player and a coach.

Mo Marley: The Netherlands have demonstrated a variety of approaches when in possession. They have shown they can build from goal kicks with either a back-four or a back-three, utilising the goalkeeper’s support to play through or over high-pressing opponents.

It has been interesting to see how they have utilised their left-back high into midfield and another midfielder operating between the lines or pushing wider to create wide overloads. Their variation in possession creates decision-making moments for players to identify where the space is and when to exploit it. It also challenges the opposition to recognise these overloads and how to adapt in real time, providing valuable opportunities for players to problem-solve as situations unfold.

The Netherlands’ midfielders have showcased the technical quality and game intelligence needed to pass the ball out of congested areas into space. In the build-up to their goal against Mexico in the semi-final, Dutch midfielders string together a series of passes to bring the ball into space.

They can shift between building with one or two midfield players (the number 6 and 8), which helps the team play through the lines, around, or over pressure. Their three midfielders can play off various heights and combinations to provide either short passes between the lines or the ability to change the point of attack by switching through their midfield. Players have shown great resilience and belief, continuing to impose and develop their style of play.

The Netherlands’ wide players (numbers 7, 17 and 11) are quick, direct and creative, and can maintain team width. They show bravery and intent to take on opposition full-backs 1v1, attacking both inside and outside to combine and create finishing opportunities or crosses. They can operate by coming inside or outside on their more dominant foot. The midfield unit have the technical quality to switch play effectively and the vision to play through or between defensive lines, as seen in their goal against Mexico.

The team, again, demonstrated a varied approach when out of possession. They utilise a high-pressing strategy from goal kicks and restarts with a 4-2-3-1 foundation. In recent games, they have been switching from a high block and quick recovery to a mid-to-low compact block. By changing how they organise themselves out of possession, the Netherlands have reduced the amount of space for the opposition and forced them to rely on excellent technical precision to break through lines and operate in congested areas. When possession was regained, the Netherlands looked to counter-attack quickly through their wide players, exploiting the opponent’s high defensive line, as seen in their round of 16 match against the USA.

In the latter stages of the tournament, the Netherlands have dropped off into a mid-to-low block compact block. Opponents, such as semi-finalists Mexico, have struggled to break down the Dutch defensive organisation.

Their compact defensive block enables them to press collectively with effective cover and support across the pitch. Their number 6 provides the security in front of the defence, and the number 8 drops in to support lower down the pitch if needed. Depending on key moments and the state of the game, they have shown that they can adjust their pressing height – notably against France, where they increased the intensity of their press, which proved decisive in helping them recover from a two-goal deficit before ultimately taking the game to penalties.

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