Orange confirms that the team is growing, although the game against Finland is certainly not flawless

National coach Ronald Koeman wants « more regularity » in the performance at Oranje, he said this week. So no more phases in which the game is ‘substandard’ like the first fifteen minutes against Hungary in November, the first half against Germany in October and at different times at the European Championship last summer. The good diptych against Spain last March had to put a new ‘standard’: more constant at a higher level.

On Saturday evening in the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, the Orange confirmed that it is growing after two changeable years. In a decisive performance, the Finland defeated 0-2 in the first game in the qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Orange was certainly not flawless. But despite sloppies and lesser phases, it checked the game and gave it little away. Where in recent years it regularly had more difficulty with the field game against similar, stiff teams such as Finland, 69th on the FIFA ranking.

Convincing

Orange, which often falls behind, opens convincingly. It takes initiative, plays with a lot of variation, movement and some position changes. And all at a good pace, at the end of a long season. Another plus: In the structure, ‘directly’ is played by immediately playing midfield with Frenkie de Jong and Ryan Gravenberch. There, in the engine room of Orange, they find each other easy.

Finland is driven aggressively and has to go far back – the introduction to the opening goal. Kaan Kairinen tries to put the ball back with his chest, but it falls in no man’s land between defense and keeper. Striker Memphis Depay responds alert and shoots, after six minutes. His 48th international goal, in the stadium where top scorer of all time Robin van Persie made his first of fifty orange goals.

Orange dominates, gets good opportunities. Jeremie Frimpong almost scores from a fine turning cross from Cody Gakpo, given from the left with the right, but goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky saves on the line. Moments later, in the 23rd minute, Gakpo again gives such a sensitive ball that dominates Dumfries and at the same time shoots hard and high: 0-2.

Error

That good phase lasted only half an hour. Errors are visible with central defender Jan Paul van Hecke, who wastes the ball a few times and gets into trouble. He also receives a yellow card after unaffected income on Joel Pohjanpalo. In the break, De Zeeuw, who manifested itself in its first four international matches as a partner of captain Virgil van Dijk, changed for Stefan de Vrij.

This changingness can be seen with more players. There is sometimes unnecessary loss of ball in the structure. And the pressing on Finland gradually is less mandatory. « We were not really busy, » says Koeman at the NOS. « We were going to walk less. »

Last week he emphasized that the game without a ball is becoming increasingly important in modern top football-as Paris Saint-Germain demonstrated last weekend in the Champions League final against Internazionale.

Memphis Depay shoots low in the far corner, after fifteen minutes in the second half. It is clear that the striker has a mission to become top scorer of all time. But Hradecky saves his foot. That’s how it stays 0-2. On Tuesday in Groningen, Depay will undoubtedly get more opportunities, because then the weak Malta is the opponent in group G of the World Cup qualification.

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