Koeman Uses Uzbekistan Friendly To Refine Netherlands Starting XI Ahead Of World Cup

Ronald Koeman plans to treat Monday’s friendly against Uzbekistan at Icahn Stadium as a dress rehearsal, expecting his starting line-up to resemble the Netherlands team that opens Group F against Japan on 14 June at the World Cup in North America.

Netherlands enter the match seeking a response after a 1-0 defeat to Algeria, which ended their final home fixture before a major tournament on a low note. That reverse was only the fourth such loss, after similar setbacks in 1934, 1938 and 2004.

Koeman stressed that the priority against Uzbekistan is to lock in the core XI, while still managing minutes across the group of 26. The coach confirmed that almost every squad member will feature during the final warm-up, but the selected starters are expected to form the first-choice team.

Explaining that approach, Koeman told reporters: “We want to use the first match to make as few changes as possible. We have to wait and see if that works. We are going to play the first match largely with our starting team. It is also good for guys who are not 100% fit who can then play in the second match. That is why we are playing two matches. We have 26 players and everyone gets minutes to play. That’s what you want.”

Uzbekistan, who are making a first World Cup appearance, arrive after a 2-0 defeat to co-hosts Canada and will meet the Netherlands for the first time at senior level. Netherlands also face Sweden and Tunisia in Group F as they look to go beyond the quarter-final stage reached against Argentina in Qatar four years ago.

The Algeria friendly had already given Koeman a chance to shuffle options. Netherlands started with one line-up and then changed the entire team, with six alterations coming at half-time. Virgil van Dijk and Micky van de Ven were among those introduced as Koeman assessed depth across each area of the pitch.

Netherlands World Cup squad decisions and Uzbekistan warm-up

One of the major calls still facing Koeman involves Jurrien Timber, who recently featured in Arsenal’s Champions League final defeat against Paris Saint-Germain. Timber had been sidelined with a groin problem, and the Netherlands staff are monitoring whether the defender can handle starting responsibility during the Uzbekistan game.

Koeman outlined the situation around Timber’s availability and consistency. “If he trains and is fully fit, he always makes a good impression. That hasn’t been the case every day, so we have to make a decision,” Koeman added. “He participated in training, and we are going to sit down with the doctor and Jurrien at the end of [Sunday] afternoon to see whether he is going to start or not.”

With the World Cup opener against Japan approaching and further group matches versus Sweden and Tunisia on the horizon, the Netherlands view Uzbekistan as a key checkpoint. The friendly is set to clarify the preferred line-up, test fitness after Algeria, and refine tactical details before the tournament begins.