Bart Verbruggen is fit to start in goal for the Netherlands against Japan, giving Ronald Koeman his first-choice keeper back just in time for the World Cup opener in Dallas. The 22-year-old had recovered from a hip injury and was available for Sunday’s match, ending any doubt over whether the Oranje would have to lean on another option.
Koeman said Verbruggen was ready to play and that the decision among the goalkeepers had been close, but if the Brighton & Hove Albion keeper had not made it back, Mark Flekken would have started and Robin Roefs would have been next in line. That matters because the Netherlands are not easing into the tournament; they begin against Japan at 22.00 uur Nederlandse tijd, with the match available on NOS platforms, NPO 1 and NPO Radio 1.
The fit-again keeper also arrives at a time when Koeman is still weighing other spots. Memphis Depay is fully fit and able to start, while Donyell Malen began the previous two matches against Algeria and Uzbekistan but left chances behind, keeping the striker role open. Koeman said the first striker would play against Japan, a hint that the final call up front was still live even as Verbruggen’s return settled one part of the team sheet.
The buildup has not been calm. Koeman said criticism in the Netherlands is always sharp, and Frenkie de Jong brushed that aside, saying the team is working on what has not gone well and is not paying attention to outside noise. That puts the spotlight squarely on the opener itself: Verbruggen is back, the goalkeeping choice is settled, and Oranje now has to show whether the rest of the side can match that certainty when Japan kicks off the campaign.
