Dutch to host the United States in Eindhoven
AMSTERDAM (AP) — The Netherlands will play the United States in a friendly match as part of its preparations for the 2020 European Championship, the Dutch team’s first major tournament since the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The match will be played in Eindhoven on March 26, three days before the Netherlands takes on Spain in Amsterdam, the Dutch soccer association said Friday.
After reaching the semifinals in Brazil, the Dutch team failed to qualify for the 2016 European Championship and the 2018 World Cup. However, the team has been resurgent since Ronald Koeman was appointed in February 2018, with a new generation of talented young players like Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt establishing themselves in the national team.
The match could feature an onfield meeting of Serginio Dest, who has a Dutch mother and Surinamese-American father, and his Ajax teammates who play for the Netherlands. Dest recently opted to stay in the U.S. program instead of switching to the Netherlands.
It will also be a return to familiar territory for United States coach Gregg Berhalter, a former player with Dutch clubs PEC Zwolle, Sparta Rotterdam and Cambuur Leeuwarden.
