Before the Dutch semi-final against England on Thursday, we went to the base camp of the Dutch national team, the KNVB Campus, to talk with Anouk Dekker from Montpellier. We asked him some questions about this start of Euro for her and the selection. We also talked about his game and the team of France just eliminated from the competition last Sunday.


Football Hearts - What is your first impression on your tournament start?

There were so many people communicating to the stadium, it was so impressive. At that moment I knew that I had to redouble my efforts and stay focused. It was so nice, and you think we have to beat Norway, I think we played very well. After that, we had so much confidence in our team, it helped us in the matches we won. I think it was good for the group. After this group phase, now it is England that comes to us.


Soccer Hearts - It will be a tough match?

Yeah, it will be a difficult meeting.


Football Hearts - In your opinion, was Sweden the toughest match of your first four games?

We knew they could defend well, they had two attackers who always take the corridors. We were lucky, I think Sweden did not play its best game. We were good, we were good on the counterattack especially. We scored early, then in the second period, and it was easy [after that to manage].

England is a bit, you can compare it to Sweden, but I think England is a little harder and stronger in her game.


Football Hearts - Did you expect Holland to have such a good start to the tournament?

We had a two year period to focus on this tournament. It's a good thing for us that we started against Norway with victory (1-0), that's how we wanted to start. We have stored a lot of confidence thanks to that. Today, we won four games, it's unbelievable. We wanted to go through the group stage. But could we beat the three teams? It's like a dream scenario. We have confidence in the team. Now you can see it when we play football. As a team, we are here and we think we will beat them [the English quarter-final]. I think it's a good quality of this team.


Soccer Hearts - I know you know many Blue, because you play MHSC. Did you talk with them during the tournament or after their elimination?

Blue? (she did not understand) Yeah, I spoke with Sakina [Karchaoui]. It's sad that they do not go to the semi-finals because it would have been so good to play against them and yes, it's England ... France and England are two types of 'different teams. It's sad that I can not play them, but for me it does not matter at all.


Football Hearts - What did you think of the game of the Blues?

I think they did not play so well in the last game. They had to make substitutions with Wendie Renard and Eve Perisset that were suspended. They had a hard time scoring too. This is the problem of France because they have such good players. The score is difficult, when you do not score, then you must defend yourself well and you must focus on the defense. It's very simple when you mark the first minute. This is a bit of the problem of the French team.

Football hearts - According to you, should we include more young people in this French team?

Yeah, it's sad, I saw the decision of Abily to stop his career after the Euro 2017. It's sad for the older generation, but you also see on the bench four or five players Montpellier they are 22 or 21 years old. Their time will come, because I think a good generation is coming, so maybe we need to be even better prepared for the World Cup in two years (laughs).


"I play in defense while I am a midfielder"


Football Hearts - How did the French league help you for this European Championship?

Yeah, I was semi-pro, I had a job at Ventilo in Montpellier. Now I'm totally professional at MHSC, I only think about football. For me it's different, I play in defense with the national team while I'm a midfielder. It's because of the injuries that I have to play in central defense. It's a small change, but you have to adapt for your group.


Football Hearts - In the Netherlands or with Montpellier?

At Montpelier, I played as a midfielder, and normally here in the midfield as well. Now we've had van der Gragt's wound, that's the big one (smile). Today she is in shape but I had to defend on the field for my team for three months. I have never played this post there, it's a choice I had to make. After the Euro, I go back to Montpellier and I have to play my position of midfielder.


Football Hearts - What is your feeling about playing a job that is not yours?

I think that can be good for me. I think like a midfielder, I know what the midfielder wants from the defender. I want to play football, more like the little passage, the short passage, I think that is the positive point. But sometimes I think so much as a midfielder, that when I play defense I realize it and, oh shit, I'm the last and the goalie is there (smile).

As a midfielder, you can make a mistake, you can take some risks because you know you have four players behind you. But now, sometimes, "oh, I'm a defender". I think it's a small difference from this point of view especially.