This archive report was first published on 7 July 2019.
Published on July 7, 2019, the Netherlands' women's soccer team was on a high after reaching the World Cup semifinals. As they walked past the journalists, they couldn't hide their excitement, planning a party in their team hotel that night.
“Just something among ourselves,” said Dutch defender Stefanie van der Gragt. “We are so proud of this team that a party is good today. And then on Thursday, we will start to look forward.”
Despite being the underdogs against the United States, the Dutch players were not intimidated. They recognized the Americans' strength but were determined to give it their all.
Jackie Groenen, the scorer of the goal that carried the Netherlands past Sweden, said, “They are a massive team, with massive players, the biggest team in the world.” However, she and her teammates were not cowed by the United States' reputation.
Groenen, who wears the number 14 jersey, a tribute to Dutch soccer legend Johan Cruyff, was inspired by the legacy and not intimidated by it. She had pictured what it would be like to beat a team of the United States' magnitude and become a world champion.
