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Dutch national team boss Ronald Koeman will look to guide his side to its first FIFA World Cup final since 2010 this summer -Credit:Stefan Koops/EYE4IMAGES/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Dutch national team head coach Ronald Koeman was quizzed on the level of intensity and style of soccer he believes fans can expect this summer, in what will likely be a FIFA World Cup dominated by headlines regarding the often stifling North American heat - a topic which has already prompted a selection of doctors and professors to call for action.
The former Barcelona boss announced his Netherlands squad on Wednesday, during which he made a bold prediction regarding how he believes Thomas Tuchel’s England side will utilize set pieces to their advantage in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
“I do think that there will be a little less intensity. I don't believe you'll get a game like Paris against Bayern. Especially not the first game,” he said, referring to Paris Saint-Germain’s incredible 5-4 win over Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League in April.
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Koeman announced his final squad on Wednesday -Credit:Stefan Koops/EYE4IMAGES/NurPhoto via Getty Images
“But you can also see it in England with their squad. They are going to gamble on throw-ins, corners. That will be an important item [in their playbook] because that doesn't cost any energy…
“I think Arsenal became champions because of corners. Otherwise, they wouldn't have made it.”
Regarding Premier League champions Arsenal, there is no denying that Mikel Arteta’s side was ruthless when it came to set pieces, leading the league in goals in that department in 2025/2026, as per ESPN. Whether or not corners alone were enough to tip the title race in the Gunners’ favor, however, is up for debate.
As for England, Tuchel undoubtedly has the luxury of having some excellent set-piece takers at his disposal, such as Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, and Harry Kane. And, admittedly, the German coach did say after announcing his controversial World Cup squad, “We have specialists with us for all kinds of different scenarios: when you're leading, when we're chasing a game.
“We always said we want to be a strong set-piece team, so we have specialists for that, and we want to be a strong penalty team.”
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That being said, the Dutch also have plenty of aerial threats to work with, including Virgil van Dijk, Micky van de Ven, and Wout Weghorst, who all made the final squad.
Set to be based at the KC Current’s Training Facility in Missouri, Koeman’s side will look to reach its first final since 2010, when they lost 1-0 to Spain in extra time. But first, they’ll need to make it out of a potentially tough Group F, where they’ll take on Japan, Sweden, and Tunisia.
Full Netherlands Squad:
Goalkeepers: Bart Verbruggen (Brighton and Hove Albion), Mark Flekken (Bayer Leverkusen), Robin Roefs (Sunderland)
Defenders: Nathan Ake (Manchester City), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Denzel Dumfries (Inter Milan), Jorrel Hato (Chelsea), Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton and Hove Albion), Jurrien Timber (Arsenal), Micky van de Ven (Tottenham Hotspur)
Midfielders: Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Teun Koopmeiners (Juventus), Noah Lang (Galatasaray), Tijjani Reijnders (Manchester City), Marten de Roon (Atalanta), Guus Til (PSV), Quinten Timber (Marseille), Mats Wieffer (Brighton and Hove Albion)
Forwards: Brian Brobbey (Sunderland), Memphis Depay (Corinthians), Cody Gakpo (Liverpool), Justin Kluivert (AFC Bournemouth), Donyell Malen (AS Roma), Crysencio Summerville (West Ham United), Wout Weghorst (Ajax)
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