Leeuwinnen beat Poland 3–1 but miss direct World Cup ticket

Leeuwinnen win but miss direct World Cup spot

A bitter night for Arjan Veurink's side. The Oranje Leeuwinnen beat Poland 3–1 on Tuesday but it wasn't enough – they missed out on direct qualification for the World Cup (11). Veurink didn't hide from it: "We miss volwassenheid" – we lack maturity, he said, summing up a campaign that fell short (2). The result leaves the Leeuwinnen facing the harder path to the tournament.

Romée Leuchter ends her drought

One bright spot from the Poland match: Romée Leuchter scored her first Oranje goal in over eighteen months. She wasn't shy about the relief. "Dat kun je wel zeggen, ja. Het was een lange tijd. Maar ik ben er blij mee" – you could say that, yes. It's been a long time. But I'm happy with it (1).

Timber out, Geertruida in

Jurriën Timber's World Cup is over before it began. Erik ten Hag called his absence "een heel groot verlies" – a massive loss for the squad, questioning whether the winning mentality is still there without him (3). Lutsharel Geertruida has arrived in Kansas City as the replacement and the squad is now complete (14). Jaap Stam has already weighed in with a suggestion: start Virgil van Dijk alongside Micky van de Ven at centre-back (7).

Frenkie de Jong: unpredictability is the weapon

Frenkie de Jong is embracing the chaos. "De onvoorspelbaarheid van Oranje kan onze kracht zijn" – the unpredictability of this team can be our strength, he said ahead of the tournament (6). It's a mindset that will be tested immediately: a new rule reportedly makes a loss to Japan even more damaging than usual (5).

World Cup kicks off, Netherlands play Sunday

The World Cup is nearly here. The full schedule is out and the Netherlands men's team is in action Sunday against Curaçao (12). First, a warm-up against Uzbekistan in New York – the same eleven that starts there is "almost certainly" the team that faces Japan.

Fan reactions

The mood among fans is split straight down the middle. Half are already in full tournament mode – sharing the World Cup schedule, debating Stam's Van Dijk/Van de Ven proposal, and nervously rewatching Japan tape. The other half can't look past the Leeuwinnen missing direct qualification, with many calling it a wake-up call for the women's program. Join the discussion on r/Eredivisie.