World Cup NOW: How does the Netherlands match up against Spain in quarters?

The Netherlands stayed unbeaten in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup with a 2-0 victory over South Africa in the spherical of 16. Though Banyana Banyana — and star ahead Thembi Kgatlana in specific — nonetheless created loads of purpose alternatives, sterling play by Dutch goalkeeper Daphne Van Domselaar saved South Africa scoreless in the first half, and a few defensive changes from Dutch coach Andries Jonker restricted South Africa’s scoring alternatives in the second half.

Offensively, the Netherlands obtained an early header from star midfielder Jill Roord and Lineth Beerensteyn added a purpose in the second half, aided in part by a crucial error from South African goalkeeper Kaylin Swart.

Oranje Leeuwinnen‘s reward is a quarterfinal date with Spain, which has seemed like certainly one of the event’s greatest groups, in the quarterfinal (9 p.m. ET Friday on FOX and the FOX Sports App). Midfielder Danielle Van de Donk will miss the subsequent recreation after receiving her second yellow card of the event in the win over South Africa.

So how does the Netherlands line up against the mighty La Roja? The Women’s World Cup NOW crew — Jimmy Conrad, Leslie Osborne, Melissa Ortiz and Karina LeBlanc — broke it down.

Osborne: “The biggest thing to highlight is missing Van de Donk. She is an instrumental piece to this Dutch side, both on the offense and defense. She is that connective tissue. She’s box-to-box, she has bite and mentality, she’s a leader out there. This is a massive loss for this team going into playing a Spanish side that is brilliant. And also, it’s going to be a battle of the midfield. Without Van de Donk, you’ve got [to face] Aitana Bonmati, Jennifer Hermoso, — this is a big player you’re missing. In terms of momentum, Spain has the upper hand coming into this game.”

Conrad: “Van de Donk was kind of Rose LaVelle-esque on that second yellow card. She missed the ball, tried to pull out of the tackle, but it was a little dirty anyway. As much as I like her bite as well, that bite might have worked against her in this particular instance. … Without her in the midfield, I agree, that gives Spain the edge. Fun fact about Van de Donk, she’s actually started Women’s World Cup game for Netherlands when they’ve participated in it. So this will be her first ever time missing a game, and I wonder how that impacts them.”

Ortiz: “It’s absolutely going to impact them. You saw her today — she is the one, from defensive to offensive transition, she is the one that fights in the midfield. Out of possession, in possession, she is everything. Spain will absolutely have the upper hand because they have such depth on that team. Netherlands with Van de Donk out, they don’t have that same depth. 

“Spain has made so many adjustments already in 4 matches. Hermoso, who’s normally a striker, they put her in the midfield yesterday and it was superb. It was good. They put Esther Gonzalez up prime, Mariona Caldentey did not even come in [and] she’s an unimaginable winger and artistic participant. So I feel if it will be a midfield matchup, it will be Spain who could have extra quick, witty triangles and mixture performs to interrupt by the Netherlands line a lot simpler.”

Conrad: “We talked about on the pregame present the lack of velocity on the Dutch again line that I feel South Africa, I believed, took massive benefit of in the first half in specific. If you are enjoying against Spain, and also you drop your again line too deep, it will create enormous pockets of area between the again line of the Netherlands and the midfield, and that is the place Spain can kill you. So I ponder how the Netherlands are going to handle that and the way Spain will make the most of it.”

LeBlanc: “Even in the recreation as we speak, I do not suppose the Dutch had been implausible defensively. That was against a quicker workforce that counter-attacks. A Spanish aspect that performs ‘tiki-taka’ soccer versus ‘total soccer’ soccer, a part of their job is to regulate the tempo, and I do not suppose what [the Netherlands] confirmed as we speak confirmed that they are going to have the ability to break up the rhythm of the Spanish assault and protection. And then getting on the ball immediately on turnovers, I’ve to lean with all people right here and favor Spain. 

“The one thing the Dutch do have — last night I said Spain had not gotten this far before in a tournament, the Dutch have, obviously. They went to the final [in 2019]. That is the one thing that I think gives them an edge. They have that experience. But the Spanish side right now looks like a complete team.”

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