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Ilai Grandfame scored from his own half for the Netherlands Under-17 team in its match against France. The goal was described as a standout moment among the Dutch teams in action, but no further match details were given.
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The Netherlands beat Serbia 2-1 in Eindhoven in the Nations League, ending Xavi Hernández’s first international window as national coach unbeaten. Joshua Zirkzee scored the winning goal after coming on as a substitute. The result was the Netherlands’ second win over Serbia in a week and leaves the team on eight points from four matches; Germany and Greece drew 0-0 in the other match. Captain Virgil van Dijk played his 100th international, becoming the 11th Dutch player to reach that mark, and was honoured after the match. Denzel Dumfries made his 80th appearance. Teun Koopmeiners started alongside Van Dijk in central defence, while goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen made several saves, according to a single report. Xavi said the team had struggled to impose its possession-based approach but had shown a desire to win.
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A press conference involving Ireland ahead of its match against Israel was abruptly ended after an accusation was made. No further details were provided about the accusation or the circumstances of the termination.
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The Netherlands remained ninth in the FIFA world ranking published on Wednesday. After its first four matches, the team had narrowed the gap to eighth-placed Belgium, whose national coach is Mark van Bommel.
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In the football podcast Kick-off, Valentijn Driessen, Mike Verweij, Pim Sedee and Hein Keijser discussed the current Dutch national team. They highlighted a standout player, the team’s position at the top of its Nations League group, its unconvincing performances under Xavi, a fragile defence and Virgil van Dijk’s position. They also debated whether the coach should make difficult choices and whether tactical demands were helping the team progress or reducing its spontaneity. Driessen argued that the Nations League should not be used for experimentation, while another discussion focused on how Jorrel Hato could help the team. The podcast also addressed the heavy fixture schedule, numerous injuries, the prospects of the Dutch junior team and what had gone wrong for that side. The programme looked ahead to the resumption of the Eredivisie.