The Netherlands' Anomaly of Appearance Heading into the World Cup

WARSAW, THURSDAY — The Dutch national team, renowned for its legendary attackers in the past, is now relying on the strength of its defense to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The defense of "The Orange" has once again become the mainstay ahead of the decisive match against Poland.

The luxury of the Dutch defense line shines as they prepare to face Robert Lewandowski and his teammates in the Group G qualification round of the World Cup at the National Stadium in Warsaw, Saturday (15/11/2025) at 02:45 WIB. They arrive with a plethora of quality defensive options.

Dutch coach Ronald Koeman has sidelined veteran defender Stefan de Vrij during this international break. The 33-year-old was a key defender for the Netherlands throughout the Euro 2024. However, there is no need for concern, as his replacement is Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt, who is equally impressive in terms of quality.

"I feel I must choose Matthijs based on what he has shown recently. He has gone through a difficult period. I once told him that he lacked confidence in his actions, but now everything is much better," said Koeman.

De Vrij was sidelined due to his infrequent appearances at the club level with Inter Milan. The coach is not afraid to replace the defenders as he has many options available. Koeman also missed De Ligt during the international break last month due to his declining performance trend.

However, De Ligt, who last started for the national team in November 2024, will likely have to be patient. Just like Manchester City defender Nathan Ake, who has recently been on the bench, he will need to wait his turn to play. Koeman already has a reliable back four.

The parallel back quarter consisted of Denzel Dumfries, Jurrien Timber, Virgil van Dijk, and Micky van de Ven. They delivered impressive performances consecutively in the previous two qualifying matches against Finland and Malta. The Netherlands did not concede any goals and managed to score a total of eight goals.

Koeman is certainly reluctant to experiment in Warsaw. The Netherlands, leading the group standings with 16 points, could qualify directly for the World Cup finals if they win against Poland. With two matches remaining, Poland is in second place, trailing three points behind the Netherlands.

The resilience of the "Orange" back four will be tested by the opposing veteran striker, Lewandowski. Coincidentally, the Barcelona striker is heading into the international break with sky-high confidence. He just scored a hat-trick against Celta Vigo last weekend.

Lewandowski, who is already 37 years old, also contributed goals in the last two qualifying matches. "He is indeed a bit older, but in terms of physicality and other aspects, he remains outstanding. His desire to score is the same. He is still on par with (Erling) Haaland or (Harry) Kane," said Polish defender Matty Cash.

Koeman employs a unique approach to the latest quartet of defenders for the Netherlands. Timber, who is originally a right-back at Arsenal, is positioned as a center-back. Timber partners with Van Dijk. Van de Ven, who is a center-back, is instead played in the left-back position.

Timber is one of the best-performing defenders in the English Premier League at present. Evidently, he has managed to win tackles at a rate of 89.5 percent in the league this season. This represents the highest tackle success rate in the English Premier League for players who have recorded at least 30 tackles.

The problem is that Timber has not faced world-class strikers like Lewandowski in the previous two international matches. The significant physical disparity between Timber and the home team's forwards could be a vulnerability for the Netherlands. Timber's height is only 179 centimeters, which is below the standard for central defenders in Europe.

The test will also serve as a proving ground for Timber. If he can handle the threat posed by Lewandowski, he has a significant chance of securing a center-back position in the World Cup. On the other hand, the fate of Ake and De Ligt in breaking into the main squad will depend on the outcome of this match.

Ake has only started twice in the last six matches for the Netherlands. Nevertheless, Koeman has consistently called up the versatile defender on every occasion. According to the coach, Ake, who is a left-footed player, can provide additional options for tactical needs.

"He is a left-footed player, while our center-back position is dominated by right-footed players. His presence in the squad is very significant. He can become an important player when needed. Although he does not play much, he remains one of my chosen team captains," Koeman explained.

Ake and De Ligt are almost certainly automatic inclusions in the starting lineup of most other European teams. However, this is not the case for the Dutch squad. This indicates a drastic change in the face of "The Orange." From a team known for its great forwards, such as Dennis Bergkamp and Marco van Basten, it has transformed into a team filled with formidable defenders. (AP/REUTERS)