Column Vivianne Miedema | Nederland en penalty’s... Dat moeten we maar gewoon niet meer doen
Penalty’s trainen? Zo simpel is het niet, schrijft Vivianne Miedema in haar column. Ook blikt ze terug op de zware weken voor haar moeder. En dan is er nog de hereniging met partner Beth Mead bij Manchester City. ‘Door alles wat er gaande is, is het fijn om weer samen te zijn.’
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
Vivianne Miedema Column | The Netherlands and penalties… We just shouldn't do that anymore Practicing penalties? It's not that simple, writes Vivianne Miedema in her column. She also reflects on the tough weeks for her mother. And then there is the reunion with partner Beth Mead at Manchester City. ‘Because of everything that is going on, it is nice to be together again.’
The Netherlands and penalties… We just really shouldn't do that anymore, you know. I am not a five-year-old anymore who has to cry for three days, but it is a real shame. It is just very easy to say now that you can train for penalties. It is a bit more than just shooting a penalty in.
Look, anyone can kick a ball at this level, but at a moment like that, the goal suddenly seems very small. The pressure at such a moment, thinking about how many people are watching… One player handles that better than another, and that is not something you can train. I also score all penalties in training, but at such a moment there is a huge difference compared to a penalty in a match. Let alone a penalty during training.
Every coach and player tries to replicate something like that as best as possible, but that really isn't possible. The only way someone might get used to the pressure is if you are the one who always takes penalties at important moments. That way, the pressure can feel a bit more normal. But then, you would have to rotate penalty takers at important moments.
It makes sense that Koeman is stepping down now. I think it is good for the Dutch national team to take a fresh start. And there will also be plenty of guys thinking now: is it time for me too? I naturally thought about that myself after the last European Championship, but it depends on many different things. Are you fit? Are you still playing a lot? Players will be thinking about that now while on vacation.
Miracle I am going on vacation myself now too, and that is really necessary. When I look back on the past few weeks, I can't help but think: wow… We can safely say that my mother is a miracle. She is doing very well and is busy with her rehabilitation. She is slowly starting to realize everything that has happened, and that is difficult.
Everything is still very heavy and takes a lot of energy, whereas normally she was busy day and night with all sorts of things. But things are heading in the right direction now, and that gives me a bit more peace of mind after incredibly tense weeks. That is why I have decided to take a break, after which I will start again at Manchester City on July 20. Together with Beth (girlfriend Beth Mead, ed.), who has now also chosen City after Arsenal.
We have naturally talked a lot about that. I have always said that she had to make a football choice, and she did look around at clubs, but partly due to the season we had with the league title, winning the FA Cup, and the direction our board wants to take, this is the club she wanted to go to. The fact that we can now live together again, together with Myle, naturally helps the picture. When you look at everything that is going on with family, it is very nice to be able to be together again and not have to travel back and forth anymore. And I am looking forward to it from a football perspective as well. Beth is a smart player, and in terms of quality and experience, she is a huge asset.
Surgery Personally, I expect to be fit again for the new season, despite the surgery I had to undergo on my knee. There were still too many pieces of scar tissue circulating in my knee, so after a scan, we decided it was better to clean out the knee now. We are now 3.5 weeks further along, and if you didn't know, you wouldn't know that I had surgery.
Due to the surgery, I did miss the World Cup qualifiers against Ireland and Poland. Especially against Ireland (3-2 defeat, ed.), I was incredibly disappointed that I couldn't help the team. Although we need the play-offs now, we are of course simply obligated to qualify. I have full confidence in that as well.
