Bart Verbruggen Fit to Start Against Japan
Bart Verbruggen is fit to start in goal for the Netherlands against Japan on Sunday after recovering from a hip injury. That gives Ronald Koeman his first choice for the World Cup opener in Dallas at 22.00 Dutch time and removes the need to turn to Mark Flekken.
Verbruggen Over Flekken
Koeman said Verbruggen is ready to play and that the choice between his goalkeepers is tight. “Hij is fit om te spelen,” he said of the Brighton & Hove Albion keeper, while also adding, “Het ligt dicht bij elkaar, maar dan maak je een keuze.”
If Verbruggen had not made it, Flekken would have started in goal. Robin Roefs is the third option, and Koeman said the three goalkeeping choices are close in quality. That leaves the Netherlands with clarity in one of the few spots that was still open before kickoff.
Depay And The Front Line
Memphis Depay is also in the mix to start. Koeman said, “Het gaat steeds beter, hij heeft grote stappen gemaakt, Hij is honderd procent fit en zou kunnen starten.”
The forward picture changed across the last two matches as Donyell Malen started against Algeria and Uzbekistan. The Netherlands lost 0-1 to Algeria and beat Uzbekistan 2-1, which puts more weight on the opening match against Japan than on the earlier warmups.
Dallas And Oranje Pressure
The Netherlands open against Japan in Dallas, and Koeman did not hide the criticism around the team. “Het is kritisch, dat is het in Nederland altijd,” he said. “Aan ons om antwoord te geven en de mensen positiever te laten worden en dat kan alleen met een goede wedstrijd en zeker met een goede uitslag.”
Frenkie de Jong pushed back on outside noise and said, “Met kritiek van buitenaf doen we niets.” For the Netherlands, the immediate task is simpler: start the World Cup with Verbruggen in goal, decide whether Depay begins, and turn the selection debate into a result.
