In the play-offs, only one thing matters: qualifying for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. Yet the Dutch women’s footballers feel that, certainly in home matches, there is something else to be gained: attracting more spectators to the stadiums. Lynn Wilms speaks of a “downward trend” in recent years. The 26-year-old wing-back made her international debut in the autumn of 2019, when the Dutch national team was in its heyday. As reigning European champions and World Cup finalists, the Dutch women’s team was hugely popular and stadiums were packed for home matches. In line with their performances, attendance figures subsequently fell. No more full stands in the big stadiums of FC Twente or PSV, but smaller stadiums that are rarely full. “It would be great if we could get a few more fans back into the stadium,” says Wilms. She immediately adds: “That’s down to us as well.” Around 8,000 tickets have been sold for tonight’s match against Hungary at the Koning Willem II Stadium (capacity: 15,220) in Tilburg, national team manager Arjan Veurink announced a day before the match. He points to the supporters as a major source of motivation for another strong performance, following the 0–8 away win in Hungary. “We always go for the win, but in the Netherlands we also want to do so in a way that’s enjoyable to watch,” said Veurink. “Ultimately, you play football for the fans; that’s the essence of the game.” ‘We want to entertain the fans,’ adds Wilms, right-back for Aston Villa in the English top-flight WSL. “After the 2019 World Cup, I was called up to the Dutch national team; there were loads of fans back then and the atmosphere was electric. What I remember very clearly is that Daniëlle van de Donk played her 100th international match in Eindhoven. I’d only just joined the squad and was sitting on the bench, thinking: wow, the whole Philips Stadium is packed.” “We’ve gone into a bit of a downward spiral. We’re now mainly playing in smaller stadiums. Sometimes they’re sold out, sometimes they’re not,” notes Wilms. During the peak years of 2017 to 2019, stadiums with capacities of 20,000 to as many as 30,000 were filled to capacity. This year, over 10,000 seats remained empty at the Galgenwaard in Utrecht (capacity: 23,750) during the qualifying match against Ireland. The top-of-the-table clash with France in April drew around 6,500 fans to the stadium in Breda, which seats over 20,000 people. According to Wilms, who has 65 caps, this is partly down to the Oranje’s performance. “We’d all love to see more fans coming to watch, but that also comes with success. If we play good football – and I think we’re doing that now – I reckon the fans will come back.” Following a trouble-free away match, the Dutch national team can already look ahead to the final stage of World Cup qualification. In November and December, the Netherlands will face the winner of the two-legged tie between Turkey and Slovenia for a place at the World Cup. Confidence is high. “We can be pleased with how we performed on Friday. But we want to put in another good performance at home – for ourselves and for the fans. Not doing so would also be a bit disrespectful towards the opposition.” “For me, it’s easy to stay hungry; I want to perform in every match. Within the squad, it’s also very clear what we want: to get to that World Cup.”   submitted by   /u/Roller95 [link]   [comments]